SavetheAngelOak.org » CCDRB http://www.savetheangeloak.org Save the forests around the Angel Oak Tree Tue, 16 Jul 2013 11:15:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 We need support for the Charleston County Meeting http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2013/07/16/we-need-support-for-the-charleston-county-meeting/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2013/07/16/we-need-support-for-the-charleston-county-meeting/#comments Tue, 16 Jul 2013 11:15:06 +0000 Tom http://www.savetheangeloak.org/?p=447 PLEASE attend Charleston County Council meeting and speak in support of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust’s application to receive greenbelt funds to purchase the 17-acre parcel immediately adjacent to the Angel Oak for use as a public park. We have worked so hard to save the Angel Oak and this Tuesday it is imperative that we show up to express how important preserving the Angel Oak is to this community!

Tuesday, July 16th
6:30 pm

Public Services Building, Council Chambers
4045 Bridge View Drive
North Charleston, 29405

Stand up and thank County Council for approving the application in their finance committee meeting and encourage them to approve LOLT’s application to purchase (and forever protect) the 17-acre parcel immediately adjacent to the Angel Oak.

]]> http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2013/07/16/we-need-support-for-the-charleston-county-meeting/feed/ 1 Angel Oak Development Alert: City proposes to pay more than $500,000 of public funds to private Developer. http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2011/03/21/city-wants-to-pay-developer-half-a-million-dollars-of-public-money/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2011/03/21/city-wants-to-pay-developer-half-a-million-dollars-of-public-money/#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:05:36 +0000 Tom http://www.savetheangeloak.org/?p=404 Angel Oak Development Alert: Please come to this Tuesday’s City Council meeting!

Please come to the Charleston City Council meeting, tomorrow, 5pm, Tuesday, 3/22 @ Stiles Point Elementary School. 883-A Mikell Drive, Charleston, SC 29412.[Get Driving Directions] (843) 762-2767.

Controversies surrounding the ancient Angel Oak will be reappearing on City Council’s agenda this Tuesday night. The agenda includes a request from the City of Charleston to purchase 6.5 acres of land surrounding the Angel Oak with Urban greenbelt funds.

The city is proposing to pay the private development company, Angel Oak Village-AOD, LLC, over half a million dollars.

Interestingly, this area of land is already designated for “conservation use” on the approved Planned Unit Development, which means there could be no other use for this land, regardless of who owned it.

It seems odd that the city would spend such a large sum of

money when the developer is already restricted from building in land. One can see how the purchase would benefit the developer, but how would this purchase further protect the Angel Oak?

The city’s sudden desire to use public funds to buy already undevelopable land surrounding the Angel Oak is a flagrant misuse of taxpayer’s limited greenbelt money.

As a steadfast protector of the Angel Oak and an advocate for a real expansion of Angel Oak Park, I fully support moving the location of the current parking lot from the roots of the Angel Oak. However, the developer already agreed to all of these conditions in the approved PUD. The city’s financial assistance is completely unnecessary – it just needs to enforce the existing agreement.

PLEASE let your Council members know that this misuse of public funds will not be accepted and is clearly not in line with public desires! Any development remotely close to the Angel Oak is a bad idea, and if this purchase is approved, the City is only making a bad situation worse, not better!

The Charleston City Council meeting is tomorrow, 5pm, Tuesday, 3/22 @ Stiles Point Elementary School. 883 Mikell Drive, Charleston, SC 29412. (843) 762-2767. [Get Driving Directions]

You can view the agenda online at: http://www.charleston-sc.gov/shared/docs/0/city_council_03_22_11.pdf

*Since our item isn’t part of a public hearing section, we will need to speak during the “Citizen Participation Period” (item H. on the agenda).

Thank you!
www.savetheangeloak.org

]]> http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2011/03/21/city-wants-to-pay-developer-half-a-million-dollars-of-public-money/feed/ 0 Important Public Meeting on March 3rd, 2011! http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2011/03/03/important-public-meeting/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2011/03/03/important-public-meeting/#comments Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:54:22 +0000 Tom http://www.savetheangeloak.org/?p=401 This meeting will affect the Angel Oak Village Development
3/10, 5pm, Charleston

A public meeting that will affect the Angel Oak Village Development!  We need strength in numbers–please plan to attend.

