NORTH CHARLESTON — Developers scrapped plans to build townhomes on an East Montague Avenue property after Liberty Hill residents spoke against the zoning change that could pave the way to higher density housing. Now, the developers are seeking a type of zoning that would allow for small scale businesses.
The rezoning request for the vacant 1.2-acre property next to Royal Missionary Baptist Church went in front of the city’s Planning Commission on Jan. 12 where the commission unanimously voted to deny the request.
Ford Smith, the developer with Charleston Affordable Development Group, told the commission he wanted to rezone the property from single-family residential to limited business that would allow for uses like medical offices, tutoring centers and a bakery.
The street-facing portion of the property is already zoned limited business, so the change would extend the zoning to the entire lot. This type of business zoning is aimed at neighborhood-scale commercial corridors that meet the needs of residents, according to the city’s code of ordinances.
Smith shared the plans with residents in early January at a community meeting where he said he answered questions, and ultimately felt support from the community.
Valerie Harper-Young, president of the Liberty Hill Improvement Council, said the businesses the developers want to bring in align with the community’s goals.
“We’re open to the businesses coming back to Liberty Hill,” she said.
The Planning Commission’s purview is limited to zoning as it relates to the city’s Comprehensive Plan, not specific projects. City staff recommended denial because of nearby properties that are zoned for single-family homes. But the Planning Commission can only make recommendations to City Council, which ultimately has the final say. This item will go in front of council on Feb. 19.
In October 2025, Charleston Affordable Development Group requested to rezone the property to multi-family residential. The original plan was for townhomes with retail or offices facing the street, Smith previously told The Post and Courier.
Many Liberty Hill residents opposed the rezoning out of concern that large-scale housing would not match the character of the 150-year-old neighborhood made up of cottages on narrow residential streets. Roughly 15 residents spoke against the zoning request at the Oct. 13 Planning Commission meeting.
The commission unanimously denied that request, too. Smith told The Post and Courier after the October meeting he planned to work with neighborhood leaders to find a solution residents are happy with.
As the oldest neighborhood in the city, Liberty Hill was established in 1871 to create a settlement community for freed Black families after the Civil War. By the mid-1900s, the community flourished with mom-and-pop shops and community gathering spaces. After the nearby Charleston Naval Base closed in the 1990s, many residents moved away, leaving businesses to shutter.
Now, several groups in Liberty Hill are making strides to preserve the neighborhood’s history and bring businesses back. Their efforts include building up the business corridor along East Montague Avenue and undertaking beautification projects that would add palmetto trees and vegetation. Residents have pushed to for the neighborhood to become a Historic Zoning Overlay District, a designation through the city that would preserve its character by placing restrictions on newly built homes and renovations.
Harper-Young previously told The Post and Courier the community is not against growth and supports more affordable, single-family homes and locally-owned businesses.
