Planning panel gives OK to open coffee shop on Fort Johnson Road

James Island residents Amanda and Ali Aydin have gotten unanimous approval from the Charleston Planning Commission to open a coffee shop on Fort Johnson Road next to James Island Charter High School.

The owners, who got the go-ahead from the panel last week, say they plan to open sometime this summer.

The zoning change for Fort Johnson Road still must be approved by Charleston City Council. The issue is expected to be heard at council's meeting Feb. 26.

The Aydins bought the building and surrounding 1.3 acres at 1014 Fort Johnson Road five months ago for $425,000 with a vision to open a coffee shop. The business tentatively will be named the Fort Johnson Coffee House and will be housed in the existing building on the site.

Ali Aydin said the garage on the back of the property will be torn down to make room for a parking area. He said the shop will be pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly and will incorporate as many "green" components as possible, including solar panels to generate electricity.

Amanda Aydin said she hopes it will be a true community coffee shop served by the sidewalks that are proposed for the length of Fort Johnson Road.

Charleston County RoadWise, the county's management program for construction projects funded by the half-cent sales tax, plans to install sidewalks from the Department of Natural Resources building at the end of Fort Johnson Road to James Island Charter High School.

According to Gaynelle Whittle-Shipp, project manager for the sidewalks, RoadWise is acquiring rights of way and looking at extending the sidewalk all the way to Folly Road. She said she hopes construction will begin sometime this year.

The Aydins needed the commission's approval to change the zoning on the property from planned unit development to commercial transitional zoning to open the coffee shop.

Christopher Morgan, planning division director with the city, told the commission that the commercial transitional zoning is the most restrictive in the city. He said the building had a varied history. It previously housed a restaurant, a store and an office. "Given the nature of the structure and past use, we felt it was appropriate (zoning); it's a very restrictive use," Morgan said.

Under the zoning, a restaurant or coffee shop on that site can be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., while a retail store can be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The building cannot have drive-through service, Morgan said.

While approval was unanimous, Commissioner Barbara Ellison said she was concerned about traffic.

"Fort Johnson Road is two lanes and doesn't have shoulders," Ellison said. "I'm concerned about cars backing out."

Amanda Aydin, a James Island native who attended James Island Charter High School, said the coffee shop is her husband's full-time project. She works as an account executive at Blackbaud on Daniel Island.