Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) has filed an appeal of a May 14, 2025, City of Charleston Board of Architectural Review (BAR-Large) decision approving the conceptual design of a new five- and six-story hotel at 657 King Street. The appeal was filed in Charleston County Circuit Court and challenges the legality of allowing five and six stories on a section of the property zoned for only four stories.
“Split zoning,” identified and adopted by City Council, divides the allowable height of properties along King and Meeting Streets into lower and higher sections, clearly delineated on the City of Charleston’s GIS zoning map, so that new construction along major corridors and adjacent to historic buildings will step down to be more compatible with its surrounding context.
HCF contends that the BAR’s erroneous interpretation of the ordinance at the May meeting would not only allow for two extra stories on portions of the property at 657 King Street along the street, but it would also set a dangerous precedent for many other split-zoned properties in the immediate vicinity.
“There was a lengthy analysis and planning process almost ten years ago that led to the creation of split zoning to maintain Charleston’s historic character,” says Winslow Hastie, Historic Charleston Foundation’s President & CEO, “and the BAR’s action on 657 King Street essentially flies in the face of the height ordinance that codified that work.”
At the May 14 meeting, a representative from the foundation flagged their legal concerns, but the BAR voted 4 to 1 to approve the hotel, disregarding the error.
Hastie says, “This suit is important because of the implications for this specific hotel and its neighbors, but it also supports critical guardrails for future development along this corridor. New construction should integrate with historic buildings as much as possible, not dominate them. That was the reason that HCF advocated for this split zoning in the first place and why we need to fight to preserve it.”
Historic Charleston Foundation is joined in this appeal by King Street Holdings, LLC, a property owner across the street from 657 King Street. HCF will continue to keep the public updated on this appeal through its website and social media channels.