This week there are several developments coming before the various City of Charleston boards and committees. Below are those items as well as results, if any, from the prior week’s items specific to Daniel Island and the Cainhoy area. More detailed agendas and results can be found at charleston-sc.gov/agendacenter.

UPCOMING: CITY OF CHARLESTON TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

July 27: River Landing – Site plan for new townhome development with stormwater ponds, and amenities at 56 Fairchild Street, 30 units on 8.065 acres.

Aug. 3: Daniel Island Club Lodge – Site plan for new building with associated parking and utilities on 3.5 acres at 604 Island Park Drive.

Aug. 3: Clements Ferry Industrial – Site plan review for a 164,000 sq. ft. industrial facility on 13.88 acres at 1001 Charleston Regional Pkwy.

RESULTS: CITY OF CHARLESTON TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

July 20: Woodfield Daniel Island 3 – Review of revisions to previously approved site plan for new multifamily development, 175 units on 6.3 acres at 2058 Daniel Island Drive. Results: Approval pending final documentation to Zoning, T&T, and Stormwater Management.

July 20: Woodfield Point Hope 3 – Site plan for a mixed-use development on 44.6 acres with 360 units at 1260 Clements Ferry Road. Revise and resubmit to TRC.

July 20: Berkshire on Clements Ferry (Point Hope-Goldfinch Tract) - Site plan for mixed-use development, 192 units on 62.86 acres. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

July 20: Point Hope Medical Building - Site plan for medical office building on 10.2 acres at 1236 Clements Ferry Road. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

July 20: Point Hope Site 10A – Site plan at 1260 Clements Ferry Road for five commercial buildings with associated parking and utilities. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

July 20: Point Hope Townhouses (Ashton Residential) – Two items: Preliminary plat and road construction plans for townhome development at 1236 Clements Ferry Road, 110 units on 42 acres. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

July 20: Tuxbury Farm Tract - Concept plan for major subdivision, 83 lots on 15.1 acres. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

RESULTS: BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS – ZONING

July 18: 51 Watroo Point - Request variance from Sec. 54-263 Daniel Island PUD Master Plan zoning regulations to allow a 12-sf. porch addition encroachment into the 20-ft. visual buffer zone. Results not available.

RESULTS: DESIGN REVIEW BOARD

July 17: Fairchild (at the I-526 east bound ramp) - Conceptual approval for a new townhome community with 30 units, 18 two-story units and 12 three-story units. Results: Deferred.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY & COUNTY MEETINGS

Berkeley Co. Bd. of Education meets the first and third Monday of each month. Executive Committee meets at 5:30 p.m.; meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Berkeley Co. Council meets fourth Mon. of each month, 6 p.m., Berkeley County Admin. Blg., 1003 Hwy 52, Moncks Corner.

City of Charleston Council typically meets the second and fourth Tues. of each month, 5 p.m., City Hall, 80 Broad Street, Charleston, SC and/or virtually via Conference Call #1-929-205-6099; Access Code: 912 096 416. Exceptions: Summer Schedule - 3rd Tues. of June, July, and August; December meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tues. Dates and locations subject to change.

City of Charleston Technical Review Committee meets every Thurs. at 9 a.m.via Zoom.

City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals – Site Design meets the 1st Wed. of each month at 5 p.m. via Zoom.

City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals – Zoning meets the 1st and 3rd Tues. of each month at 5:15 p.m., except for January and July when no meeting is held on the 1st Tues.

All meetings are open for public comment except the City of Charleston Technical Review Committee meetings.

Coastal areas in South Carolina have long been prized for their scenic location and proximity to the ocean, but recent years have witnessed a growing concern among homeowners regarding the availability and affordability of home insurance.

Hurricanes and flooding, fueled by changing climate patterns, have made it harder for homeowners to obtain affordable insurance, forcing many to consider alternative plans or even pull out of their existing policies.

“Our prices have been going up every year for the last 10 years,” local homeowner Jason Salas said. “I’m considering changing plans to a higher deductible based on risk tolerance and personal factors pertaining to my home.”

