Planned developments (PDs) are developments having a mix of uses that are planned and developed under unified control and following more flexible standards and procedures to achieve innovative site design, improved appearance, greater compatibility of uses, increased preservation of natural and scenic features, improved service by community facilities, better functioning of vehicular access and circulation and otherwise higher quality development than could be achieved through base zoning district regulations. The purpose of this subchapter is to provide a uniform mechanism for amending the official zoning map to establish any of the planned development zoning districts established by this subchapter. The town wants to use these sparingly.

   (A)   Support a higher quality of life and achieve a higher quality of development, environmental sensitivity, energy efficiency and provision of public services;

   (B)   Reduce the inflexibility of zoning district standards that sometimes results from the strict application of the base district regulations and development standards established in this subchapter;

   (C)   To achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan by allowing flexibility in development that will exhibit innovative site planning for a mixture of residential, commercial and institutional uses as reflected in the planned development map, which becomes the zoning district map for the property;

   (D)   Allow greater freedom and flexibility in selecting:

      (1)   The form and design of development;

      (2)   The ways by which pedestrians, cyclists and vehicular traffic circulate;

      (3)   How the development will be located and designed to respect the natural features of the land and protect the environment;

      (4)   How to design amenities to be applied; and

      (5)   The location and integration of open space and civic space into the development.

   (E)   Preserve natural and scenic features;

   (F)   Encourage a greater mix of land uses within the same development, including a mix of nonresidential development, residential development, lot sizes and densities and intensities;

   (G)   Allow more efficient use of land, with smaller networks of streets and utilities;

   (H)   Provide pedestrian connections within the site and to the public right-of-way;

   (I)   Encourage the provision of centrally-located open space amenities on the site;

   (J)   Promote development forms and patterns that respect the character of established surrounding neighborhoods and/or other types of land uses, and promote development form that respects and takes advantage of a site’s natural and human-made features, such as roadways, parks, ponds, wetlands, floodplains, trees and historic resources; and

   (K)   Promote better site design principles to conserve natural areas, including preservation of tree canopy, reduced use of impervious surfaces and better managed urban runoff into the Intercoastal Waterway.

(Ord. 20-8, passed 12-7-2000; Ord. 23-05, passed 6-1-2023)

   The procedures and standards in this section apply to the review of applications to amend the official zoning map to establish a planned development (PD) zoning district. A PD district is established by an amendment to the official zoning map to PD zoning district that is defined by a PD plan and a development agreement. Once the PD is approved, the applicant must receive approval for any site plans or subdivisions before development to ensure substantial compliance with the approved PD plan.

   (A)   Administrative procedures.

      (1)   Any request about the establishment of a planned development (PD) zoning district or changes to an existing PD district shall be considered an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance and be administered and processed accordingly per the provisions of this subchapter.

      (2)   All data about the PD shall be submitted to the Planning Commission for review, public hearing and recommendation, then forwarded to Town Council for final action. If approved by the Council, all information about the proposal shall be adopted as an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance, as the standards of development for that particular planned development district. If the owner or developer is not in agreement with the Planning Commission’s findings, they may request approval from the Town Council. A building or zoning permit shall not be issued for construction until a final plat for the PD phase in which the permit is being requested has been submitted to and approved by the Zoning Administrator.

   (B)   Standards for qualification as a planned development. Development proposed for a planned development (PD) shall meet certain basic standards to qualify for consistency with the intent of a planned development.

      (1)   Minimum size. The minimum size for a PD district shall be ten acres.

      (2)   Minimum width. The PD site must have a minimum width between any two opposite lines of 200 linear feet.

      (3)   Eligible street. The PD shall exit onto a major paved road or arterial and have a minimum frontage width on said arterial of 80 feet. A PD may not have the primary vehicular access point onto a local or unpaved street. Eligible streets for a PD primary frontage include, but may not be limited to:

         (a)   Highway 17;

         (b)   Doar Road;

         (c)   Seewee Road;

         (d)   Bulls Island Road;

         (e)   Broomstraw Hill Road;

         (f)   15 Mile Landing Road;

         (g)   Steed Creek Road;

         (h)   State Road S-10-98;

         (i)   I’on Swamp Road;

         (j)   White Road;

         (k)   Maxville Road;

         (l)   Porcher School Road;

         (m)   Alston Dingle Road;

         (n)   Louis McNeil Road;

         (o)   Thames Road;

         (p)   Jones Road;

         (q)   Union Road;

         (r)   Light Keepers Lane;

         (s)   Limehouse Road;

         (t)   Come About Way;

         (u)   Bulls Bay Boulevard;

         (v)   Guerin’s Bridge Road;

         (w)   Theodore Brunson Road;

         (x)   FS Road 5158;

         (y)   Flatfield Farm Road;

         (z)   Pointing Brittany Lane;

         (aa)   Cedar Plantation Lane;

         (bb)   Clayfield Road; and

         (cc)   FS Road 260-B.

      (4)   Mixed use standard. A PD shall demonstrate a mixed-use concept. The developer shall be responsible for illustrating how that shall be accomplished in order to meet the standard requirement.

      (5)   Minimum centrally-located open space required. A PD shall contain a minimum of 10% open space of net upland (developable) centrally-located open space. The space must be large and useable by the residents of the PD. Drainage ponds and wetlands may not qualify to meet this requirement.

      (6)   Minimum number of vehicular access points to the public road. The minimum number of vehicular access points to the public road is one per 150 parcels. A second access point may be required by the Planning Commission if it feels it will help alleviate a potential safety concern.

      (7)   Residential building types. A PD district may contain any mixture of residential building types including, but not limited to:

         (a)   Single-family detached large lot;

         (b)   Single-family detached small lot; and

         (c)   Duplex units.

