LANDSCAPE BUFFER REQUIREMENTS

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance art. 3, pt. 8

in effect

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-344 Intent.

Sec. 54-344. - Intent. All subdivisions, residential or otherwise, and site improvements shall require the installation of landscape buffers pursuant to this Article. Existing buffers which satisfy the requirements of this Article, either partially or completely, shall be maintained. Proposed improvements to properties developed prior to this Article shall only require buffer improvements for the section(s) of the lot being improved, unless the cost of the proposed building additions and site improvements exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the current value of the existing land and improvements thereon, in which case the entire lot shall be brought into compliance with landscape buffer requirements of this Article.

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-345 Applicability of requirements.

Sec. 54-345. - Applicability of requirements. Landscape buffer requirements listed herein shall apply to all real property within the City limits of Charleston.

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-346 Plan review and approval requirements.

Sec. 54-346. - Plan review and approval requirements. Whenever any property is affected by these landscape buffer requirements, the property owner or developer shall submit a plan for review and approval by the Zoning Administrator. The Zoning Administrator shall follow the requirements of this Article in approving or disapproving any plan required herein. a. The contents of the plan shall include the following: 1. Dimensions and acreage of each lot or plot or portion thereof to be built upon or otherwise used; 2. Layout of the entire project, including the proposed uses of all buildings and their relationship to surrounding properties; 3. Layout of all off-street parking and loading areas, including the location of entry and exit points, the internal vehicular circulation pattern and the location and dimension of required parking and loading spaces; 4. Location and dimensions of existing and proposed streets and highways; 5. Location, name (botanical and common), size and spacing of all existing plant materials to be retained and proposed plantings and screenings. The plan shall clearly distinguish between existing plant materials to be retained and proposed plantings; 6. Location of walls, fences and railings and an indication of their height and construction materials; 7. Details illustrating landscaping installation; and 8. Title; north arrow; scale, names of owner, developer and person responsible for plan preparation; and the date that the plan was drawn, including subsequent revision dates. b. No building permit shall be issued until the required landscaping plan has been submitted and approved, and no certificate of occupancy shall be issued until the landscaping is completed as certified by an on-site inspection by the Zoning Administrator.

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-347 Landscape buffer requirements.

