AWENDAW, South Carolina – A historically African American settlement town may soon receive more protections from overdevelopment.
On Thursday, the Charleston County Planning and Public Works Committee approved the creation of a Zoning Overlay District for the Ten Mile Community.
The historic village, nestled between U.S. Highway 17 and Copahee Sound, would be protected as part of the county’s comprehensive plan under review by the district.
The Overlay Zoning District would provide additional permanent preservation safeguards to the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
District 2 county councilmember Larry Kobrovosky believes that moving toward additional protections is something to be proud of. He claims that the amount of growth that is taking place in the area was unimaginable 30 years ago.
“It’s a way to protect them from major subdivisions there because major subdivisions through the Ten Mile will completely end the way of life there and the way of life the people have lived there with their families for many many generations,” according to Kobrovsky.
This modification would not halt development, but would instead establish new rules for building proportions and density.
“It is a little bit of an upzoning from one per acre to three units per acre but that was what the community consensus was because I feel what we’ve heard is the people want their families to stay there,” Kobrovsky tells me.
According to the councilman, the additional safeguards also allow citizens to participate in development plans.
“It’s a way for the people that live there to kind of take ownership of it and have control of their own destiny and preserve what they have so that everybody is not displaced and major subdivisions don’t come through there,” Kobrovsky tells me.
Amanda Keeney, an area homeowner, expressed her worries about overdevelopment to officials at previous public input sessions.
“I was just concerned for preserving the Ten Mile Community that’s been here for a long time,” Keeney tells me. “Not only for the residents but also for the environment and just preserving the coastline and making sure that there is no flooding due to overdevelopment.”
Kobrovsky plans to apply this zoning paradigm to other unincorporated places, such as McLennanville.
If the vote passes, it will be sent to the county council for a first reading on October 28.
