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The Dorchester County Planning Commission will host five workshops throughout rural Dorchester County in January.  The purpose is to learn citizens’ opinions on its revised rural zoning strategy.  The Planning Commission invites you to participate.

“Zoning” guides the use of land. In towns and suburbs, zoning protects neighborhoods from traffic, noise, odor, and light generated by commerce and industry. Zoning can also prevent an apartment complex from locating on a narrow street with inadequate utilities.

Zoning has been in place throughout rural Dorchester County for much of the past two decades.  Rural Dorchester County is zoned “Absence of Controls.” This “Absence of Controls” zoning regulated only adult businesses at first.  Over time, building setbacks and minimum lot sizes were added.  

In November 2010, County Council added a requirement for most commercial uses to gain approval on a case-by-case basis. Since then, owners of small and large businesses alike have appeared before the County’s Board of Zoning Appeals for a “special exception” to operate in AC zoning districts of Dorchester County.  

County Council required case-by-case review of commercial uses in light of residents’ complaints. Rural Dorchester County residents are increasingly concerned that large commercial uses are interfering with their rights to use, enjoy, or sell their property.  

Zoning presents an opportunity to lessen negative impacts of “incompatible uses.” New businesses can implement zoning standards that will reduce negative impacts, such as traffic, light, and noise, on neighbors. A couple of examples of these standards are that a new commercial operation might need to choose a larger site and might be required to maintain an existing tree line on that site to screen the building from neighboring homes.

In rural areas, agricultural uses of land must be prioritized. Zoning also presents an opportunity to protect farms and timber harvests from the complaints of neighbors in a residential subdivision. Just as in the previous example, an existing tree line inside the edge of a residential subdivision could serve as needed separation between agricultural operations and residential lots.

An update of the County zoning ordinance is among the stated objectives of the 2008 Dorchester County Comprehensive Plan. At that time, citizens indicated needs to limit encroachment of major land development into agricultural areas as well as to identify appropriate areas in which to attract large employers and industry.  The Comprehensive Plan recommends best practices for zoning strategies and is a guide for the current rural zoning strategy.

Right after County Council instituted its case-by-case review requirement for commercial uses in November 2010, the Dorchester County Planning Commission held a series of workshops about a rural zoning strategy.  Hundreds of citizens attended these workshops to review and comment on it. This valuable input has significantly reshaped the Commission’s strategy.

The most frequently voiced concerns in the 2010 workshops related to strict limits on residential density and subdivision of land.  To investigate this and other concerns, the Planning Commission assembled a working group of citizens with both, roots in rural and western Dorchester County and expertise related to the use and development of land.  The working group met monthly throughout 2011 to reshape a rural zoning strategy that works for Dorchester County.  This working group forwarded its recommendations to the Planning Commission in October 2010.  

Additional important points raised during public workshops and meetings – and resulting revisions – are these:

• The rural zoning strategy must be simplified.  The revised strategy includes just three zoning districts.

• The proposed zoning map must be easier to grasp.  In the revised strategy, communities like Grover and Dorchester are located in “Crossroads” zoning districts.  Large current and future tracts for major employers like Giant and Showa Denko are shown in Rural Economic Development districts.  The majority of rural areas are classified in Base Rural zoning that is similar to the current AC zoning, but without a requirement for case-by-case review.

• Uses tied to the land – farming, forestry, and mining – should not be regulated by Dorchester County.

• Commercial operations that follow guidelines as responsible neighbors are permissible and beneficial to the county.

• While higher standards for large commercial operations would be advantageous, home-based businesses must not be held to the same standards.  A rural home-based business, called a “cottage industry” to differentiate from a home office, is specified for the first time.

• Strict limits on minor subdivisions of land must be deleted.

• A “family subdivision” is a regular occurrence and must not be subject to strict limitations or costly engineering requirements.  For instance, a man with 7 acres must be able to subdivide and give a 1-acre home-site to his son.  

• “Heirs’ property” is commonly residential property in rural Dorchester County.  Heirs – often adult siblings and cousins who cannot legally subdivide their land – must be allowed to place more than one home on a parcel of land.

Those attending the 2010 public workshops asked important questions about how zoning would affect them.  First, any change in zoning initiated by the County will have no impact on property taxes.  The County will not simultaneously change your zoning classification and increase your taxes.  Likewise, no property will be specifically designated “commercial” versus “residential” in this zoning proposal.  Your tax rate is not changing.

Second, zoning standards apply to new uses and development.  No existing landowners will be expected to bring their property into compliance just because the County updates its standards.  All existing businesses will continue to operate as normal when the County zoning ordinance changes.  Similarly, the rural zoning strategy does not recommend any changes to requirements for mobile homes.  No one will contact you at your home or business to suggest you alter your property.

Finally, the rural zoning strategy is a proposal.  Nothing has been finalized or implemented.  Formal consideration of the strategy for adoption by County ordinance would occur after the aforementioned public workshops.  The proposal is likely to change in response to public input received at these workshops.

Your input is needed! Please attend to learn more.  The Dorchester County Planning Commission would like to hear your opinion, whether you are for or against zoning, in general, or the rural zoning strategy in particular.  

The five workshops are scheduled at schools and churches across the county in January.  Cafeterias, gymnasiums, and fellowship halls with ample space for everyone will open from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a two-part program.  First, regional planners from the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments will introduce and explain the rural zoning strategy.  Second, these planners and County staff will be available to discuss with you, one-on-one, what the strategy means for your property.  Maps, zoning text, and supporting materials will be available.  

Please also watch your postal mail for a postcard about the workshops.  One is sent to all affected rural landowners!  The postcard notes workshop dates and locations and identifies property affected.  Bringing your postcard to a workshop can help staff identify your property on the maps.

The five dates and locations are as follows.  Dorchester County Planning Commissioners and staff alike look forward to seeing you at one of them!  

January 9: Sand Hill United Methodist Church Life Center, 1961 Summers Drive, Ridgeville

January 10: Givhans Alternative School, 273 Highway 61, Ridgeville

January 23: Woodland High School, 4128 Highway 78, Dorchester

January 30: Harleyville-Ridgeville Elementary School, 1650 East Main Street, Dorchester

January 31: Reevesville Baptist Church, 306 Rigby Street, Reevesville

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact the Dorchester County Planning & Zoning office with questions about these workshops at (843) 563-0020.  You may also visit us at 500 North Main Street in Summerville.  We’ll be happy to help you.

 

Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments planners presented the above draft map to the Planning Commission at its October 2011 meeting.  The map illustrates zoning districts for three proposed zoning classifications. “Crossroads” districts appear in red.  Purple shows Rural Economic Development districts.  Base Rural zoning districts are rendered in light green.  The other colors represent points of reference; I-26 (yellow), Edisto River (blue), Harleyville (gray), and Brosnan Forest (dark green) are examples of reference points depicted. (This map is just one example of several graphics to be on display at public workshops.)

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