North Charleston, South Carolina – Residents in North Charleston’s oldest neighborhood are concerned about a planned zoning change that could transform the historic district.
Liberty Hill residents gathered Monday night at North Charleston City Hall to express their worries about the zoning change, which could open the way for a new townhome development on East Montague Avenue.
The proposal calls for altering one property from an R-1 Community (single-family residential area) to an R-2 Community (multi-family residential area).
Those opposed to the plan argue that if granted, the move could lead to the construction of additional apartments in the community. They believe that if R-2 continues forward, others will follow, bringing further development to the area.
“If you look at the comprehensive plan, it appears that the zoning change that they want only applies to specific regions, although Liberty Hill is typically an R-1 neighborhood. They do have R-2 in there, but it’s usually an R-1 area, and changing it to R-2 damages the neighborhood’s essence, according to Saint Julian Corey Van Hannegeyn IV, a Liberty Hill resident who attended Monday’s meeting.
During Monday night’s meeting, the North Charleston planning commission recommended that the project be denied. It now goes to the city council for its first reading.
“Even though they said no, it’s just a recommendation; the safety committee could change their mind and vote against it, but most likely when you’ve got a unanimous no like this, they usually follow suit,” she said.
He went on to urge locals to pay attention to talks concerning their areas, stating, “Be aware. “Always read these comprehensive plans,” he advised. “It’s important to attend these types of meetings because you’ve got to know what’s going on.”
The suggestion will be reviewed by the city’s Public Safety Committee at its next meeting on November 20. This meeting will provide another opportunity for the public to provide feedback.
