Planning and Zoning

Rezoning Requests

Application forms for rezoning requests can be obtained from the Planning and Zoning Department or downloaded from this site and must accompany a $250.00 non-refundable fee (excepting requests to establish or amend a Planned Development District).

Each request is presented to the Planning Commission for recommendation to County Council. The Planning Commission meets the fourth Tuesday of the month*. A completed rezoning application and associated fee are due by 5:00 PM at least 4 weeks prior to the scheduled meeting, typically the date of the previous month’s meeting*.

The process for rezoning takes approximately 5 months from the date of application submittal, unless the request is deferred, postponed, tabled, or defeated. County Council has final decision-making authority on requests for rezoning. All requests are published via the County website in the respective meeting agenda and posted with a yellow public meeting sign prior to the scheduled Planning Commission meeting.

PDF applications may be emailed to Planning and Zoning Administrative Support at .  Payment may be received online by following the prompts provided by the Department. 

All scheduled public meetings are open to the public. The applicant of any request for rezoning or his/her representative is expected to attend every scheduled public meeting.  Anyone with interest in the outcome of a requested rezoning is welcomed to attend the scheduled public meetings.  These meetings can also be viewed live via the Berkeley County Government Facebook Page.

*Unless otherwise stated.

Calendar for 2023 Planning Commission

Calendar for 2024 Planning Commission

Click here for the Rezoning Application

The Large-Scale Development Moratorium Process is applicable to requests for rezoning, including proposals for new or amended Planned Development (PD) applications and Development Agreements, that are intended to support “Large-Scale Development” and meet/exceed the criteria listed below:

• The subject parcel/assemblage is 75+ acres in size; and/or
• The intended development seeks to create 75+ lots/units; and
• The request for rezoning is not a down-zoning.

Before an applicant can apply for/discuss an intended rezoning, Planned Development (PD), or Development Agreement with County staff and, subsequently, pursue the formal adoption process, County Council must first lift the Moratorium.  This process is intended to address public concerns around large-scale developments’ impacts on infrastructure and critical County services, including but not limited to: Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services, schools, water and sewer, and especially roads and traffic. 

Council's determination to lift the moratorium will be based upon the development's private resources to address the following:

1. Roads, intersections, and traffic;
2. Public Safety including police, fire, and EMS;
3. Schools;
4. Water and sewer infrastructure;
5. Impacts to surrounding communities including but not limited to buffers and setbacks;
6. Input from surrounding communities including but not limited to a minimum of two (2) publicly noticed community meetings with record of attendance and provision of information intended to ensure a general awareness of proposed development (Please log attendance using the Community Meeting Attendance Log Template available here); 
7. Consideration of future easements for road and utility expansion and right of way;
8. Connectivity to surrounding communities;
9. Preservation of green space;
10. Traffic calming devices for roads in proposed development;
11. Impact on local business; and
12. Other government provided services.

Requests to Lift the Large-Scale Development Moratorium are considered by the Land Use Committee, which is comprised of County Council and typically convenes on the second Monday of every month unless noticed otherwise.  To meet the 15-day public notice requirement, applications, supporting documentation, and $150 fee for Requests to Lift the Large-Scale Development Moratorium should be submitted at least 4 weeks prior to the Land Use Committee meeting in which the request is intended to be considered, typically the previous month’s Land Use Committee meeting date.

County Council, when authorizing a “Request to Lift the Large-Scale Development Moratorium”, may recommend a suitable zoning designation for the applicant to pursue through the typical rezoning process.  

If an applicant’s Request to Lift the Large-Scale Development Moratorium is denied, he/she may modify the proposal and re-apply in accordance with the same process described above.   If the Request is approved, the applicant may formally apply for their rezoning and begin developing the details of the PD and/or DA with County Staff and, subsequently, pursue the typical formal adoption process.  Should a Request to Lift the Large-Scale Development Moratorium be granted, there is no guarantee that the request for rezoning or Development Agreement will be approved as it, too, is subject to County Council’s final decision-making authority. 

Please see the adopted Ordinance linked here

Please see the Application available here