Sec. 54-347. - Landscape buffer requirements. Buffers are landscaped areas of varying depths intended to separate and screen incompatible land uses from one another or provide green areas along major roadways and rivers, and in some instances, screen development entirely from roadways or rivers. a. Generally 1. Buffers shall vary in depth and in landscaping requirements according to the zone district of the adjoining property or the classification of the adjacent road or river. (See attached road and river classification chart). 2. Buffers shall be located along the perimeter of a lot or parcel and shall extend to the boundary line of the lot or parcel. Buffers shall not be located on any portion of an existing public or private street right-of-way. Where utility or drainage easements exist along property lines, the buffer shall be located adjacent to the easement and may be reduced by the width of the easement on the property where the buffer is required or twenty-five percent (25%) of the required buffer width, whichever is smaller. 3. Buffers which are required pursuant to this Article shall be indicated as such on all plats of new and expanded developments. 4. With the exception of the improvements as listed below in subsection 5., no new structures, impervious surfaces, unpaved vehicular use areas or other improvements shall hereafter be constructed within designated buffer areas. 5. Sidewalks pursuant to Section 54-361, fences, gates, mailboxes, community boat ramps, necessary driveways, and permitted signs may be installed in designated buffer areas, subject to applicable permits. b. Non-conforming buffers. All developed lots and all undeveloped but recorded single-family house lots on (effective date) which do not comply with the buffer requirement of this section shall be grandfathered as legal non-conforming lots, except that existing landscaping on these legal non-conforming lots which satisfies, either partially or wholly, the buffer requirements of this Article, shall be required to be maintained. c. Schedule of required buffers. Table 3.5 shows the required buffers. Compliance of planted buffers will be evaluated on the basis of "Required Plantings per one Hundred Feet" as specified on buffer diagram text. Existing vegetation may be combined with or substituted for new plant material in order to satisfy "Required Plantings per One Hundred Feet." Where deemed appropriate by the Zoning Administrator, non-vegetative screening devices, including fences, walls and earthen berms may be substituted for a portion of the "Required Plantings per one Hundred Feet" in buffer types B, D, F, J and K. d. Exceptions. 1. All properties located within the City limits on the peninsula of Charleston shall not require installation of landscape buffers along street frontages; and landscape buffers required pursuant to Table 3.5: Schedule of Required Buffers, to separate and screen incompatible uses, shall only be required to consist of a landscaping area with a minimum width of five (5) feet in which a wall of at least six (6) feet in height is placed and one (1) recommended non-deciduous tree is planted for each twenty-five (25) feet linear feet of landscaping area. For the purposes of this Section, "peninsula" shall mean the area of the City of Charleston bounded by the Cooper River to the east, the Ashley River to the west and south, and the Charleston City Limits to the north. 2. Design Review District. In order to allow for new buildings to relate harmoniously with the streetscape and to other structures in the vicinity, when deemed appropriate by the Design Review Board, buildings may encroach into Class I Road Buffers (Buffer Type A), Class II Road Buffers (Buffer Type C), and Class VI Road Buffers (Buffer Type H). In Gathering Place Districts, the Design Review Board may allow buildings to encroach into any street frontage buffer, except for properties along I-26, I-526, the James Island Connector, and the Glenn McConnell Parkway. These exemptions shall not apply to parking lots or any other vehicular use areas. 3. Board of Architectural Review. In order to allow for new buildings to relate harmoniously with the streetscape and to other structures in the vicinity, when deemed appropriate by the Board of Architectural Review, buildings may encroach into Class I Road Buffers (Buffer Type A) and Class II Road Buffers (Buffer Type C). This exemption shall not apply to parking lots or any other vehicular use areas. TABLE 3.5: SCHEDULE OF REQUIRED BUFFERS ADJACENT EXISTING ZONING, ROAD OR RIVER CLASSIFICATION 1,2,3 Residential | Class/Roads and Rivers Existing or Proposed Principal Use(s) | Conser- vation | Single- Family | Multi- Family | Office/ Service | Institutional | Commercial (Retail) | Commercial (Other) | Warehouse/ Distribution | Industrial | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII Residential (single-family) | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | A | C | E | F | G | H | J | K Residential (multi-family) | F | D | * | * | * | B | B | D | D | A | C | E | F | G | H | J | K Office/Service | F | D | B | * | * | * | * | * | * | A | C | E | F | G | H | J | K Institutional | F | D | B | * | * | * | * | * | * | A | C | E | F | G | H | J | K Commercial | F | D | D | * | * | * | * | * | * | A | C | E | F | G | H | J | K Warehouse 3 Distribution | F | F** | F | D | D | B | B | * | * | A | C | E | F | G | H | J | K Industrial 3 | F | F** | F | D | D | B | B | * | * | A | C | E | F | G | H | J | K 1 ;sz=8q;Where more than one use occurs on a property, the most intensive use determines the standard. 2 See Road and River Classification Chart. 3 Within the Johns Island Overlay District, a two hundred (200) foot Type K buffer is required along any road frontage of a parcel used for warehouse, distribution or industrial purposes. ;sz=8q;* No buffer required **Within the Johns Island Overlay District, a one hundred (100) foot Type J buffer is required. ;sz=8q;Buffer Widths A. 15 feet F. 50 B. 15 G. 75 C. 25 H. 75 D. 25 J. 100 E. 50 K. 200 (Ord. No. 2002-17, § 1, 2-12-02; Ord. No. 2005-336, § 2, 8-16-05; Ord. No. 2005-604, § 1, 10-18-05; Ord. No. 2008-05, § 2, 1-22-08; ; Ord. No. 2011-57, § 2, 8-16-11; Ord. No. 2011-135, § 1, 9-13-11; Ord. No. 2016-083, § 1, 7-19-16)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-347.1 Critical line buffer requirements.