According to Michael Dew from Daniel Island’s Taylor Agency, this strain is due to the skyrocketing costs of reinsurance – insurance for insurers – aimed at reducing the financial risk in the event of large payouts for claims. As a result, many insurance carriers have opted to cease writing policies in coastal regions, redirecting their

focus to more profitable inland areas that are less susceptible to hurricanes and flooding.

Dew points out, “Just about every carrier that I represent has had steep rate increases as well due to these storms and increased cost of reinsurance.” The result is that homeowners are now paying more for their insurance policies, with some experiencing rate hikes as high as 100-150%, Dew noted.

Insurance agencies have also become more selective, considering factors such as roof age, plumbing systems, and even the age of hot water heaters, making qualifying for insurance harder for homeowners. With availability and affordability working in tandem to make it difficult for the consumer, carriers are pumping the brakes and

slowing down sales to new homeowners, according to Sam Schirmer of Schirmer Insurance Group.

“Some carriers are non-renewing due to reinsurance issues, some are non-renewing as they want to move further back from the coast,” Schirmer said. “Some carriers are stopping new sales altogether.”

With increased home values and the increase in the cost of natural disasters, the industry has renewed its focus on its strategies to manage its risk in certain areas, especially those prone to coastal catastrophes. Other factors contributing to the rate increases have to do with inflation, higher repair/rebuild costs, and rising labor and material costs.

Russ Dubinsky, executive director of the South Carolina Insurance Association, notes that the silver lining in South Carolina is that companies are still willing to ensure those risks and there are more companies entering the market today.

The South Carolina Department of Insurance (SCDI) has also taken steps to support homeowners facing increased insurance costs and risks. The South Carolina Safe Home program offers matching and non-matching grant funds to help coastal property owners retrofit their homes, making them more resistant to hurricanes and

high-wind damage.

For homeowners concerned about their ability to secure affordable and comprehensive home insurance coverage in the face of rising weather-related risks, Michael Wise, director of the SCDI, advises all South Carolina consumers to “find an agent they trust and shop their insurance at least yearly to make sure they are receiving

the best value.”

Any consumer who has concerns about homeowners insurance may contact the SCDI Office of Consumer Services at 1-800-768-3467 or visit doi.sc.gov for more information.

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – One agenda item for the City of Charleston’s Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on Wednesday received pushback from many people who live on Daniel Island.

A proposed 30-unit townhome community is slated for a tract of land off Fairchild Street near the I-526 on-ramp, according to the meeting agenda and Eric Schultz, a Principal Planner for the City of Charleston.

“The primary concern is the location. Were this somewhere else, I think it might have received less attention, but its right at the front door to Daniel Island. And this is the most, the highest volume entrance to our island. So, everybody who gets on or gets off is going to see what happens on this parcel,” said Tory Sullivan, the Land Use and Development Committee Chair for the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association.

On Wednesday, the BZA was scheduled to hear a request for variances from the Tree Protection Ordinance. However, the applicant requested a deferral at the start of the meeting, and it passed.

The changes would allow the removal of 11 grand trees and construction to occur closer to the base of seven grand trees.

“That involves sidewalks, fill material, trenching, driveways, buildings, whatever’s like impervious construction, we have certain regulations that dictates how far away from the base of the tree you have to be,” explained Schultz.

The original request received 162 public comments, mostly all in opposition. Many of the people not only expressed concerns about the protected trees, but the rest of them on the tract as well.

Sullivan said the trees serve as a barrier to 526.

“We’re right on the gateway to Long Point and the Wando Welch cargo terminal. So, we have big rigs and trucks all day every single day, so this is a really key spot for that,” Sullivan told News 2. “In addition, around us is a bunch of Lowcountry marshland and maritime forest. It’s surrounded by that so these trees, you know, from resiliency purposes and otherwise are really important.”

According to Sullivan, the project received over 300 comments when it was on the BZA’s agenda a few months ago.

This week there are several developments coming before the various City of Charleston boards and committees. Below are those items as well as results, if any, from the prior week’s items specific to Daniel Island and the Cainhoy area. More detailed agendas and results can be found at charleston-sc.gov/agendacenter.

UPCOMING: CITY OF CHARLESTON TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

June 29: Del Webb Entrance Road – Road construction plans for a new road for future residential subdivision at 1236 Clements Ferry Road.

