It was worth a try: IOP Planning Commission proposes new zoning districts
In the proposed zoning plan, oceanfront lots would be zoned in the Ocean District and would allow for the highest occupancy of 24 people.
During a special meeting of the Isle of Palms Council on Monday, February 8, the Planning Commission presented their latest idea on how to handle zoning regulations on the island.
“Consistently, the Planning Commission has stumbled on one-size-fits-all solutions for the island,” said Douglas Kerr, head of the Building Department and Secretary for the Planning Commission. “This zoning tries to mirror natural development and keep that fashion going forward.”
According to Kerr, the island can basically be divided into three areas: There’s the oceanfront lots, which consist of larger homes on smaller lots and are often used as rentals; the second and third rows from the ocean which are some of the smallest lots on the island and have felt a lot of pressure recently from developers; and finally, the rows roughly 1000 feet from the ocean and beyond, which consist of smaller houses on larger lots and are comprised mainly of full-time residents.
What the Planning Commission proposed is to make these natural developments the base standard for three new zoning districts. The oceanfront lots would be zoned the Ocean District, with an occupancy limit of 24 people for new rentals. The maximum house size of 7,000 square feet would remain the same, as would the 40% floor to area ratio. Lot coverage would also remain at 40%. The second and third row homes would be zoned the Second Row District, with an occupancy limit of 16 people for new rentals. Because of the small size of the lots, the maximum house size would be reduced from 7,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet, but lot coverage and floor to area ratio would both remain at 40%. Lastly, the “residential” area of the island would be zoned as the Waterway District, with a maximum occupancy limit of 12 people for new rentals. “This district would receive the majority of change,” said Kerr, noting that the maximum house size would be dropped from 7,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet, and both the lot coverage and the floor to area ratio would be dropped from 40% to 35%. Waterway Island would also be included in the Ocean District, as it is zoned SR-1 and falls under the jurisdiction of Isle of Palms, not Wild Dunes.
“With such large lots, [the Waterway District is] open to large development with current zoning, so the Commission felt it needed to be ‘reigned in’,” said Kerr, pointing out that the proposal is very much at a conceptual stage. “So before going to the effort of advertising, creating maps and starting on the legal work, we wanted to run it by you first.”
It was a good thing they did. After a surprisingly brief discussion, the Council voted unanimously to reject the Planning Commission’s proposal.
“I have a real problem seeing a house with 20 people fitting the vision or personality of our island,” said Council member Doug Thomas. “I have nothing against large houses or renting, but that many people doesn’t fit that vision.”
“This is a method for debilitating a residential community,” said Council member Brian Duffy. “I find this to be a speechless argument. If the Planning Commission’s feelings are the reason for doing away with residential districts, where’s the analysis? Where are the potential impacts? How will drainage, trash and debris be impacted? How will the zoning impact water and sewer? [This plan] can’t be good for residents or resident property values. “
“We can’t slice and dice the island,” said Council member Marty Bettelli. “I wouldn’t go along with that scheme.”
Council member Mike Loftus agreed, as well. “We should grow a sense of community and not propose a way to add additional rentals to the island. We don’t want to be a rental community with residential houses.”
All of the Council members thanked the Planning Commission for their time and effort, and Council member Buckhannon proposed that more Council meetings be held in conjunction with the Planning Commission in order to avoid similar situations in the future. “Instead of their guessing what we want, we need to bring the Council to the Commission and discuss ideas with them so we don’t have the same problems over and over again.”
Kerr did note that the next Isle of Palms Council meeting will include a few proposals from the Planning Commission concerning the standard percentage of vegetation on lots, flat roofs and rooftop decks and pools, and maximum daytime occupancy, which is currently set at 40 people.
A proposal by Council member Barbara Bergwerf, which was not admitted for discussion during the special Council meeting as it was not listed on the agenda, will also be discussed at the next Council meeting. Bergwerf’s proposal seeks to abbreviate the efforts of the Planning Commission into a single law which limits all new rental licenses to a 10 person occupancy, with a grandfather clause for current rentals as long as the license is kept current.
The next Isle of Palms Council meeting will be held at City Hall on Tuesday, February 23, at 7pm. City Hall is located at 1207 Palm Boulevard. For more information, visit www.iop.net or call 886-6428.
