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AWENDAW — The county is advancing plans to add an extra layer of protection for the historic Ten Mile community, aiming to preserve its rural character and deter large-scale development.

The proposed zoning overlay district — a set of customized zoning regulations tailored to the area — is the result of more than two years of collaboration between Charleston County staff and Ten Mile residents.

A historically Black settlement community near Awendaw, Ten Mile residents have spent years working to preserve its rural nature amid growing development pressures. In 2022, Charleston County Council voted to designate Ten Mile as a historic district. That was followed by a zoning change in early 2024 that reduced density in part of the community from four homes per acre to three. Later that year, council also implemented a two-year moratorium on large-scale residential development in all historic districts.

Now, after several meetings with community members that began in 2023, county staff came up with community-specific guidelines outlining new rules for housing styles, zoning density, permitted businesses and more, all shaped by residential input.

Emily Pigott, county historic preservation officer and community planner, said the meetings were a great opportunity to engage with residents who previously weren’t involved in the community. She emphasized that the final proposal reflects Ten Mile’s priorities.

Residents like Ed Pinckney are glad to see the zoning overlay district come to fruition. He previously told The Post and Courier it was a long-term goal for Ten Mile that would help the community retain its rural lifestyle and character while also protecting residents from being displaced due to large-scale developments.

He said they were just eager to see the zoning overlay district protect the community.

But not all changes aim to limit development. One of the proposed amendments in the new district is to increase density in part of the community.

Ten Mile is split by the Urban Growth Boundary, a line established around 2000 that separates urban and suburban uses from rural uses. Residents want to increase the density in the rural part of the community from one dwelling unit per three acres to one dwelling unit per acre.

Pigott said community members wanted this change because they wanted the freedom to split the land with a family member who can build a home of their own. Pinckney said it was a way to balance development without pushing out residents.

Pigott added that while there would be an increase in density, it’s still rural zoning.

Other guidelines in the overlay include requiring neighborhood association approval for street names, maintaining similar architecture styles for future homes (most homes in Ten Mile are ranch-style), allowing for more flexibility in the size of an accessory dwelling unit and a more stringent threshold for traffic impact studies when developments begin.

County Councilman Larry Kobrovsky has long been an outspoken supporter of historic preservation and the Ten Mile community’s efforts to retain its character. He said the new zoning guidelines are a great way to deter development while the Charleston area continues to grow.

“This is the line in the sand for stopping over-development and changing the rural community that people love and treasure,” he said.

Pinckney said the Ten Mile community has more long-term goals in mind after the district is implemented, like getting an area character appraisal, a document that details the architectural style of the community. They’d also like to get the settlement community listed on the National Register of Historic Places, an official list of historic places in the country worthy of preservation since 1972.

He added while the overlay district is an extra layer of protection, the community prefers to keep the moratorium in place or even extend it another six to eight years. The moratorium protects all historic districts from the threat of subdivisions and not Ten Mile exclusively, Pinckney said. Ten Mile residents plan to work with other settlement communities in the county to help them earn the historic district designation and add more protections, he said.

The proposed zoning overlay district will go before the county’s planning commission Sept. 8.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCBD) – Several environmental groups and officials are asking the South Carolina Supreme Court to intervene on a pending petition, wanting the court to reinstate a stay which would allow for a pause on construction.

The White Tract development is planned to be on Bulls Island Road, next to the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. The first phase would fill in wetlands and create 27 homes, while the second phase would bring over 200 homes to the area. The Friends of Coastal South Carolina are concerned this proposed development may set a precedent for other projects if the intervention does not succeed.

“If it doesn’t warrant the highest level of protection than that’s really concerning for the precedent it would set going forward,” Grace Gasper, executive director of Friends of Coastal South Carolina, said.

The environmental group is being represented by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project. Amy Armstrong, chief counsel and executive director of SCELP, said they aim for the court to review the permits that we’re given to the developers and give the case due process.

“Basically it’s a challenge to the Department of Environmental Services permits that were issued for filling of wetlands, and the construction of the roads and the infrastructure associated with Phase 1 of White Tract,” Armstrong said.

Additionally, experts told News 2, constructing these homes near Cape Romain may possibly damage the area. They said some concerns include stormwater runoff, inevitable septic tank leaks, and the density of the homes.

“Once construction begins and wetlands are damaged, there’s irreparable damage. So, we’re hoping that will be put back in place just to give a chance – the legal proceeding a chance to be decided,” Gasper said.

The Sewee Bay, included in the wildlife refuge, contains Outstanding Resource Water, which is Armstrong said is the highest quality of water that can be found. It is a location where shellfish harvesting thrives, as well as being a safe place to swim. Larry Kobrovsky, council member for Charleston County, said he is in support of these groups’ actions as he hopes to help preserve this area for generations to come.

“The pristine nature of it – nowhere else can you have the quality of wildlife and nature there, people can access. That’s what makes it unique, and it would change all the in a heartbeat,” Kobrovsky said.

The South Carolina Supreme Court has not decided yet on whether it will hear the case. It is waiting for all responses including a reply from SCDES, and the last from SCELP by October 10.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - A petition has been filed at the state court level against a home development near a Class I Wilderness area in Awendaw.

Pulte Homes LLC proposed 208 homes to be built on 182 acres of a portion of land called the White Tract in Awendaw. includes developing 27 homes that would fill in two acres of wetlands.

The Department of Environmental Services granted permission for the first phase to begin in December of 2024.

The construction raised concerns for environmental advocacy group Friends of Coastal South Carolina. The group’s executive director and Awendaw resident, Grace Gasper, says the high-density development will impact the protected Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and the quality of life for surrounding neighbors.