The City of Charleston CCDRB meeting will be held at 5:00 p.m., on THURSDAY March 10 in the Meeting Room, Third Floor at 75 Calhoun St (Charleston County School District Building)

The agenda and the City of Charleston’s website states, “Presentation by staff on the proposed ordinance amendments governing the Commercial Corridor Design Review Board.”  The link to the proposed ordinance is broken on the city’s website, so we don’t know what the language of the proposed ordinance is (because it is not available to the public), but last time this was up for discussion (Nov 17, 2010), these were our comments:

The proposed ordinance would give developers a chance to move through the permit process faster by changing the role of the Commercial Corridor Design Review Board, (CCDRB).  Currently, projects in the CCDRB district must get approval from the Board before they can move forward with acquiring any building permits.

Essentially, the proposed ordinance would place review of projects within the district to the “administrative officer”, (a City planning staff member).  The board would become an appellate body with the exception of demolitions, which would still need Board approval. If the ordinance is adopted, big controversial projects, including the Angel Oak Village Development would NOT have to go through CCDRB.

Interestingly enough, the Angel Oak Development did go before the CCDRB several times already, but plans were either denied or deferred due to board members concerns over the development being completely out of character with rural Johns Island, among other concerns.

Even more interesting, was that City employee Tim Keane, who worked as a private contractor for the developer of Angel Oak Village until the summer of 2009, created and presented the plans to the CCDRB that were not approved.  Keane then became the Director of Planning for the city at the end of November that same year.

In April of 2009, Tim Keane presented plans for Angel Oak Village to the CCDRB that were rejected.  The Post and Courier wrote an article about the meeting in April of 2009:

“Board member Patrick Pernell was highly critical. ‘The plan has a long way to go,’ he said, saying the scale and mass of buildings is still too much. He likened plans ‘to the 1970s.’ ‘There is no suspense, no sense of destination and I don’t feel any sense of space. Behind the buildings is a sea of asphalt,’ Pernell said.”

In June of 2009, The Post and Courier published another story about the Angel Oak Village development in which Mr. Keane was quoted:

“Tim Keane, Charleston’s former planning director who now runs the design firm handling the development, called the plan “one of those rare victories for public planning,” and said it meshed with regional development goals developed through years of community meetings on Johns Island.”

It seems as if the Director of City Planning and the CCDRB have different standards when reviewing development, which is proof enough of that it takes more than one person to review a development.

Please come out to the CCDRB meeting at 5:00 p.m., on THURSDAY March 10 in the Meeting Room, Third Floor at 75 Calhoun St., Charleston, (Charleston County School District Building).

Please email me with any questions:  Samantha.siegel@sierraclub.org or Samantha@savetheangeloak.org

Thank you!

]]> http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2011/03/03/important-public-meeting/feed/ 1 Don’t bypass Design Board http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/16/dont-bypass-design-board/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/16/dont-bypass-design-board/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:30:15 +0000 Tom http://www.savetheangeloak.org/?p=397

Don’t bypass Design Board

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

When other cities were tearing down aging inner-city buildings and erecting towering new ones, Charleston resisted. It often was more difficult to adapt old buildings for new uses, but Charleston continues to prosper because of those extra efforts.

Similarly, since 1999, Charleston has benefited from the work of the city’s Commercial Corridor Design Review Board, which has reviewed the architecture of 850 new projects and five times that many small changes like new signs or landscaping.

Just as the historic district needs good design, so do major corridors throughout the rest of the city. So it is unfortunate that city staff wants to gut that board of many of its responsibilities.

The city’s Planning Commission will consider the staff’s suggestion at its 5 p.m. meeting Wednesday. Members should reject the proposition.

It is laudable to look for ways to make doing business in Charleston more inviting. People have long complained that red tape makes it difficult. But it would be a mistake to sacrifice careful planning and public input as a way of making that happen. If the design review process takes too long, perhaps the board’s schedule should be amended.

The board has earned its stripes by refusing to approve early designs of a proposed housing development adjacent to the Angel Oak on Johns Island. (See Samantha Siegel’s column on today’s Commentary Page.)

There was more to dislike than the buildings’ appearance (the project’s density, environmental impact and proximity to the tree), but the Commercial Corridor Design Review Board was able to prevent a boxy, pedestrian development from going up in a prominent and sensitive spot.

The reshaping of the board is being promoted by Tim Keane, director of Charleston’s Department of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability. He says his staff could review most of the projects, leaving the board (renamed the Design Review Board) to consider only large projects. The city would decide which are which.

But that in itself presents a dilemma. Mr. Keane, before he took his current post, worked on behalf of the Angel Oak project, which he praised and the board found unacceptable. Clearly, the process benefits from broader input.

One compromise has been suggested whereby the city would advertise proposed projects. If no one expresses interest in their design, they could be approved without board review.

But even that is a step in the wrong direction in that public notices can be overlooked easily, and poor design could appear before neighbors and other interested citizens know to protest.

