Charleston planning commission deadlocks on Johns Island rezoning after heavy public opposition

The Charleston County Planning Commission failed to produce a recommendation July 14 on a request to amend comprehensive plan and ZLDR maps to change a 2.39-acre parcel on Johns Island from limited commercial to mixed use.
Staff presenter Wynn told the commission staff recommends approval, saying the change would allow higher-density commercial and residential uses and noted that mixed-use zoning permits multifamily, hotel, parking structures and other uses. "Staff recommends approval," Wynn said.
The applicant, Philip Simmons, said his family has owned property on Johns Island for nearly 90 years and described the rezoning request as giving the family "flexibility" to consider small storefronts and housing near a future hospital. "Our whole goal ... is we're trying to get in front of the development so we have some flexibility," Simmons said.
Public commenters urged denial. Peter Rubino, speaking on behalf of the Johns Island Task Force and the Johns Island Council, warned the area’s roads are at or below acceptable service levels and said: "We cannot support additional residential development that is being zoned up zone by as much as 60% to our already overwhelmed infrastructure." Susan Kershaw, a Johns Island resident, asked commissioners to respect the compromises that produced the overlay district and to delay any upzoning until infrastructure is improved. "We don't have to allow people to up zone and put more density on the island until we have approval at least approval for ways off the island," Kershaw said. Tori Sanders of the Coastal Conservation League said the requested density is "significant" for an area with two-lane roads that lack sidewalks and bike lanes and asked that the rezoning be denied for now.
Staff reported 193 written comments in opposition, three in support and four general comments; the applicant provided 26 letters in support before the meeting. Staff summarized the density changes tied to the request: the parcel is currently allowed 6 dwelling units per acre; the mixed-use designation would allow 8 units per acre, with a 50-foot right-of-way dedication increasing the current designation allowance to 12 units per acre and to 19 units per acre under the mixed-use designation.
Commission debate split. Commissioner Adam McConnell said the county must accommodate growth within the urban growth boundary and supported the change, arguing it would add housing capacity. "We cannot both simultaneously protect the urban growth boundary and say no development within it as well," McConnell said. Several other commissioners, including Work Jones and Logan Davis, cited the heavy volume of public opposition, the overlay district’s original tradeoffs and concerns about traffic and precedent for more upzoning; they opposed recommending approval.
A motion to recommend approval initially failed for lack of a second; a subsequent motion to approve, seconded by McConnell for discussion, did not achieve the majority-of-the-entire-body vote required by county rules to recommend a comprehensive plan amendment. Planning staff and the commission attorney clarified that a majority of the commission’s full membership (five votes) is required for a recommendation on comprehensive plan changes. The commission’s final action was to take no recommendation; staff said the case will proceed to County Council. "County Council will hear this request at their public hearing on 08/26/2025 at 06:30 PM in council chambers," the chair announced.
Discussion vs. decision: staff recommended approval (discussion/direction), commissioners debated and expressed positions (discussion), and the commission made no formal recommendation because it did not reach the five-vote threshold required for comprehensive plan amendments; County Council will consider the request at its public hearing.
Background: the property lies in the Johns Island Maybank Highway Corridor Overlay Zoning District. Staff noted mixed use is intended to accommodate higher-density commercial and residential uses and to enable mixed-use forms such as residential units above nonresidential space. The staff presentation said the parcel is not in a flood zone (X zone) and showed surrounding single-family and mobile-home uses.
Next steps: County Council will hear the application at its public hearing on Aug. 26, 2025; the council may refer the matter to committee and must complete readings at its discretion before taking final action.