June 29: Point Hope Parkway North Phase 1 – Two items: Preliminary plat and road construction plans for 26.5 acres at 1698 Clements Ferry Road.

RESULTS: CITY OF CHARLESTON TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

June 22: Mankiewicz Expansion Phase 1 – Site Plan for 16.06 acres at 1024 Clements Crest Lane, Cainhoy. Addition of a warehouse building and logistics building and the filling of a pond on site. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

June 22: The Waterfront Phase 3 - Site Plan for 41 units on 2.2 acres at 610 Waterman St. involving three buildings, parking lots and utilities. Results: Open pending delivery of comments from Zoning and Stormwater Management.

June 22: Woodfield Point Hope 3 – Site Plan for 24.9 acres at 1260 Clements Ferry Road for early site work including tree removal and rough grading. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY & COUNTY MEETINGS

Berkeley Co. Bd. of Education meets the first and third Monday of each month. Executive Committee meets at 5:30 p.m.; meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Berkeley Co. Council meets fourth Mon. of each month, 6 p.m., Berkeley County Admin. Blg., 1003 Hwy 52, Moncks Corner.

City of Charleston Council typically meets the second and fourth Tues. of each month, 5 p.m., City Hall, 80 Broad Street, Charleston, SC and/or virtually via Conference Call #1-929-205-6099; Access Code: 912 096 416. Exceptions: Summer Schedule - 3rd Tues. of June, July, and August; December meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tues. Dates and locations subject to change.

City of Charleston Technical Review Committee meets every Thurs. at 9 a.m.via Zoom.

City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals – Site Design meets the 1st Wed. of each month at 5 p.m. via Zoom.

City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals – Zoning meets the 1st and 3rd Tues. of each month at 5:15 p.m., except for January and July when no meeting is held on the 1st Tues.

City of Charleston Design Review Board meets the 1st and 3rd Mon. of every month at 4:30 p.m.

City of Charleston Planning Commission meets the 3rd Wed. of every month at 5 p.m.

City of Charleston Board of Architectural Review – Large projects meets the 2nd and 4th Wed. of every month at 4:30 p.m.

City of Charleston Board of Architectural Review – Small projects meets the 2nd and 4th Thurs. of every month at 4:30 p.m.

For more information visit charleston-sc.gov/AgendaCenter/.

Compiled by Suzanne Detar

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Charleston will be voting Monday and Tuesday night on the approval of a $2 million replacement bridge on Daniel Island.

The Beresford Creek Bridge is one of the only two ways to get onto Daniel Island, but officials say the bridge is in need of demolition and replacement after years of use.

The final approval of the project from the city council would include adding a pedestrian and bike lane since the current bridge is very narrow.

Charleston City Councilman Boyd Gregg has been pushing for approval of the project to reduce dangerous traffic conditions on the bridge.

“More than anything, right now, I’d say pedestrian access,” Gregg says. “There’s not a really safe path for pedestrians cross or bikers to cross; the new bridge will have much improved pedestrian access.”

The bridge experienced damage to its infrastructure about three years ago, forcing load limits on the bridge for heavy trucks.

More recently, fire vehicles and ambulances are no longer to access the island from the bridge due to its current condition.

City of Charleston Director of Public Service Tom O’Brien says the bridge was built in the 90s, and it used to be the only way to access Daniel Island before Interstate 526 provided another entry point.

“Obviously with all the development with the homes and the town center, traffic has increased,” O’Brien says. “The bridge we will be replacing it with will be a very solid bridge and will provide great access for the people.”

Daniel Island is also working on another project to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Nowell Creek.

“I think it shows the city’s commitment to provide these passages and safe ways to allow for pedestrians and bicycles to use the city,” O’Brien says.

Both O’Brien and Gregg are pushing for the project to finish before the next school year.

“There’s a significant amount of school traffic on this road, particularly for those traveling up with Phillip Simmons High School,” Gregg says. “We really wanted to try to get this done as much as we could during the summer to try to alleviate some of that school traffic and take advantage of school being out.”

In efforts to address traffic concerns, the city will be holding a meeting in the next month to explain the entire construction process and answer questions from nearby homeowners.

The project will be voted on at Monday night’s Public Works and Utilities Commission meeting and Tuesday’s city council meeting.

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