CHARLESTON COUNTY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING:

Proposed Mutual Drive Sidewalk Tree Proximity/Canopy Encroachment Mitigation Public Hearing

Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 6:30 PM

Charleston County Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed Mutual Drive sidewalk tree proximity/canopy encroachment mitigation plan at 6:30 p.m. on May 26, 2026, in Council Chambers (second floor of the Lonnie Hamilton, III, Public Services Building, located at: 4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston, SC  29405). The hearing will be livestreamed at: https://www.charlestoncounty.gov/departments/county-council/cctv.php.  Public comments may be made in person or sent to the case email address (MutualDrTrees@publicinput.com) by 5:00 PM on Friday, May 22, 2026. Packet information and additional ways to provide comments can be found online at: https://engage.charlestoncounty.org/MutualDrTrees. Contact the Public Works Department at (843) 202-7600 for additional information. 

PROPOSED MUTUAL DRIVE SIDEWALK TREE PROXIMITY/CANOPY ENCROACHMENT MITIGATION

Background Information:

On February 27, 2024, Charleston County Council approved amendments to the Zoning and Land Development Regulations Ordinance (ZLDR) to allow exemptions to the County’s Tree Preservation and Protection requirements for Charleston County Public Works (CCPW) initiated road and drainage projects (Ordinance #2281).  The amendments allow the following for CCPW initiated road and drainage projects (projects must be under review within the County’s Limited Site Plan Review Process and in an approvable state):

• Grand Trees other than Live Oaks not located on a Scenic Highway may be permitted administratively for removal;
• Protected Trees located on a Scenic Highway and Grand Live Oaks may be approved for approval by County Council. In such cases, Council shall hold a Public Hearing for the request prior to final approval; and
• Protected Trees located on a Scenic Highway and all Grand Trees must be mitigated pursuant to the ZLDR tree replacement requirements. To the greatest extent possible, the replacement trees must be planted in the same general area as the project to provide a replacement tree canopy. A tree mitigation plan shall be provided as part of the Council approval process.

Mutual Drive (S-10-737) Sidewalk project proposes to construct approximately 450 linear feet of 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk from Cherokee Hall Lane to Savannah Highway (US 17). Most of the project lies within unincorporated Charleston County and the right-of-way is owned by SCDOT. This project is funded by CTC FY2025 funds. The City of Charleston has provided a letter to the County stating that the City agrees to accept maintenance responsibility of the constructed sidewalk (refer to attachments in the packet).

The Mutual Drive Sidewalk project is the second project for which the removal and mitigation of Grand Trees are proposed since these ZLDR amendments were adopted. The project is in Limited Site Plan Review and is in an approvable state.

Arborist Evaluation:

The County’s arborist has reviewed the project plans and identified six (6) Protected and/or Grand Trees in the project area including:

Tree 1: 19” Red Oak, B grade (18% encroachment and 1.72’ proximity)

Tree 2: 14” Live Oak, B grade (36% encroachment and 3.08’ proximity)

Tree 3: 16” Live Oak, C+ grade (37% encroachment and 2.93’ proximity)

Tree 4: 18/18” Live Oak, A grade (17% encroachment and 6.34’ proximity)

Tree 5: 22/23” Live Oak, A grade (12% encroachment and 2.44’ proximity)

Tree 6: 28” Live Oak, D grade (25% encroachment and 2.44' proximity)

• Tree 6 has significant trunk decay and is permitted to be approved for removal administratively due to being Grade D.

Staff Recommendation: 

Approve the proximity and/or canopy encroachments shown on the attached tree encroachment plan and require that a tree preservation plan for the following trees be approved by the County’s arborist and implemented:

• Tree 4: 18/18” Live Oak, A grade; and
• Tree 5: 22/23” Live Oak, A grade.

The sidewalk project impacts Protected Trees 1, 2 and 3 which do not require Council approval because they are not Grand Trees.  Additionally, Grand Tree 6 will be administratively approved for removal due to poor health and, therefore, does not require Council approval.

The Tree Preservation Plan, to be overseen by an ISA Certified Arborist, may include soil analysis, root/limb pruning, mulching, plant growth regulator, temporary irrigation, and/or fertilization. Also require that if any Grand Tree dies within three (3) years from the date construction begins, CCPW shall mitigate the DBH of the tree(s) by depositing funds into the Charleston County Tree Fund as described in Sec. 9.2.6 of the Charleston County Zoning and Land Development Regulations. The allotted mitigation shall be in place prior to removal of the tree(s).