“That’s an awful lot of traffic to put on a little two-lane road in Bull Island and Sewee,” Gasper says. “There’s safety concerns, quality of life concerns, and how will development and land disturbance affect flooding and drainage for surrounding residents.”

Gasper says another concern is the development plan to rely on septic tanks. She says the number of septic tanks that would be placed in the area will impact residents’ reliability on groundwater as their water source.

Friends of Coastal South Carolina challenged the permit through the Southern Environmental Law Project. The work put a pause on the permit that slowed down any construction in the area.

The South Carolina Administrative Law Court lifted the permit pause on Aug. 8, according to a recently filed petition by the law firm.

Southern Environmental Law Project Executive Director Amy Armstrong says the petition brings the potential of irreparable harm that could happen to the land. She says the action was a high-stakes attempt to protect the rights of Friends of Coastal South Carolina and the surrounding community.

“They wouldn’t have a say if we didn’t take immediate action and ask the South Carolina Supreme Court to intervene and reimpose that stay and stop construction until we have that opportunity for administrative and judicial review,” Armstrong says.

Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Thomas Mullikin, Ph.D., provided an affidavit as detailed in the petition.

“A portion of the project site is located within FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area Zone AE, which means the project will be constructed in a high-risk flood area where there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year timespan. Floodplains function to support groundwater recharge, filter pollutants and abate floodwaters. Development within floodplains and the associated wetlands, including the placement of structure and fill, reduces flood-carrying capacity, increases flood heights and velocities, and increases flood hazards in areas well beyond the encroachment itself. Continued development of these critical areas can magnify documented flooding issues and cumulative effects should be considered. The SCDNR has raised concerns that the applicant has failed to consider vulnerabilities and sea level rise and storm surge scenarios in siting of the proposed project.”

South Carolina Senate District 43 Sen. George Campsen III also provided an affidavit in the petition.

“The permit and certification currently before the Administrative Law Court allow the Respondent Pulte Home Company, LLC to irreversibly eliminate almost two acres of wetlands, and the highly dense development will result in runoff that will negatively impact the precious resource of the Refuge. … I support the Court’s preservation of the status quo while my constituents exercise their right to meaningful review allowed under the state’s constitution.”

Live 5 News did reach out to Pulte Homes LLC for a comment. No comment was received.

Armstrong says the developer has around 15 days to respond to the petition after filing. She says the court should have documents in weeks.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services held a virtual public hearing Monday night about a large Awendaw residential development that is facing opposition.

The 48.9-acre development would be called Seewee Landing and would include a single-family residential subdivision consisting of 65 homes. The development would be located at 6578 Seewee Road in coastal Awendaw, right off Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, with 39.6 acres of proposed land disturbance. The development would impact about 0.480 acres of wetlands.

The meeting focused on stormwater permits requested by Mungo Homes.

SCDES says construction stormwater discharges from the development will likely contain sediment and other potential pollutants. Since the site is in a coastal county, the project must be reviewed to ensure consistency with the South Carolina Coastal Zone Management Plan.

However, the development is already facing opposition from environmental groups, including the Coastal Conservation League and the Friends of Coastal South Carolina, because they are saying the project doesn’t align with the state’s coastal protection policies.

“This proposal is in direct contradiction to the priorities laid out in South Carolina’s Coastal Zone Management Program, which discourages high-density development in sensitive coastal and wetland areas and prioritizes low-impact development and the protection of water quality and natural drainage patterns,” Anna Kimelblatt, communities & transportation program director with the Coastal Conservation League, says.

The application for the development shows stormwater runoff during construction activities is proposed to be managed by a construction entrance, sediment basins, a silt fence, inlet protection and appropriate placement of portable toilets. These controls would limit sediment and erosion. Proposed permanent features include wet detention ponds and sheet flow.

The Coastal Conservation League says they are also concerned about the possibility of a high number of septic tanks in the area. Experts say numerous septic tanks in a small area can contaminate groundwater and surface water with pathogens.

Grace Gasper, executive director of Friends of Coastal South Carolina, says policies like the Coastal Zone Management Plan are supposed to protect the coast and discourage numerous septic tanks, but have not been the case in previous permits that have been approved in the area.

This comes after various environmental groups filed a against another Awendaw home development that is proposed to build 208 homes on 182 acres of a portion of land called the White Tract.

“Anything they approve or permit is supposed to enhance or maintain water quality,” Gasper says. “And we don’t believe that some of these things that have been permitted will do that.”

Those who oppose the project also believe the high-density development would have negative environmental impacts, including water quality, drainage patterns, damage to buffer zones around wetlands and overall land disturbance.

“They’re supposed to discourage development in flood-prone areas,” Gasper says. “They’re supposed to protect the natural resources, and there are areas that are designated as areas of geographical concern, and Cape Romain is certainly one of those, and we don’t feel like all of that has been adequately considered.”

Residents also voiced concerns about not knowing the full extent of the flow of water in the area and asked officials to do more groundwork on inspecting the site.

On deciding whether to approve or deny the permit, the SCDES will be looking at the water quality control during construction, the rate of stormwater runoff and the quality of stormwater runoff.

No permit decision was made at the meeting, and those who attended or submitted a request for notification will be notified of the decision. The SCDES review clock is 20 business days.

“We urge SCDES to deny this permit and uphold the goals and priorities associated with our state’s coastal zone policies,” Kimelblatt says. “Once these pristine coastal areas are altered or destroyed, we can never get them back.”