Sec. 54-347.1. - Critical line buffer requirements. Critical line buffers are naturally vegetated areas of specific widths, adjacent to all SCDHEC-OCRM critical lines. The primary purpose for critical line buffers is to protect water quality. a. Generally: 1. Buffers which satisfy the requirements for a Type L Buffer as listed in Section 54-348, shall be located on all property within the zoning districts listed below in subsection 2. 2. Buffers shall vary in width according to the zoning of the lot as listed below: (a) Within the C, RR-1, SR-1 through SR-7, STR, DR-3, DR-6, and DR-9 zoning districts, each buffer shall maintain a minimum width of 25 feet. (b) Within the AG-8, AG-S, DR-4, DR-12, DR-1, DR-1F, DR-2, DR-2F, RO, GO, CT, LB, GB, UC, MU-1, MU-2, GP, JC, BP, LI, and HI, zoning districts and all properties zoned or developed under the Neighborhood District regulations, each buffer shall maintain a minimum width of 40 feet. (c) Within the CY zoning district, the provisions of subsection 2 (a) and (b) shall apply based on designated uses in the development plan. 3. All buildings shall be setback a minimum of ten feet from the required Critical Line buffer. 4. Buffers shall be located adjacent to the Critical Line and extend the entire length of the Critical Line. 5. The boundaries of the SCDHEC-OCRM certified Critical Line and Critical Line Buffer shall be clearly delineated and identified on all development plans and plats submitted for approval and notes shall be placed on all development plans and plats which read as follows: "The Critical Line Buffer shown hereon is under the jurisdiction and permitting authority of the City of Charleston." b. Exemptions. In addition to the exemptions provided in Section 54-344, the following exemptions shall apply. 1. Platted single family lots of record as of September 12, 2000. 2. Approved valid, preliminary subdivision plats as of September 12, 2000, and any project submitted to the Technical Review Committee as of September 12, 2000, shall be exempt from this ordinance. 3. Properties located within the Old City District or Old and Historic District and located on the peninsula south of Line Street extended from the Ashley River to the Cooper River or West of the Ashley River in an area bounded by the Ashley River on the east, the Highway 61 Connector and Merritt Road on the south, Albemarle Road on the west, and Folly Road/Highway 17 on the north. 4. Existing developed portions of The Citadel campus, and water-dependent maritime shipping and cargo handling facilities or terminals. 5. Golf courses shall only be exempt from tree removal restrictions of Section 54-348 in areas of the required Critical Line Buffer that fall within golf corridors when a tree or trees would obstruct play as shown on plans approved by the Technical Review Committee. Tree protection requirements of Article 3, Part 6, including requirements to protect grand trees, shall still apply. c. Violations. The Board of Zoning Appeals—Site Design is authorized, upon a violation of the buffer regulations set forth herein, to require restoration of the buffer area using Best Management Practices to a condition deemed by the Board to be comparable to that which existed prior to the damage and/or destruction of the protected vegetation within the buffer. (Ord. No. 2001-14, § 1, 2-27-01; Ord. No. 2002-84, § 6, 8-13-02; Ord. No. 2003-69, §§ 11, 15, 8-19-03; Ord. No. 2016-102, § 10, 9-13-16; Ord. No. 2018-031, § 10, 4-10-18)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-348 Buffer types.