The present Commercial Corridor Design Review Board might cost a good project a month’s delay, but it could also save the city’s important corridors from inappropriate, uninteresting designs.

–

Post & Courier article [here]


]]> http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/16/dont-bypass-design-board/feed/ 0 Speak out onbid to changezoning rules http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/16/speak-out-onbid-to-changezoning-rules/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/16/speak-out-onbid-to-changezoning-rules/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:21:58 +0000 Tom http://www.savetheangeloak.org/?p=393

Speak out onbid to changezoning rules

BY SAMANTHA J. SIEGEL

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

On Wednesday, the city of Charleston Planning Commission will host a public meeting on a proposed amendment to the city’s Zoning Ordinance that will affect development in Charleston forever. The ordinance would give developers a chance to move through the permit process faster by changing the role of the Commercial Corridor Design Review Board. Currently, projects in the CCDRB district must get approval from the board before they can move forward with acquiring any building permits.

Essentially, the proposed ordinance amends the current ordinance by placing review of projects within the district to the “administrative officer” (a city planning staff member). The board would become an appellate body with the exception of demolitions, which would still need board approval.

If the ordinance is adopted, big controversial projects, including the Angel Oak Village Development would not have to go through CCDRB. An objective of the CCDRB, as stated in the city’s municipal code, is to “protect and enhance the city’s natural beauty, visual character and charm.” Why on earth would anyone ever propose to eliminate such a necessary part of the permit review process?

The board is comprised of seven members — including four design professionals, at least one registered architect, at least one registered landscape architect, one professional engineer, and a Realtor. They are an unbiased group that exists to make sure that Charleston maintains its unique charm by ensuring development is done in a responsible way.

Interestingly, the Angel Oak Development did go before the CCDRB several times, but plans were either denied or deferred due to members’ concerns over development completely out of character with rural Johns Island, among other issues.

Tim Keane, who worked as a private contractor for the developer of Angel Oak Village until the summer of 2009, presented the plans to the CCDRB that were not approved. Keane then became the director of planning for the city at the end of November that same year. As director of planning for the city, he is presenting this amendment for its elimination to the City Planning Commission.

In April 2009, Keane presented plans for Angel Oak Village to the CCDRB that were rejected. From a Post and Courier article about the meeting in April 2009: “Board member Patrick Pernell was highly critical. ‘The plan has a long way to go,’ he said, saying the scale and mass of buildings is still too much. He likened plans ‘to the 1970s.’

” ‘There is no suspense, no sense of destination and I don’t feel any sense of space. Behind the buildings is a sea of asphalt,’ Pernell said.”

In June 2009, The Post and Courier published another story about the Angel Oak Village development in which Mr. Keane was quoted:

“Tim Keane, Charleston’s former planning director who now runs the design firm handling the development, called the plan ‘one of those rare victories for public planning,’ and said it meshed with regional development goals developed through years of community meetings on Johns Island.”

It seems as if the director of city planning and the CCDRB have different standards when reviewing development, which is proof enough that it takes more than one person to review a development. I think we can all agree that Charleston is one of the most charming cities in the country. Why risk losing that? What could we possibly gain from “streamlining” this process?

The board is unpaid, so we aren’t wasting any tax dollars on them. Charleston is certainly not lacking in developers willing to go through the process. City employees would actually be working longer hours by reviewing a project that would have normally taken a board of seven knowledgeable people to review.

The City of Charleston Planning Commission meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in the Meeting Room, Third Floor at 75 Calhoun St. (Charleston County School District Building). Please come out and voice your opinion.

Samantha J. Siegel is S.C. Chapter Conservation and Development Coordinator for the Sierra Club, and a co-founder of savetheangeloak.org.

Read the Post&Courier article [here]

]]> http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/16/speak-out-onbid-to-changezoning-rules/feed/ 0 a public meeting that will affect the Angel Oak Village Development http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/10/a-public-meeting-that-will-affect-the-angel-oak-village-development/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/10/a-public-meeting-that-will-affect-the-angel-oak-village-development/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 04:01:41 +0000 Tom http://www.savetheangeloak.org/?p=390 On Wednesday, November 17, The City of Charleston Planning Commission will host a public meeting that will present an amendment to the City’s Zoning Ordinance that will affect the Angel Oak Village Development.

The proposed ordinance would give developers a chance to move through the permit process faster by changing the role of the Commercial Corridor Design Review Board, (CCDRB).  Currently, projects in the CCDRB district must get approval from the Board before they can move forward with acquiring any building permits.

Essentially, the proposed ordinance would place review of projects within the district to the “administrative officer”, (a City planning staff member).  The board would become an appellate body with the exception of demolitions, which would still need Board approval. If the ordinance is adopted, big controversial projects, including the Angel Oak Village Development would NOT have to go through CCDRB.

