Design Review Board (DRB)

coronavirusMODIFIED OPERATIONS UPDATE 

MARCH 18, 2020

City officials and staff are taking the following additional steps to protect public safety in response to the evolving Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Updates will be provided as conditions change.

BOARD MEETINGS:  DRB  public review board meetings have been cancelled through April 1, 2020. Applications will be deferred in the order received until the next available meeting agenda. 

BOARD SUBMITTALS: Plans for future DRB meeting agendas will be accepted digitally; paper submittals will not be accepted. Applications and plans in PDF format should be submitted directly to the board administrator, David Meeks, via email.   Please note, 50MB is the maximum file size that can be received via email; contact staff directly to discuss larger files.

The Department of Planning, Preservation & Sustainability will update our operations as conditions change. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this challenging period.

DESIGN REVIEW BOARD 

Regular Meetings

  • 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month
  • 2 George Street
    1st Floor, Public Meeting Room 1403
    Charleston, SC 29403

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings and results are available following the meetings.
Most recent agenda (PDF) | View all agendas and results

Overview

The purpose of Design Review is "to establish a review process that will protect and improve the visual and aesthetic character and economic value" of development within the City of Charleston.

DRB reviews new construction, exterior alterations, and signage for commercial or non-residential (more than eight multi-family units) projects where the property lies within the designated corridors (see DRB List of Corridors (PDF)). Projects that are less than 3,000 square feet, with certain restrictions, may be reviewed at Staff level and are not required to go before the Board.

Applying

To apply, submit a completed application, along with the required information and fee, to the Board of Architectural Review (BAR)/DRB counter of the:
Permit Center
2 George Street
1st Floor
Charleston, SC 29403

Applications are due by Noon on the deadline date. Further information regarding DRB applications, submittal requirements, meeting and fee schedules, general guidelines, etc, may be downloaded or may be found at the Permit Center.

Related Documents

DRB Information

Submittal Requirements

 Policy Statements

 Permit Center 

  • Permit Center Page
  • Hours of Operation
    Monday through Friday
    8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Closed every 3rd Tuesday of each month 3 to 5 p.m.
    Closed Saturday and Sunday.
  • Includes permit issuance, business licensing, BAR, DRB, Zoning, and code review