CNSR Frequently Asked Questions

County non-standard roads are a class of roads formerly known as community roads, which are being brought into the County maintenance system as directed by Charleston County Council.

On December 6, 2011, Charleston County Council rescinded the Charleston County Community Road Policy of April 1965. The roads on the community roads list will be considered public and staff will bring them into the County maintenance system.

In order for the road to receive regular public maintenance, it has to be a public road with a public right-of-way.

Yes, County Council voted to approve this at their meeting on December 6, 2011. They have been briefed several times since.

In general, the minimum right-of-way width shall be the width of the traveled way plus 5 feet on either side of the road.

Yes, there are approximately 300 community roads that have been brought into the new non-standard category.

You and your neighbors should notify the Department of Public Works in writing that you do not want to participate, but this does not guarantee removal of your road from our system. County Council will ultimately decide. Remember, the County was asked to maintain the road by the residents and has maintained it for over 20 years.

Charleston County Public Works Department will cease any and all maintenance operations immediately on your road. In addition, Charleston County will declare your road as private, thus ending its current designation of your road as public and making all further maintenance of the road the owners' responsibility.

Initially, no. Future improvements may provide an opportunity to change the alignment and/or locations of the road.

Since the road is a public road and a part of the Charleston County Road System, there are opportunities for the road to be improved. Each road will be evaluated based on its individual characteristics. Improvements, such as fixing drainage problems, removing ruts, and cutting back vegetation, will be undertaken as they can be scheduled by the maintenance staff. Major improvements will be prioritized and compete for funding.

Improvements to your road include repairs to the roadbed; removing washboards; hauling in and compacting sand and gravel to improve drainage; cutting back vegetation (obstructing travel way); improving the drainage system; and other maintenance improvements that can be reasonably and efficiently accomplished. Major improvements such as rocking, paving, and widening will require separate funding and Council's approval.

Road improvements will come as time and resources allow. Before any improvements can begin we must first collect data on these roads, and report this data to County Council. The process of data collection, assessment, and, finally, improvements will be completed over the coming years.

Work will generally be performed during normal business hours, 7:00am - 5:00pm Some improvements may be scheduled for alternative hours and residents will be notified.

We will strive to keep the road accessible. Depending on the activity, there is a possibility of delays when driving down the road.

The County has identified your parcel as property that may or may not be affected by the new road classification regardless if it is developed or not.

Your parcel may be located between two roads identified as community roads under the previous road category and may be affected by the two roads entering into the new County Non-Standard Road Program. If you have questions, please call (843)745-8816.