Sec. 54-348. - Buffer types. Buffer Type A Required for properties which abut Class I roads. Buffer must maintain an average depth of fifteen feet, not to go below ten feet, and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix A. The intent of this buffer type is to provide street frontage landscaping along Class I roads. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: 2 recommended trees 3 understory trees 40 ornamental shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type A Buffer Type B Required for properties which abut an incompatible zoning. Buffer must maintain a minimum depth of fifteen feet and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix A. The intent of this buffer type is to provide a dense visual screen which mitigates adverse impacts of incompatible developments. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: 3 recommended trees 4 understory trees 20 buffer shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type B Buffer Type C Required for properties which abut Class II roads. Buffer must maintain a mean depth of twenty-five feet, not to go below fifteen feet and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix A. The intent of this buffer is to provide street frontage landscaping along Class II roads. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: 2 recommended trees 5 understory trees 60 ornamental shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type C Buffer Type D Required for properties which abut an incompatible zoning. Buffer must maintain a minimum depth of twenty-five feet and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix A. The intent of this buffer type is to provide a dense visual screen which mitigates adverse impacts of incompatible developments. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: 3 recommended trees 4 understory trees 30 buffer shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type D Buffer Type E Required for properties which abut Class III roads. Buffer must maintain an average depth of fifty feet, not to go below forty feet, and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix B. At least fifty percent (50%) of supplemental understory vegetation must be evergreen. The intent of this buffer type is to provide dense street frontage landscaping along Class III roads while allowing for corridors of visibility. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: Existing trees with six inches and greater D.B.H. must remain 6 recommended trees 5 understory trees 20 buffer shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type E Buffer Type F Required for properties which abut Class IV roads or properties which abut incompatible zones. Buffer must maintain a minimum depth of fifty feet and contain specified vegetation. Plant materials used to supplement Class IV road buffers shall be selected from Appendix B. At least fifty percent (50%) of understory vegetation selected from Appendix B must be evergreen. Plant materials used to supplement other Type F buffers shall be selected from Appendix A. The intent of this buffer type is to ensure a very dense street frontage buffer along Class IV roads and between incompatible developments. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: Existing trees with six inches and greater D.B.H. must remain 6 recommended trees 9 understory trees 30 buffer shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type F Buffer Type G Required for properties which abut Class V Roads. Buffer must maintain a minimum depth of seventy-five feet and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix B. At least fifty percent of supplemental understory vegetation must be evergreen. The intent of this buffer type is to provide dense street frontage landscaping along Class V roads while allowing for corridors of visibility. Such corridors, which may be absent of vegetation, shall not exceed thirty-three percent of total buffer length. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: Existing trees 6 inches D.B.H. and greater must remain 9 recommended trees 12 understory trees 35 buffer shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type G Buffer Type H Required for properties which abut Class VI Roads and scenic rivers. Buffer must maintain a minimum depth of seventy-five feet and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix B. At least fifty percent of understory vegetation must be evergreen. The intent of this buffer type is to provide dense street frontage landscaping along Class VI Roads, while allowing for corridors of visibility. Such corridors, which may be absent of vegetation, shall not exceed thirty-three percent of total buffer length. Required plantings per one-hundred feet: Existing trees six inches and greater D.B.H. must remain 9 recommended trees 7 understory trees 30 buffer shrubs One street tree (selected from recommended tree list) every fifty feet, to be setback twenty-five feet from front property line. (These trees may be counted to satisfy "Required plantings per one-hundred feet"). [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type H Buffer Type J Required for properties which abut Class VII Roads and scenic rivers. Buffer must maintain a minimum depth of one hundred feet and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix B. At least 50 percent of understory vegetation selected from Appendix B must be evergreen. River frontage buffers may provide a vision corridor or corridors not to exceed thirty three percent of total buffer length. Such corridor or corridors may be absent of vegetation. Remainder of river frontage buffer shall contain required vegetation. Road frontage buffers shall not contain vision corridors. The intent of this buffer type is to preserve the scenic character of property abutting Class VII Roads and rivers by maintaining a dense natural buffer. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: Existing trees with 6 inches and greater D.B.H. must remain Existing understory vegetation listed on Table 2 must remain 24 recommended trees 20 understory trees 50 buffer shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type J Buffer Type K Required for properties which abut Class VIII Roads. Buffer must maintain a minimum depth of 200 feet and contain specified vegetation selected from Appendix B. At least fifty percent (50%) of the understory vegetation selected from Appendix B must be evergreen. The intent of this buffer type is to preserve the scenic character of the property abutting Class VIII Roads by maintaining a dense natural buffer. Required minimum plantings per one hundred feet: Existing trees with six inches and greater D.B.H. must remain Existing understory vegetation listed on Table 2 must remain 24 recommended trees 20 understory trees 50 buffer shrubs [image omitted; see the official code] Buffer Type K Buffer Type L Required on all non-exempt properties within the zoning districts listed in Section 54-347.1 that abut SCDHEC-OCRM critical lines. The minimum width of the required buffer shall be as indicated in Section 54-347.1.a.2. Within the required buffer areas, as shown on approved plats or site plans pursuant to Section 54-347.1.a.4., existing vegetation shall remain pursuant to the following guidelines. The following activities or improvements shall be prohibited when establishing or maintaining buffers: 1. Manicured, grassed lawns; only native grasses shall be allowed; 2. Removal, damage or abuse in any manner of protected trees (trees with a diameter breast height of eight (8) inches or greater); and 3. Pruning shrubs below three (3) feet in height. Only the following activities or improvements shall be allowed within the required buffer: 1 Supplemental planting with native trees, shrubs and native grasses listed in Appendix B; 2. Removal of trees with a diameter breast height less than eight (8) inches; 3. Water-dependent structures and pedestrian or vehicular accessways leading to water-dependent structures as defined in Section 54-120. Such accessways shall be designed to avoid channelization of stormwater runoff and be the minimum necessary to provide safe access; 4. Pedestrian or vehicular accessways specifically certified and approved for construction by OCRM or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 5. Minimum utility line penetrations as specifically approved by applicable public utility service providers; 6. Use of vegetated surface swales or other approved means of surface runoff transport; and 7. Stormwater drainage outfalls if certified and approved for construction by OCRM or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (Ord. No. 2001-14, § 2, 2-27-01)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-349 Road and river classification chart.

