A motion to send a moratorium to the County Planning Commission failed on a 4-4 tie at Tuesday's County Council meeting. Councilwoman Anna Johnson, whose district includes a small portion of James Island, left the meeting right before the vote. Here is a map of her district. At the far west end, there is a small area of James Island included.
Councilman Joe Qualey supported the motion. He attended the James Island Intergovernmental Council meeting where the elected officials of James Island unanimously recommended that County Council adopt a moratorium consistent with that of the City of Charleston. Councilwoman Anna Johnson was absent from that entire meeting.
Voting in favor of moving the moratorium forward were Chairman Rawl and Councilmen Qualey, Schweer, and Darby. Voting against were Councilmen Summey, Moody, Sass and Pryor.
The Town adopted a moratorium last night. I spoke with Mayor Goodwin, and the City of Folly Beach is likely to adopt a moratorium for its area of jurisdiction on James Island.
Three of the four local governments with planning and zoning authority on James Island have following through. Charleston County looks like it will be the problem.
All of James Island is in Charleston County, but only the unincorporated area of James Island is subject to Charleston County's planning and zoning authority. Nearly all of that area was in the Town before 2011. The Town has been working since 2012 to give them a chance to return to the Town. But that requires legislation in Columbia.
So now we have a situation where planning and zoning for a portion of James Island is determined by a County Council where James Islanders vote for only 2 of the 9 members. The other 7 never have to face any James Island voter. James Island makes up a significant portion of Councilman Qualey's district. Here is a map. The area of James Island that shows white on the map of Qualey's district is in Councilwoman Anna Johnson's district. Perhaps 15% of James Islanders are in her district, but most of her voters are in other portions of Charleston County--Johns Island, Edisto Island, Wadamalaw Island, and St. Pauls Parrish.
In my opinion, there is an obvious solution. We need to get the Town reunited. If these areas were in the Town, we would not have to depend on a County Council over which we have so little influence. Every member of the James Island Town Council lives on James Island and every voter we face in every election lives here too.
I don't think that sending the moratorium to the County Planning Commission was necessary as a first step. Still, it would have been a step forward.
The City of Charleston and the Town of James Island implemented the moratorium by ordinance on first reading. The Town is sending its moratorium to the James Island Planning Commission for a recommendation and will hold a public hearing at our regular Town Council meeting on June 15. Assuming Town Council votes in favor, the moratorium will be adopted as of May 25.
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