[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6610233,"mediaKeyId","2904900-153cdfe883f267a1f5005726daf2a7fe","parentId",2904900,"title","Town council approves multiple ordinances, annexations and budget first reading; approves park donation and defers Patriots Annex","audioSeconds",1474,"startMs",4606000,"endMs",6080000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2904900-153cdfe883f267a1f5005726daf2a7fe&start=4606&end=6080","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2904900-153cdfe883f267a1f5005726daf2a7fe/thumbnail_4606000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6610233/Mount-Pleasant/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Town-council-approves-multiple-ordinances-annexations-and-budget-first-reading-approves-park-donation-and-defers-Patriots-Annex","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610233-80e076c814fb0ec121eef8ada2f825c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165936&Signature=YeBVism~w~7zz7t56Qrm-4CmcRg1NwFXGhrhUVeHCL0tO4UB3BeowfiLY1EN3nN56E1xnCQnl0BwwYJs0vZXib6pM2FMzXNqFl2eJR-ZHv40tgcGyKIZJ1aFzj5FeDJkdkLbX7dP1TGiXT84NCDumLcAVsKFTlDFkuDtRUEWqi5zEvNOvcEBRA3wTsOLl1sm6g9zuAyid13tfmXC9OqRpl00N~RomHeeHMJfLu~jpZP3XOGXa-W7j4RIQpxIkOktlOJ-SY7VOPbqkwauomRUwnlJgSqNW-5Ekoethg~wyHcnCSxkYu1d8mAkqw-0gqc2GlkEF6ja-XU-CqSXnJEnBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mount Pleasant","date","2025-04-09T00:16:53.24Z","article","Mount Pleasant Town Council on April 8 approved a series of routine and land-use measures, accepted a donation for local tennis courts, and completed first reading of the fiscal year 2026 budget. The council also approved a final-reading amendment to a planned development and approved an annexation with conditions; council deferred a separate high-profile rezoning (Patriots Annex) for further review.

Highlights
- Budget: Council gave first reading to the proposed FY2026 budget. The total proposed budget of all funds is $166,303,166, and the proposal maintains the current millage rate. The ordinance passed first reading without amendment.
- Consent agenda: Final reading approval was given to consent agenda items a, c, d and e (items on the printed consent agenda). Item 7b (a Pepper Tracks/PD-related item) was removed from consent for separate consideration.
- Annexations and rezones: Council approved first reading of ordinances to annex Hamlin Beach Road and to zone that area Community Conservation (ordinances 25019 and 25020) by roll call. Council also approved first reading to rezone 106 May Lane (from area-wide business to R-2) and first reading on a rezone of seven parcels to Public Institutional (ordinance 25022).
- Vennig annexation (final reading): Council approved final reading to annex an 11.16-acre tract (Vennig) into Mount Pleasant and adopted zoning and buffer conditions. Council added a 50-foot buffer along the neighborhood-facing edge and required any future lighting to avoid spillover onto adjacent residential properties.
- Pepper Tracks PD (consent moved to old business): Council approved final reading of a planned-development amendment on the parcel known as Pepper Tracks with modifications that moved the use to a specific six-acre tract more than 1,000 feet from residences, capped height at 35 feet on that tract, and modified the buffer standard adjacent to residential to a 35-foot buffer with an 8-foot masonry wall in lieu of a berm (to preserve mature vegetation).
- Donation: The council accepted a $35,000 donation from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) of South Carolina and the Lowcountry Tennis Association to repair four courts (courts 9–12) at the Muggsy Kerr Tennis Center.
- Memorial (Rainbow Bridge): Council referred a proposed pet-memorial (a donated “Rainbow Bridge”) to the Cultural Arts & Pride Commission for review, with a council preference that staff and the commission consider siting it near a town dog park; staff will return with maintenance, construction and policy details.

