Town Resolution on James Island Moratorium

Town Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday night regarding the James Island moratorium.   I placed it on our agenda last week, before the James Island Intergovernmental Council met last Monday.  

The resolution welcomed the City of Charleston's six month moratorium on more than four units and more than 1500 square feet in nonresidential zones.  The Town's resolution also calls for Charleston County and the City of Folly Beach to adopt similar moratoriums in their areas of jurisdiction on James Island.    Further, it calls for the Town's Planning Director to determine what, if any, moratorium is appropriate for the Town.

At the meeting, Councilman Stokes proposed an amendment to the Town's resolution.   He added some items from the resolution that had been adopted by the Intergovernmental Council.   Our amended resolution calls for a joint James Island Planning Committee that is to develop a James Island overlay zoning district and a James Island Comprehensive Plan.   The five items proposed by Mayor Tecklenburg to be addressed by the plan were also added.   Those are affordable housing, the Folly Road overlay, drainage improvements, a joint Design Review Board, and the urban growth boundary.   It also calls on the four governments with jurisdiction on James Island to send representatives from their planning departments to develop a specific proposal for the joint James Island Planning Committee.

The Town did not adopt a moratorium at our May meeting.   We should receive a recommendation from our Planning Director soon and, unless we hold a special meeting earlier, an ordinance will likely come before Council at our June meeting.,

There is substantial interest on Council to pass a moratorium in solidarity with the City of Charleston and the other two governments with planning and zoning jurisdiction on James Island.   However, it is important to understand that Town zoning already limits residential development in our community commercial zone to four units per acre.   A moratorium is not necessary to prevent more than four units per acre in our nonresidential zones.   It is already contrary to the Town's Zoning Ordinance.

The City of Charleston responded to citizen demands for a two year moratorium on apartments with a six month moratorium on more than four units in nonresidential zones and also on commercial development greater than 1500 square feet.   This does not prevent apartments, though the number of apartments would be small.   I agree with the City's approach that rather than focus on apartments, the goal should be to limit the number of units.    I don't think it is important whether a one acre commercial property is subdivided to allow 4 single family homes or if a small 4 unit apartment building is placed on the site with plenty of open space for the residents to enjoy.

However, I am very concerned that a moratorium would delay desirable commercial redevelopment in the Town.   Nearly all of our commercially zoned property is on Folly Road and there are next to no vacant parcels.   The Town adopted the Folly Road Overlay.   If someone is interested in redeveloping one of the aging strip malls in the Town, I think that would be great for everyone on James Island.   Such a redevelopment would provide sidewalks, landscaping, and other changes that would improve our commercial core.    I do not want to delay an opportunity for improving our Island for six months!

I think it is great that it looks like the City of Charleston will be willing to adopt a modified version of the Folly Road overlay and is putting a temporary hold on commercial development allowed under its current zoning rules until we come to some agreement on appropriate modifications.  But our policy is to encourage redevelopment consistent with the Folly Road overlay now.

That is the key issue that our Planning Director must consider before making a recommendation to Town Council and what Council must consider at our June meeting.