Breaking news: Panel approves developer's request to remove 24 trees for townhomes

In a blow to hundreds of tree supporters, the Charleston Zoning Board of Appeals approved a developer's plan to remove 24 trees for 24 townhomes at the entrance of the new Nowell Creek Village community along Daniel Island Drive.
Following a 70-minute hearing, the panel – in a 4–to-1 vote – approved the variance request by Holder Properties, allowing them to remove the trees that would have impeded townhome construction. The single-family attached units will be located about 20 feet from the busy road connecting Daniel Island to St. Thomas Island.
The approval comes with the condition that the developer plant 10 new trees, each six inches in diameter, on the project site.
The panel heard compelling arguments from both representatives of Holder Properties and tree supporters.
Tree supporters, including Daniel Island Neighborhood Association president and Berkeley County councilman Jarrod Brooks, argued that keeping the trees alive would not only preserve the nature and beauty of the island, but would also provide an essential buffer for traffic and pedestrians traveling between Daniel Island and St. Thomas Island.
Holder Properties told the board they have saved 500 trees in the development and have planted hundreds more. They also noted the townhome project had the initial approval of the Daniel Island Architectural Review Board,and that the city had zoned, or titled, the property for 30 townhomes, whereas they plan to build only 24.

 

Below is the previous story filed Wednesday morning, July 2, prior to the hearing.

 

It’s Round Two for the Nowell Creek Village developer seeking the city’s permission to remove 24 mature trees for 24 new townhomes in the new residential community off Daniel Island Drive. 

 

On Wednesday, July 2, Charleston’s Board of Zoning Appeals was scheduled to hear a variance request from Holder Properties that would allow the builder to remove the trees to begin the construction of townhomes.

 

The hearing was originally slated for early June, but Holder Properties temporarily put the request on hold when a Facebook post by the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association generated more than 300 comments asking the zoning panel to deny the request and preserve the trees.

 

In an effort to smooth communications between the developer and tree backers, Holder Properties deferred the original request and opted to hold an open house on June 25, inviting concerned residents to visit with representatives.

 

“When you hear only a snippet - 24 townhomes and 24 trees – you’re not understanding the whole story,” said Andy Barfield, chief development officer of Holder Properties. 

 

We decided, hey look, let’s take a step back and let’s have a town meeting. Let’s make sure we are doing to the best of our ability to inform people, to make sure everyone understands… and see what we are doing out there.”

 

Since purchasing the 37-acre property in 2019, Holder Properties has been developing the former site of the Charleston Battery soccer stadium, transforming the asphalt lot into apartments, rental townhomes, and condominiums.

 

However, Barfield said what many residents may not know is that the development’s master plan also calls for the addition of hundreds of new trees to the property, along with public access to the community’s park, trails, and fishing dock. 

 

“We saved over 575 trees on the property, and we’ve planted over 800 trees,” Barfield said, “but no one heard that when the Facebook post came out. We also plan to add double the amount of trees in that specific (townhome) location.”

 

During the two-hour open house, about 15 people stopped by to view pictures and sketches of the developer’s future plans and to talk to Holder about tree-saving alternatives. 

 

One attendee encouraged Holder to compromise and move the future townhomes to another spot on the property or push them back a few more feet away from the road, which would allow the trees to remain.

 

“That’s what I said to them, ‘You’re better off going for a variance request on the setback of the townhomes,’” said Daniel Island resident David Wickwire. “It would be one thing if it was downtown Daniel Island, but this is not downtown Daniel Island.”

 

After the meeting, Holder representatives said the event was a good give-and-take session that allowed them to listen to public concerns while sharing more details of their plan.

 

They also said it gave them a chance to share facts about the 24 trees in question that they say might not be widely known.

 

“We want people to understand the historical context of the trees,” said marketing director Abby Hawkins. “Those trees were put in place as a screen. They were planted in the early 2000s. It’s a man-made berm, which is a built-up mound that was built to screen a parking lot.”

 

Prior to the July 2 hearing, another 300 comments were posted on the zoning board’s portal on behalf of saving the Daniel Island trees. 

 

“Replacing mature trees with tree specimens sets nature back decades if not longer,” wrote Pat Wood in a comment. “We do not need the trade-off of additional housing sitting on DI drive at the expense of the aesthetics of our community.”

 

Visit thedanielislandnews.com for the results of the zoning board meeting, as the hearing was scheduled to take place after the newspaper went to print.