Annexations

[ZUMAN2]

The city is seeking a full-time Annexation Planner on its employment web page.  This position was eliminated several years ago.  Happy to see the city getting serious about annexation again.

Edited January 26, 2022 by ZUMAN2

[vicupstate]

New figures out for 2020 and 2021:

2020 Acres annexed: 18.4  Persons: 29 Units: 16

2021 Acres annexed: 109.4  Persons: 71 Units: 27 

Building Permits for 2020 were 395 in West Ashley but 728 on the Peninsula.  Pretty amazing considering how much more land area WA has and that the peninsula is already fully built out.  For 2021 it was 835 for WA and 495 for the peninsula. 

 

[ZUMAN2]

On 12/8/2021 at 2:44 PM, ZUMAN2 said:

This is probably most detailed map I've seen showing Charleston's city limits.  Amazing the number of donut holes (that hopefully will start going away in 2022).

Map (charleston-sc.gov)

I was looking at this map again a few days ago and  I wonder if there's another US  city that surrounds as many donut holes as Charleston does.

[KJHburg]

On 2/22/2022 at 12:57 PM, ZUMAN2 said:

I was looking at this map again a few days ago and  I wonder if there's another US  city that surrounds as many donut holes as Charleston does.

I would say no not any I have seen.   I still don't understand all that went on in James Island with some of it a town some of it in the city and have you can even serve a city in an area that is completely built up but varying streets and neighborhoods are in and out of the city of Charleston. 

[ZUMAN2]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:42 PM, KJHburg said:

I would say no not any I have seen.   I still don't understand all that went on in James Island with some of it a town some of it in the city and have you can even serve a city in an area that is completely built up but varying streets and neighborhoods are in and out of the city of Charleston. 

The Town of James Island is nothing more than a glorified HOA.

[ZUMAN2]

I came across this map yesterday that has the history of all City of Chas annexations.  Just click on the a parcel and it will show the year the parcel  was annexed in the YEAR field.

https://data-charleston-sc.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/513279269199412489fc8a95a3f1463d_0/explore?location=32.736583%2C-79.962368%2C13.00

 

[ZUMAN2]

Charleston's new annexation planner started work last week.  She has been tasked with closing donut holes.  Will be interesting to see what the uptick in annexations will be going forward.

Edited April 26, 2022 by ZUMAN2

[ZUMAN2]

At least some members of city council want to push harder to annex commercial properties in West Ashley but they specifically want to push to annex a 10 acre parcel on Savannah Hwy where a large hotel will be developed.  

[vicupstate]

1 hour ago, ZUMAN2 said:

At least some members of city council want to push harder to annex commercial properties in West Ashley but they specifically want to push to annex a 10 acre parcel on Savannah Hwy where a large hotel will be developed.  

Any source on this?

[ZUMAN2]

1 hour ago, vicupstate said:

Any source on this?

It (commerical annexations) was discussed at July 18's city Real Estate Committee meeting that I watched live on youtube.  I can't find the video right now but the video is on youtube.   Annexation requests are always last on the agenda for the committee to review and approve.  

 

[ZUMAN2]

On 7/21/2022 at 11:45 AM, vicupstate said:

Any source on this?

Hopefully this works okay.  The annexation discussion starts around 27:50

 

[vicupstate]

I saw it yesterday from the city website.  Sounds like the councilmen are putting a big push on getting more of West Ashley inside the city. 

[ZUMAN2]

Several city council members representing West Ashley are miffed that it's difficult to annex undeveloped commercial properties as developers do not want to deal with going through the city's building approval process, specifically the Design Review Board (DRB).   The Charleston County approval process is more developer friendly as they do not have a DRB.

As I previously posted above there is a proposed large hotel on a 10 acre tract on Savannah Hwy that is in the county.  Apparently the developer has advised these city council members that they do not want to annex into the city and have to deal with the DRB.  So at last evening's city council meeting, there was proposal presented to exempt that 10 acre tract from DRB approval.   The proposal will have to work its way through appropriate council committees before a full city council vote can be taken.