Interestingly enough, the Angel Oak Development did go before the CCDRB several times already, but plans were either denied or deferred due to board members concerns over the development being completely out of character with rural Johns Island, among other concerns.

Even more interesting, was that City employee Tim Keane, who worked as a private contractor for the developer of Angel Oak Village until the summer of 2009, created and presented the plans to the CCDRB that were not approved.  Keane then became the Director of Planning for the city at the end of November that same year.

In April of 2009, Tim Keane presented plans for Angel Oak Village to the CCDRB that were rejected.  The Post and Courier wrote an article about the meeting in April of 2009:

“Board member Patrick Pernell was highly critical. ‘The plan has a long way to go,’ he said, saying the scale and mass of buildings is still too much. He likened plans ‘to the 1970s.’ ‘There is no suspense, no sense of destination and I don’t feel any sense of space. Behind the buildings is a sea of asphalt,’ Pernell said.”

In June of 2009, The Post and Courier published another story about the Angel Oak Village development in which Mr. Keane was quoted:

“Tim Keane, Charleston’s former planning director who now runs the design firm handling the development, called the plan “one of those rare victories for public planning,” and said it meshed with regional development goals developed through years of community meetings on Johns Island.”

It seems as if the Director of City Planning and the CCDRB have different standards when reviewing development, which is proof enough of that it takes more than one person to review a development.

The City of Charleston Planning Commission meeting will be held at 5:00 p.m., on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 in the Meeting Room, Third Floor at 75 Calhoun St (Charleston County School District Building—across from the main library).  Please come out and voice your opinion.

Thank you!

Samantha J. Siegel

www.savetheangeloak.org

]]> http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/11/10/a-public-meeting-that-will-affect-the-angel-oak-village-development/feed/ 1 Commercial Corridor Design Review Board Meeting http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/01/07/commercial-corridor-design-review-board-meeting/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/01/07/commercial-corridor-design-review-board-meeting/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:59:04 +0000 Tom http://justcallmetom.com/~treehug/?p=65 Thursday January 14, 2010

5:00 PM in the Third Floor Meeting room at 75 Calhoun St. (Charleston County School District Building).

Developer Robert Demoura of Angel Oak Village is putting forth a proposal for preliminary approval on the Angel Oak Village Development on Thursday January 14, 2010. The board typically opens the floor to community comments on the proposed design, so please come voice your opinion on the revised proposal that threatens the survival of our Angel Oak! A vote will be taken, so any and all community support will make a tremendous difference in protecting this historic landmark. Your presence will make a difference!


See the agenda here.

]]> http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2010/01/07/commercial-corridor-design-review-board-meeting/feed/ 0 Commercial Corridor Design Review Board Meeting http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2009/06/08/commercial-corridor-design-review-board-meeting-2/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2009/06/08/commercial-corridor-design-review-board-meeting-2/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:21:28 +0000 Tom http://justcallmetom.com/~treehug/?p=79 Let your voice be heard!

Commercial Corridor Design Review Board Meeting to Review Revised Proposal for Angel Oak Village

5:00 PM Thursday June 25, 2009
Third Floor Meeting Room at 75 Calhoun Street

Developer Robert Demoura of Angel Oak Village is putting forth another proposal for conceptual approval on the Angel Oak Village Development on Thursday June 25, 2009. The board typically opens the floor to community comments on the proposed design, so please come voice your opinion on the revised proposal that threatens the survival of our Angel Oak! A vote will be taken, so any and all community support will make a tremendous difference in protecting this historic landmark. Your presence will make a difference!

Commercial Corridor Design Review Board Agenda can be viewed Here

]]> http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2009/06/08/commercial-corridor-design-review-board-meeting-2/feed/ 0 Commercial Corridor Design Review Board Meeting http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2009/03/26/commercial-corridor-design-review-board-meeting-3/ http://www.savetheangeloak.org/2009/03/26/commercial-corridor-design-review-board-meeting-3/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:26:39 +0000 Tom http://justcallmetom.com/~treehug/?p=84 Update: March 26, 2009

Please note: Commercial Corridor Design Review Board Meeting Rescheduled!
 Thursday April 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Third Floor Meeting Room at 75 Calhoun St.

Come voice your opinion on the latest proposed development!

The revised Angel Oak Village development plan is being presented for an information only hearing to elicit board comments on the general design direction. Though no vote will be taken, this is an important opportunity for the public to see the latest plan that endagers this landmark. Come see the development for yourself, and share your opinions with the Board.

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