Concerned about development on DI and along Clements Ferry Road?

Whether you are new to Daniel Island and the greater Cainhoy region, have lived here for decades, or your family has been here for generations, the fast-paced development of the region in recent years has probably got your attention.

 

You likely fell in love with the region and want it to stay the way it was when you first called the area home. While zoning, property rights and “progress” may make that impossible, it is possible to stay informed, be aware of what is planned, and voice your concerns to builders, owners, and government entities.

 

Various city, county and property owner boards and committees review and rule on development items affecting the greater Daniel Island and Cainhoy region. 

 

All of Daniel Island is contained within the City of Charleston and development plans go through the Daniel Island ARB and the various city boards.

 

It’s a little more complicated for projects going up in the Cainhoy peninsula. Some areas between Daniel Island, starting once you cross Nowell Creek on Daniel Island Drive to St. Thomas Island Drive, and along either side of Clements Ferry toward SC 41, are subject to City of Charleston zoning regulations. Some, however fall outside of city zoning but are subject to Berkeley County jurisdiction. For example, the Shellring development and Sportsman Island area are not in the City of Charleston but all of the 9,000 acres of Point Hope are. 

 

Here’s some tips on how to stay informed.

 

CITY OF CHARLESTON

 

A good place to start is to read the list of development items coming before city boards that this paper publishes each week toward the back of the paper. Our staff reviews city agendas on a weekly basis and provides the date of the meeting, the type of project, the project address, and other pertinent details. 

 

Many projects start out at the city of Charleston Technical Review Committee. If you go to the city’s agenda center (charleston-sc.gov/AgendaCenter), you can click on the agenda for the meetings. On the TRC agendas, there are contacts for each project. Also, hyperlinks embedded for each project lead to detailed plans for the projects. Accessing these plans is a great way to get details on proposed projects. 

 

If you want to stay informed, take some time to review the agendas of various committees and boards. Of particular relevance are items before the Board of Architectural Review, Board of Zoning Appeals – Site Design and Zoning, the Planning Commission, and the Design

Review Board

 

DANIEL ISLAND ARB

 

Another good place to stay up to date on development and construction items unique to Daniel Island is to review the Daniel Island ARB agendas available at dicommunity.org/resources/arb. The site also has links to major Daniel Island projects.

 

The Daniel Island ARB meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.

 

BERKELEY COUNTY

 

There are pockets of land on either side of Clements Ferry Road that fall outside of the City of Charleston and are subject to Berkeley County zoning and development rules. 

 

Jurisdiction in the area is like a patchwork quilt. In order to find projects that come before the county that affect the Cainhoy region and are outside the city’s jurisdiction, go to agendas.berkeleycountysc.gov. Boards or commissions hearing development and zoning include County Council, Board of Zoning Appeals and the Planning Commission. These agendas also have hyperlinks to detailed plans.

 

CLEMENTS FERRY ROAD CONSTRUCTION

 

You can follow updates on the Clements Ferry Road Phase 2 project at buildingberkeley.com.

 

According to the June 2023 update, completion is projected for November 30, 2024.

 

The staff at The Daniel Island News will continue to monitor and report on development projects. As we have a small staff, we appreciate hearing from our readers with tips, updates and observations.