 

 

 

[vicupstate]

^^ Seems like it would accomplish the same thing to simply develop the building as they wish and annex post-construction. 

[ZUMAN2]

^^ I was thinking the same thing.  But perhaps the developer , for example. installs an electronic monument sign which is against city code then the developer would have to remove the sign to annex

Hotels use alot of water so one would think with lower city water rates it would be a no-brainer to annex regardless.  And I believe the property taxes are lower in the city.

Will be interesting to see where all this goes as the city is finally trying to put a squeeze on the SAPSD.

[vicupstate]

On 2/21/2022 at 3:06 PM, vicupstate said:

New figures out for 2020 and 2021:

2020 Acres annexed: 18.4  Persons: 29 Units: 16

2021 Acres annexed: 109.4  Persons: 71 Units: 27 

Building Permits for 2020 were 395 in West Ashley but 728 on the Peninsula.  Pretty amazing considering how much more land area WA has and that the peninsula is already fully built out.  For 2021 it was 835 for WA and 495 for the peninsula. 

 

2022 figures are out:

2022 acres annexed: 38.2 Persons: 95 

Building Permits for 2022 were 452 Single Family and 1,221 Multi-Family.  The Single Family number was the lowest since at least 2012 (figures listed only go back to 2013) but M-F was the highest since 2018. 

[ZUMAN2]

On 3/21/2018 at 2:55 PM, ZUMAN2 said:

Charleston files lawsuit against North Charleston concerning its West Ashley annexation.  Charleston will finalize its large West Ashley annexations at its next city council meeting.

https://www.postandcourier.com/news/charleston-sues-north-charleston-for-claiming-outer-west-ashley-land/article_cffb5f30-2d10-11e8-9812-eb38fdf16014.html

 

I thought the litigation was over a few years ago between Charleston and N Charleston over the Whitfield/Runnymade Plantation but in fact an appeals court recently ruled in favor of N Charleston per an article in the Post & Courier today. Charleston's lawsuit was rooted in N Charleston's jumping over a 100 foot wide strip of land that is in the city of Charleston allowing N Charleston to annex the Whitfield tract.

Charleston now plans to appeal to the SC Supreme Court because state law "clearly forbids this kind of land jumping and allowing it to stand would set a terrible precedent" city of Charleston spokemans Jack O'Toole said,

So it probably be another few years before the issue is finally resolved. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by ZUMAN2

[vicupstate]

19 minutes ago, ZUMAN2 said:

I thought the litigation was over a few years ago between Charleston and N Charleston over the Whitfield/Runnymade Plantation but in fact an appeals court recently ruled in favor of N Charleston per an article in the Post & Courier today. Charleston's lawsuit was rooted in N Charleston's jumping over a 100 foot wide strip of land that is in the city of Charleston allowing N Charleston to annex the Whitfield tract.

Charleston now plans to appeal to the SC Supreme Court because state law "clearly forbids this kind of land jumping and allowing it to stand would set a terrible precedent" city of Charleston spokemans Jack O'Toole said,

So it probably be another few years before the issue is finally resolved. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So ridiculous how long it takes to litigate this stuff. 

[ZUMAN2]

No significant annexations in 2023 but more annexations than the past few years with the addition of a full-time annexation coordinator,  SAPSD is starting to try to slow things down though buy unlikely to have much impact.

 

 

[vicupstate]

4 hours ago, ZUMAN2 said:

No significant annexations in 2023 but more annexations than the past few years with the addition of a full-time annexation coordinator,  SAPSD is starting to try to slow things down though buy unlikely to have much impact.

 

 

What specifically are they doing?

[ZUMAN2]

17 hours ago, vicupstate said:

What specifically are they doing?

Several months ago the SAPSD started monitoring annexation petitions from homeowners and after the petition went to city council where the SAPSD contacted homeowners and talked them into deferring or canceling the annexation petitions.  Not a huge deal but I'm sure it's frustrating for city staff and council.  

It will be interesting to see what Mayor-elect William Cogswell policy will be, in general, toward annexations.