Who is the Town's Planning Director?

Throughout the Town's Zoning and Subdivision Regulation Ordinance, there is mention of the responsibilities of the Town's Planning Director.   Who is the Town's Planning Director?   The Town Administrator holds that position and takes those responsibilities.  Currently, that is Hal Mason.

When the Town first reopened, the Town's intergovernmental agreement with Charleston County made Charleston County's Planning Director also the Planning Director for the Town.    This is true of several other small municipalities in Charleston County.  Dan Pennick serves the Planning Director for Charleston County and served in that role for the Town.  The Charleston County Planning Department applied the Town's Zoning and Subdivision Regulation Ordinance with the help of the James Island Planning Commission and James Island Board of Zoning Appeals.   The James Island Planning Commission and James Island Board of Zoning Appears were appointed by Town Council in August.  

After Hal Mason arrived in September, I appointed him to be Planning Director.   The Charleston County Planning Department continued to provide the needed staff support.  However, actions requiring the approval of the Planning Director were approved by Hal Mason rather than Dan Pennick.

In March, the Town hired Kristen Crane as a Planner.    She began training with the Charleston County Planning Department.   The Town Administrator also provided training, as did Councilman Leonard Blank, Chairman of the Town's Land Use Committee and former Chairman of the Town's Planning Commission.   As Kristen Crane has obtained more experience and training, she has been given progressively more responsibility.     The role of the Charleston County Planning Department staff has been reduced.    Actions that require the approval of the Planning Director are still approved by Hal Mason, the Town Administrator.

Hal Mason resigned as Town Administrator on June 20, 2012.  He provided two months notice and remains in that position until he leaves at the end of August.   He will serve as Planning Director until that time.   When he leaves, by the Town's intergovernmental agreement with Charleston County, Dan Pennick, Planning Director for Charleston County, will again be Planning Director for the Town.  

What will happen next?   I may appoint the new Town Administrator to serve as Planning Director again, depending on his or her experience and training.  However,  I expect that the Town's Planner, Kristen Crane, will continue to obtain more training and experience, be given more responsibility, growing into role of Planning Director for the Town.

Councilman Kernodle claimed that it was foolish for the Town to pass Chapter 11 of the Zoning and Subdivision Regulation Ordinance because it describes responsibilities for the Planning Director and we don't know who will serve as Planning Director after Hal Mason leaves the position.    Of course, even if the Town approves no changes to Chapter 11, the existing version of the ordinance also describes responsibilities of the Planning Director, as do many of the other Chapters.    That the position of Planning Director might be vacant at some point in the future is no reason to delay approving Chapter 11 or revisions to any other Chapter of the Zoning and Subdivision Regulation Ordinance.  Fortunately, other members of Council voted to approve the revisions recommended by the Planning Commission.