What the council approved (selected actions and conditions)
- Fiscal year 2026 budget (first reading): Total proposed budget $166,303,166; maintains current millage rate. Action: first reading passed.
- Hamlin Beach annexation and Community Conservation zoning (ordinances 25019 and 25020): First reading approved by roll call (unanimous among members present). Staff noted the town’s base Community Conservation zoning standards are similar to Charleston County S-3 but would replace the county’s historic-overlay review if annexed.
- 11.16-acre Vennig annexation (final reading): Approved with an amended 50-foot buffer along the neighborhood edge and a required lighting condition that no light spillover onto adjacent residential properties occur.
- Pepper Tracks PD (final reading, Ordinance 25015): Approved with an amendment locating the storage/industrial use on a single six-acre parcel set back from residences, height limited to 35 feet in that parcel, and revised buffer/wall requirements intended to preserve mature vegetation.
- Kerr Tennis Center donation: Acceptance of $35,000 for court repairs (courts 9–12) approved.
- Rainbow Bridge memorial: Referred to Cultural Arts & Pride Commission for site review and operational/maintenance plan; council expressed a preference for placement near a dog park and requested staff return with a maintenance estimate and proposed policy for collar display and periodic upkeep.

Votes and procedure notes
- The council used roll call for some land-use first readings (Hamlin Beach annexation ordinances). The Vennig annexation passed final reading after public discussion and an amendment adding the 50-foot buffer and lighting restriction.
- Several items were approved on consent after the council removed contentious items for separate action; the Pepper Tracks item was pulled from consent and later approved with amendments.

What happens next
- For ordinances that received first reading (budget, Hamlin Beach annexation, rezones), additional readings or follow-up will occur as required by the town’s ordinance schedule.
- Staff will return with details requested by council for the Rainbow Bridge memorial (construction/maintenance plan) and will incorporate the 50-foot buffer and lighting conditions in the Vennig annexation implementation.

Selected actions (summary list)
- Budget FY2026 (first reading): approved; total proposed $166,303,166.
- Hamlin Beach annexation and zoning (ordinances 25019 & 25020; first reading): approved by roll call.
- 106 May Lane rezoning (first reading): approved.
- Rezone of seven parcels to Public Institutional (ordinance 25022; first reading): approved.
- Vennig annexation, 11.16 acres (final reading): approved; added 50-foot buffer and lighting restrictions.
- Pepper Tracks PD (final reading, ordinance 25015): approved with amendment limiting location, height and buffer/wall treatment.
- Donation USTA/Lowcountry Tennis Association $35,000 to Muggsy Kerr Tennis Center courts: accepted.
- Rainbow Bridge memorial: referred to Cultural Arts & Pride Commission (preference for dog-park location; staff to return with maintenance/implementation details).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 8th, 2025 - Mount Pleasant Town Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Mount Pleasant Town Council on April 8 approved multiple routine and land-use measures, accepted a $35,000 donation for tennis-court repairs and completed first reading of the fiscal 2026 budget, while adding conditions to annexations and planned-development approvals.","taxTitle","Mount Pleasant, Charleston County, South Carolina","taxId",5820,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6610238,"Mount Pleasant council defers Patriots Annex zoning decision after hours of public comment",4603,367000,4970000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2904900-153cdfe883f267a1f5005726daf2a7fe&start=367&end=4970","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2904900-153cdfe883f267a1f5005726daf2a7fe/thumbnail_367000.jpg","/articles/6610238/Mount-Pleasant/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Mount-Pleasant-council-defers-Patriots-Annex-zoning-decision-after-hours-of-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610238-224bc01580bcbe65c74ef88029e653a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165936&Signature=Hx2JVcXQAMY4MjwTK1CIdMGin9kVC4R2NQs5jUzwm9y34M-lK90ZTAfCadrkBQXA6d5fEgTsq0M~CGTZ2KZKkf3ppIwIDc3xAl6Oc5Vm59Csi0tn7PurpYC7ueuE--oS3C-z4to4vWPOVCpJiO66frGi7Fff4f5vwxgdEsr-NdnTDPZc9I8Jeo0xtkUkf8JJoQUPcILfAKFF-pP1Cn-aPDdvdCcJBMpqLDOJyDQCeZwv-~WitSUnNIusheu3-7dUQ3~Pvga4OcM37uZrA4aT9YCkQ~DaZQEs9batr-fOiNAZNx8mylnVIwQJiHTgFaZA6Kw~vzKSsEc7kGe8O~JX~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mount Pleasant Town Council on April 8 moved to defer final action on a request to extend a development agreement and rezone a 30-acre portion of Patriot’s Point known as Patriots Annex to a planned development district (PD).

