The city of Charleston’s Planning Commission unanimously voted Tuesday evening in favor of a fast-moving proposal to create a special development district that would allow the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to be exempt from some of the city’s zoning restrictions.
The project, which now goes to Charleston City Council but has not been widely discussed by the public, would allow for rapid growth and expansion in a zone around MUSC.
The nine members of the council-appointed volunteer commission include Jimmy Bailey Jr., Loquita Bryant-Jenkins, Erika V. Harrison, Bart Jackson, Steve Hirsch, McKenna Joyce, Charles Karesh, Sunday Lempesis and Harry Lesesne.
‘Committed excellent neighbors’
“MUSC has been part of this community for over 200 years,” MUSC President David Cole said at an Aug. 21 meeting of the city’s Community Development Committee. “Our plan is to be a part of this community for the next 200 years. This overlay zone will allow us to deliver world-class care, specifically world-class cancer care for this community. We have been and we will be committed excellent neighbors. We are part of this community. We have no intention of doing anything otherwise.”
The district overlay zone would allow MUSC to demolish 17 properties without approval from the city’s Board of Architectural Review — though approval would still be needed for other buildings and for new construction. It would increase height limitations up to 250 feet and remove restrictions for off-site park-and-ride facilities or garages. It also would remove restrictions on hours of operation for businesses and more.
City leaders said existing zoning ordinances are created as site-specific tools.
“What we have seen over the past few years is that something large, something grand, something complex, something dynamic wants to take shape in the city of Charleston, “ said Charleston City Councilman Ross Appel. “But our old, archaic, clumsy, unpredictable, complicated zoning framework is preventing it from happening.”
At the Aug. 26 meeting, Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said talks with MUSC regarding the new so-called Innovation District plan began about a year ago.
“This conversation started because we were taking a very broad view with WestEdge,” he said, noting a neighboring commercial development. “When you start looking at all the other efforts going on in this part of town … there’s a lot happening that needs to be brought to bear here. That’s why I think an overlay makes a lot of sense here, so we can take a holistic view and approach.”
Advocates, communities feel rushed
While local advocacy groups repeatedly said they support MUSC’s efforts to expand and provide higher quality care for patients, leaders requested the plan be deferred until the public could further review and comment on the proposal.
“There’s definitely historic buildings in the area, and the proposed ordinance has basically picked some winners and losers,” Preservation Society of Charleston President and CEO Brian Turner told the Charleston City Paper. “There’s a list of buildings that are listed for continued protection … and a list of buildings that would be exempt from demolition review. Why did they make that decision?”
Representatives from the Harleston Village community adjacent to the MUSC campus listed several concerns in a Tuesday statement, including a lack of clarity and robust language on traffic impacts and stormwater management.
“How this overlay is handled will be a test of the city’s seriousness in managing development transparently, implementing the Comprehensive Water Plan effectively and safeguarding neighborhood livability,” the statement said.
Historic Charleston Foundation President and CEO Winslow Hastie said he was excited that MUSC wants to double down on the Charleston peninsula, but he added he was concerned about the timing of the proposal and the lack of commitment on preserving historic sites on the campus.
“If you’re wanting this additional flexibility, we feel you should have a greater commitment to protecting these buildings that we know and agree are historically significant,” he told the City Paper before the vote. “The city is bending over backward to accommodate [MUSC] on this fast-track kind of schedule, and that doesn’t really feel good to us.
“It doesn’t give us adequate time to respond in a comprehensive way.”
Project leaders respond
At the Tuesday meeting, Cogswell responded to several concerns that had been brought to his attention, especially regarding the apparent quick pace of the proposal.
“We as a city are not expediting this process at all,” he said. “We are going through the normal process of having public hearings … and three readings at city council. Where we are today, assuming this moves forward, there’s still plenty of time for the community to hear more of the details.”
Cogswell clarified that the stormwater review process is a critical part of the proposal. He explained third-party reviewers would take on the bulk of the responsibility when handling development applications in the Innovation District, as opposed to the already “overburdened staff” of the city.
Harleston Village leaders, however, are worried about exactly that.
“This contradicts assurances of continued [Technical Review Committee] oversight and further limits public engagement,” the neighborhood’s statement said.
City Councilman William Dudley Gregorie at the earlier Aug. 21 meeting said he was convinced MUSC would be a trustworthy steward of the properties included in the district overlay zone.
“I’ve been working with the Medical University now for about 20 years,” he said. “We put together the financing, almost a half billion dollars, to construct the [Ashley River Tower] building. So I’m very aware of the good stewards that the Medical University has been over the years.
“They really do protect the public trust,” he added. “I really think this is a great opportunity not just for the Medical University but for our city. We will be substantially increasing the providing of health care in our city and in our state.”
The first official reading of the proposed Innovation District plan will be at the Charleston City Council meeting on Sept. 23 Sept. 9 [updated].
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