Are you not a savvy Wal-Mart shopper? Perhaps you do not make Folly Beach visits after Labor Day weekend?  if that is the case, then you certainly have missed three (almost) consecutive listings on Folly Road.  The addresses; 1236 Folly Road, 1240 Folly Road, and 1250 Folly Road, consist of three former residential properties that in recent years have become a part of the Folly Road commercial corridor and have been zoned Commercial Transitional (CT). 

Property jurisdictions are well known to be dicey along the Folly corridor and the “FR Overlay Zone” was created to ensure a cohesiveness amongst the various jurisdictions.  Oversight along Folly Rd includes the Town of James Island, the City of Folly Beach, the City of Charleston, and unincorporated Charleston County.  Of the three properties we are discussing both 1236 and 1240 Folly Rd are amongst the very few along the East side of Folly Rd. associated with the City of Charleston.  The FR Overlay Zone is divided into several sections with even more specific development direction for each corridor.  The three properties here fall into what is called the “South Village Sub-Area” which extends from Prescott Street to Rafael Lane.  From the City of Charleston Muni-code “This area is intended for development similar to the North Village sub-area with less intense commercial development than the Commercial Core sub-area and a mix of medium to high intensity uses along the west side of Folly Road and lower intensity development on the east side of Folly Road.” 

The Properties in question all have what is referred to as Commercial Transitional or “CT” zoning.  There are various approved uses within CT zoning.  A property has the right to remain residential and can even be redeveloped by right up to 8 units per 1 acre of land.  Is residential the best use? The idea of CT is to help formerly residential districts transition into a commercial zone in a way that does not disturb long time residential property owners in the area. When used as a commercial property the hours of operation are restricted to 7am to 8pm for most uses to protect nearby residential properties. 1250 Folly Rd has been renovated for several years and is currently occupied and in professional use by the Law office which is the current listing agent. Some fun facts about CT zoning usage:

·         Open Air Produce market anyone!? All commercial activities must be operated within enclosed buildings except produce markets shall be permitted to operate outdoors as open-air markets or roadside stands

·         No Drive Thru: This eliminates (By-right use) most national QSR’s (Except Chipotle) , Banks, and most of the stuff JI locals do not want to see.

·         Food Stores are only allowed to operate between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

·         Laundries and Dry-Cleaning establishments are only allowed to operate between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

·         Restaurants are allowed provided the following conditions are met:

o   (1) the total size of such establishment does not exceed three thousand (3,000) square feet;

o   (2) service and consumption of food take place inside the principal structure only;

o   (3) the sale of alcoholic beverages is an incidental use only; and

o   (4) the location and method of trash and refuse collection is designed so as not to impinge on neighboring residential dwellings.

o   (5) hours of operation are restricted to between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. (e) retail establishments are only allowed to operate between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. and the total size of the establishment cannot exceed five thousand (5,000) square feet.

Do you or anyone you know want to single handedly change the face of Folly Road!?  One investor, developer, and or restauranteur alone can make a significant impact by acquiring and/or leasing these three properties.  What would you like to see happen here!?  Please join DISQUS and …discuss in the comments or on our Facebook Page!

The Deets!

1236 Folly Road Charleston, SC  29412

List Price: $450,000

Listing URL: https://www.kw.com/homes-for-sale/29412/SC/Charleston/1236-Folly-Road/3yd-CTARSC-18025807.html

Listed By:  Bill Byrd of Keller Williams Mt. Pleasant

1240 Folly Road Charleston, SC  29412

List Price: For Lease $24/sqft NNN

Listing URL: http://www.naicharleston.com/properties?propertyId=1240-folly-road-lease

Listed By:  Jim Frazier, Andrew Batkins, and R. Elliot Calhoun NAI Charleston

1250 Folly Road Charleston, SC  29412 (In Contract at time of posting)

List Price: $425,000

Listing URL: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1250-Folly-Rd-Charleston-SC/13157252/

Listed By:  Casey Martens of MHC Law LLC

Most information for this article was sourced from the Charleston Muni-Code website. Comments within the article are opinion and interpretation of the Author and are by no means to be taken as legal fact. Please consult with a Licensed Real Estate Attorney to interpret the Charleston Municipal codes for your particular needs.