ACTION ALERT: Speak Up on Morrison Drive Development

Advocacy Alert for the Tuesday, March 3, Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Take action!‍

Dear Friends,

A variance request for a 12-story development at 975 & 989 Morrison Drive is threatening the future of resilience, drainage, and watershed planning on the Upper Peninsula (UP)—and we need your voice now to keep the city on track.

On Tuesday, March 3, an applicant is asking the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA-Z) to remove the active ground floor use requirement—a key component of the 2015 Upper Peninsula Zoning District—arguing that they cannot meet this requirement now that the site falls within a new flood zone, updated January 2024. (Don’t worry … we’ll explain this in detail later! For now, just know that Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA) is a critical FEMA-designated line shown on coastal Flood Insurance Rate Maps.)

But do not be fooled: What’s at stake is bigger than what happens on the ground floor.

Since the UP Zoning District was adopted, Charleston has gained critical new knowledge about flood risk, stormwater management, and coastal resilience. The city is actively investing in resilience, drainage, and watershed planning, specifically in the New Market Creek watershed where the project is located.

Approving the Morrison Drive project as presented in this variance request would undermine both the City’s resilience work and the coordinated planning underway through Project 3500, which includes future affordable housing immediately adjacent to this site.

For the purposes of the BZA request, this project does not pass the variance test that states that there are “extraordinary and exceptional conditions pertaining to the particular piece of property.”

Help Take Action at the BZA-Z to Stop this Development from Moving Forward!

1. Submit Written Comments—Due March 2 at 12 PM HERE: innovate.charleston-sc.gov/comments/
2. Attend the BZA-Z Meeting—March 3 at 5:15 PM at 2 George Street, Public Meeting Room (First Floor) and SPEAK OUT in opposition.
3. In-person comments make the biggest impact.
4. Review Agenda Materials HERE: www.charleston-sc.gov/bza-z

This site is now in the LiMWA flood zone, as of 2024 – What does that mean?!

The Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA) is a critical FEMA-designated line shown on coastal Flood Insurance Rate Maps. It identifies the inland extent where 1.5-to-3-foot breaking waves are expected under certain conditions.

In recent years, LiMWA has been newly mapped by FEMA across Charleston, including areas where major development interest has emerged, to raise awareness of the complications of building in these zones. Because the LiMWA line was added after the adoption of the UP Zoning District, it can significantly alter what is feasible on the ground floor of new buildings.

The UP District relies on active ground floor uses and mixed-use principles to create a walkable, resilient, and urban district. But LiMWA construction rules require ground floor spaces be limited to parking, storage, or access only, with breakaway wall construction—conditions incompatible with traditional retail or active uses. The two zones are functionally incompatible.

And remember … 975/998 Morrison is not the only property affected by the new LiMWA line.

Talking Points: We oppose the Morrison Drive variance request because:

1. The request does not pass the BZA variance test. As indicated on the map above, there are not “extraordinary and exceptional conditions pertaining to the particular piece of property.” Many properties in the UP Zoning District are impacted by the new line.
2. These buildings are too big for the site and the surrounding context. A 12-story structure at this location exceeds what the area’s infrastructure, streetscape, and watershed systems can reasonably support.
3. This project should be part of the City’s broader effort to design context-sensitive affordable housing. Charleston is developing new citywide standards for appropriately scaled mixed-income affordable housing—this project moves ahead outside that coordinated framework.
4. The focus in the headwaters of New Market Creek should be on citywide resilience and watershed planning, not large-scale construction projects. The city is investing heavily in resilience, drainage, and watershed planning in this area. Development in this area must align with, not work against, these ongoing efforts.
5. LiMWA flood maps were updated after the Upper Peninsula zoning was created. Because the site is now within the LiMWA zone, it faces higher flood risk requirements. This introduces new challenges for UP mixed-use expectations—ground floor activation may no longer be feasible. These issues require more scrutiny by the City and the public.
6. Although perhaps not an issue for the BZA, it is important to note that this project does not align with the city’s broader resilience strategy and watershed planning work. Any development here must be evaluated in the context of current and future drainage, stormwater, and coastal resilience investments. Moving forward before the City’s resilience and housing plans are fully incorporated risks long-term consequences for affordability, public safety, and flood management.
7. This is the gateway to the headwaters of Newmarket Creek. The site sits at the entrance to an area where major flood mitigation, restoration, and stormwater improvements are underway.
8. The city is actively planning tidal flood protection, stormwater relief, and marsh restoration for Newmarket Creek connected to other large-scale infrastructure projects, like the Lowcountry Lowline and potential Battery Extension improvements. The Morrison Drive project is not coordinated with the larger vision in purpose or design.

Development runs the risk of outpacing progress the on resilience and drainage improvements if we don’t stay vigilant. Let’s prioritize Charleston’s resilience and watershed planning—not inappropriate, out of scale development.

Thank you for standing with us to protect Charleston’s future!