Sec. 54-349. - Road and river classification chart. The following roads and rivers are classified as follows. See Table 3.5: Schedule of Required Buffers, for buffer requirements. CLASS I (15 feet) Ashley Hall Road Ashley River Road (Saint Andrews Boulevard to Sam Rittenburg Boulevard) Fordham Road Harborview Road Old Towne Road Orange Grove Road Orleans Road Saint Andrews Boulevard Wappoo Road CLASS II (25 feet) Albemarle Road Ashley River Road (Sam Rittenburg Boulevard to Mark Clark Expressway) Central Park Road Drayton Hall connector Folly Road Highway 41 Grimball Road (Folly Road to Riverland Drive) James Island Bridge/Highway 61 Connector Magwood Road Maybank Highway (James Island) Reflectance Drive Sam Rittenburg Boulevard Savage Road Savannah Highway Wesley Drive CLASS III (50 feet) Abbapoola Road Ashley River Road (Mark Clark Expressway to Church Creek) Bees Ferry Road Belvedere Road Brownswood Road Cane Slash Road Chisolm Road Clements Ferry Road (Road 33) (except for along that portion of Clements Ferry Road southeast of Reflectance Drive intersection to city limits where a Class II (25 ft) shall apply) Edenvale Road Humbert Road Murraywood Road Old Pond Road Patton Avenue/Fickling Hill Road Plow Ground Road CLASS IV (50 feet) Ashley River Road (Church Creek to railroad viaduct) Highway 61 Expressway (south of Bees Ferry Road) James Island Expressway Mark Clark Expressway Riverland Drive CLASS V (75 feet) Bohicket Road (except within 1,400 feet of the intersection with Maybank Highway where a Class VI buffer shall apply) Main Road (Johns Island) (except within 1,400 feet of the intersection with Maybank Highway where a Class VI buffer shall apply) Maybank Highway (Johns Island) (excluding the sections listed under Class VI) River Road (except within 1,400 feet of the intersection with Maybank Highway where a Class VI buffer shall apply) CLASS VI (75 feet) Bohicket Road (within 1,400 feet of the intersection with Maybank Highway) Main Road (within 1,400 feet of the intersection with Maybank Highway) Maybank Highway (on Johns Island within 1,400 feet of River Road, within 1,400 feet of Hollydale Court, and within 1,400 feet of Main Road) River Road (within 1,400 feet of the intersection with Maybank Highway) CLASS VII (100 feet) Ashley River Road (a railroad viaduct to Muirfield Parkway/MacLaura Hall Avenue intersection) Cainhoy Road Ashley River Shoreline Frontage (Church Creek to city limits) CLASS VIII (200 feet) Ashley River Road (Muirfield Parkway/MacLaura Hall Avenue intersection to city limits) (Ord. No. 2005-432, § 9-13-05; Ord. No. 2005-596, 10-4-05; Ord. No. 2009-75, 5-26-09; 2011-135, § 2, 9-13-2011; Ord. No. 2015-142, § 13, 10-13-2015)

Source: City of Charleston, South Carolina, Code of Ordinances and Zoning Ordinance (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/sc/charleston/codes/zoning?nodeId=ART3SIRE_PT8LABUREFetched: 11/7/2026