The council voted to defer consideration, 6–2, after roughly two hours of public comment and council discussion in which residents and civic groups raised concerns about public waterfront access, tree removal, traffic and flooding, and the level of detail in the proposed PD. The developer and Patriot’s Point representatives said the PD would not increase density or height compared with current Waterfront Gateway zoning and that key waterfront areas would remain publicly accessible.

The vote follows repeated public testimony urging the council to preserve public views and access to the waterfront and to limit residential density and tree-loss. “WGC was created to ensure civic and institutional uses on land for the public’s benefit. Now the same developer wants to undo their own zoning and rewrite the rules for their own benefit,” said Deidra Kennedy, a Mount Pleasant resident, during public comment. Supporters of the proposal, including Allison Hunt, executive director of the Patriots Point Development Authority, said lease revenue from private development helps support maintenance of the site’s World War II ships.

Why it matters: Patriots Annex covers roughly 30 acres adjacent to the Yorktown and the current Waterfront Gateway zoning; any change affects how the town’s most visible public waterfront is used and accessed. The council’s deferral preserves time for additional negotiation and possible committee review before a final vote, keeping the current status and protections in place for now.

What was discussed and what changed in the proposal
- Zoning context: The site is currently in the town’s Waterfront Gateway District. The developer proposed converting the parcel to a PD and extending a development agreement that had expired. Town staff and the applicant emphasized that the Waterfront Gateway already allows substantial development; the PD is intended to enshrine negotiated concessions.
- Numerical trade-offs discussed publicly: under the Waterfront Gateway base zoning the maximum residential intensity is 12 units per acre; the PD proposal reduces that figure to 8 units per acre in the submitted draft. Tree mitigation and canopy requirements were central: current requirements discussed in the meeting referenced a 60-inch caliper tree-equivalent requirement (per acre) under town rules; the PD draft proposed a lower 20-inch per-acre planting standard, with limited ability to pay into a tree bank. The PD text before council proposed increasing minimum open space from 10% to 12% and lowering certain waterfront heights to 35 feet in specified locations.
- Public access and design: The applicant and staff said the waterfront promenade and critical line buffer would remain publicly accessible under both Waterfront Gateway and the PD; the applicant said the proposal reduces residential density in some waterfront-adjacent areas and increases open space in others. Civic and conservation groups urged stronger guarantees: recorded public access easements, fixed height and residential caps at the waterfront, protections for mature trees and living shoreline measures, and firm language on parking, shared parking strategies, and multimodal connections.

What council members said and next steps
Council members who spoke emphasized a range of priorities: protecting waterfront views and habitat, ensuring genuine mixed-use rather than purely residential ground floors, and using the PD process to achieve stronger public protections than the base zoning might require. Multiple council members said they supported continuing negotiations and recommended a Committee of the Whole or further line-by-line review with staff and the applicant.

The applicant, James Wilson (representing Patriots Annex), told council the PD “does not increase height. It does not increase density…we have agreed to bring down the residential density by a third.” He also said the waterfront under both the Waterfront Gateway and the PD \"will be public. That will be publicly accessible. That is a requirement.\"

Council decision: The motion to defer passed 6–2. The deferral gives staff, council and the applicant additional time to refine PD language (tree mitigation, sidewalk widths, gated parking limitations, recorded public access easements, living shoreline and parking strategies) and to consider a possible committee/whole-council workshop that several council members requested.

Community reaction and immediate impacts
Speakers from environmental and neighborhood groups, including Tori Sanders of the Coastal Conservation League, urged preservation of mature trees, native landscaping, low-impact development, shared parking strategies and improved public transit/shuttle links to reduce site parking demand. Multiple residents said they feared the PD language was too vague and could leave key protections to later negotiation.

The deferral means the existing zoning, related approvals and conditions remain the operative baseline while council and staff continue to negotiate. Staff indicated they will return with revised text and a more detailed, line-by-line comparison of Waterfront Gateway language and the proposed PD for council review.","Mount Pleasant Town Council voted to defer final action on a proposed rezoning and five-year extension of a development agreement for the 30-acre Patriots Annex at Patriot’s Point following extensive public comment and council discussion.","actionData","errors"]

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Town council approves multiple ordinances, annexations and budget first reading; approves park donation and defers Patriots Annex

Mount Pleasant council defers Patriots Annex zoning decision after hours of public comment