AQUATICS CENTER UPDATE – This project has become a model of collaborative interagency planning – North Charleston and Dorchester District 2 School Board. The city’s Board of Zoning Appeals has granted the necessary zoning variances, i.e. building height, buffer beefing, etc. Federal permits are in hand and if all continues to go well, this $20 million project should be out for bids in January. One possible new twist – the mayor and I are discussing possible ways to accelerate the new road feature of this project. This would provide additional ingress-egress to the Fort Dorchester High School campus, and alleviate some of the early-morning congestion on Patriot Boulevard.
PUBLIC HEARING ON SHORT TERM RENTALS- City Council’s public hearing on short term rentals – AirBNB, Home Away, etc. seemed like an echoing chorus of support for city ordinances which would accommodate this market phenomena. The “Park Circle” folks profiled an active short term rental trends already underway. Only two District 4 residents attended and I thank The Farm at Wescott HOA for that. A few general “takeaways”…. -Some folks are excited about short term rentals and most understand the need for fair and rational municipal regulation, including registration. -Many folks find the concept abhorrent to neighborhood values and a direct threat to property values. -Neighborhoods covered by restrictive covenants with prohibitions against short term rentals of any type will retain that control. City ordinances will not trump the contractual aspects of covenants. HOA boards should review their covenants with legal counsel and try to calibrate with the wishes of their property owners. -Homeowners contemplating short term rentals should consider that such commercial uses could jeopardize owner-occupied tax benefits. Rental property is taxed at a higher level than owner-occupied residents. It is likely Mayor Summey and City Council will begin the process of formulating appropriate ordinances in early 2018.
STATE RIGHTS OF WAY vs BUFFERS – Dorchester Road We get anxious when we see any encroachment to vegetation buffers, especially those designated as “undisturbed.” So a heads-up….. The Corner at Wescott owners have a permit in hand to maintain the state’s right-of-way which, of course, interfaces with the protective buffer on Dorchester Road. This should amount to a clean-up of litter and fallen debris. But I will personally attend the marking of the “interface” and city zoning regulators will monitor this work.
Councilman Ron Brinson – October 14, 2017
Have a question about our city, email me…share this little newsletter with your neighbors and I’ll be glad to add a District 4 resident to the direct e mail circulation. rbrin@aol.com And please check in often at www.northcharleston.org for information on our city’s activities and to file service requests.