      (8)   Maximum residential density. Four dwelling units per acre except within 300 feet of the OCRM critical line, where the maximum residential density shall be one unit per acre.

      (9)   Term. A PD shall stay in effect for five years from the date of Council adoption of the PD document.

      (10)   Minimum Intercoastal Waterway property impervious surface. Any PD property that is located within the first 300 feet from the OCRM critical line shall incorporate no more than 20% impervious surface, including roads, buildings and parking lots and any other paved surfaces.

      (11)   Traffic impact analysis. Any PD proposing more than 80 dwelling units shall prepare a traffic impact analysis.

      (12)   Clear cutting. Clear cutting of the existing pine tree canopy is strongly discouraged but may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if a 25-foot wide undisturbed buffer (except for required ingress and egress) is employed along all project exterior property lines; otherwise, clear-cutting is not allowed as part of the PD.

      (13)   Development impact fee. The town requires that a development impact fee of $3,000 per dwelling unit be paid to the town upon the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

      (14)   Development agreement. The Town Council may require the execution of a development agreement to establish other development conditions not covered in a PD document.

      (15)   Other provisions. Any other provisions the Town Council determines are relevant and necessary to the development of the planned development.

(Ord. 20-8, passed 12-7-2000; Ord. 23-05, passed 6-1-2023)

   (A)   Certain town-wide Zoning Ordinance standards may not be modified by the text of a planned development. These ordinances are important to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of the town. The Town Council may, at its sole discretion, require more stringent adherence to these controls.

   (B)   The following may not be modified by a property owner or developer in the PD:

      (1)   Sections 153.080 through 153.130;

      (2)   Sections 153.275 through 153.283;

      (3)   Sections 153.210 and 153.211;

      (4)   Sections 153.195 and 153.196;

      (5)   Sections 153.255 through 153.263;

      (6)   Section 153.302;

      (7)   Section 153.310; and

      (8)   Any other section having to do with life/safety (i.e., police, fire and building).

(Ord. 23-05, passed 6-1-2023)

   The project meets the requirements of S.C. Code § 6-29-720(C)(4) and § 6-29-740 of the South Carolina Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994, as amended.

(Ord. 23-05, passed 6-1-2023)

   The following are the required elements of the planned development document:

   (A)   The name of the planned development, not duplicating the name of any other planned development or subdivision, the final plat of which has been recorded in the town;

   (B)   A statement of the objective of the proposed development;

   (C)   The total acreage of the planned development broken down into total acreage, total highland acreage, total freshwater wetland acreage and total jurisdictional wetland or marsh area;

   (D)   A table of the proposed land uses including:

      (1)   A table of proposed maximum and average residential densities for each residential use;

      (2)   The maximum total acreage of each residential use; and

      (3)   The maximum allowable number of each type of residential dwelling unit requested.

   (E)   All dimensional and lot standards proposed, for each land use type designated;

   (F)   An analysis of the impact of the proposed development on existing public facilities and services (e.g., streets, water, sewer, stormwater and the like). Any proposed future improvements to these facilities and services to be made as part of the PD shall also be included;

   (G)   A traffic impact analysis (plus 80 dwelling units) that assesses the buildout impact on existing streets. On-site and off-site improvements recommended by the traffic analysis shall be included in the PD document;

   (H)   A development schedule with a generalized phasing schedule, if appropriate. The phasing schedule shall include the total number of dwelling units and the total acreage of each residential use, the total gross floor area of any nonresidential use and the percentage and acreage of open space to be included in each phase;

   (I)   A statement indicating how all roads and alleys will be owned and maintained;

   (J)   A detailed narrative statement defining the proposed stormwater system design approach and system integration within the proposed plan. The statement should include conceptual stormwater system design configuration, including site specific natural and human-made features (e.g., wetlands, ditches, ponds, rivers and the like) incorporated within the stormwater management system; system components; component purpose/function; stormwater system ownership; and party(ies) responsible for maintenance. A compliance statement is required referencing applicable State Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and the County Stormwater Program criteria;

   (K)   A statement of inclusion and compliance with processes included in the town’s municipal code that is not mentioned in the planned development guidelines;

   (L)   A statement of agreement to proceed with proposed development per the provisions of these zoning regulations, applicable provisions of the town’s Comprehensive Plan and with such conditions as may be attached to any rezoning to the applicable PD district; and

   (M)   Letters of coordination from all agencies from which the applicant must:

       (1)   Obtain permits; or

      (2)   Obtain services and/or facilities; and

      (3)   Any other information that the Zoning Administrator determines is necessary to determine whether or not an application complies with the standards established in this section.

(Ord. 23-05, passed 6-1-2023)

   The following shall be included in the proposed site master plan. Multiple site master plans may be submitted. Master plans shall be drawn to scale.

   (A)   The general location and amount of land proposed for each land use including single-family residential, industrial, institutional, office, commercial, common open space/recreation, street use and the like; plan shall be in full color;

   (B)   Conceptual lot/property lines;

   (C)   Pedestrian and motor traffic circulation;

   (D)   Location, acreage and type of all wetlands as they exist before development. The location and acreage of all wetlands to propose developed upon;

   (E)   A tree survey. Shall conform with the standards of the Zoning Ordinance;

   (F)   Colored architectural conceptual elevations for each type of residential and nonresidential unit;

   (G)   The general location, size and capacity of all existing and proposed water and sewer lines;

   (H)   Areas to be included in each phase of development, including the location of all common open space areas;

   (I)   The location of all construction entrances;

   (J)   A colored landscape master plan, including the location and composition of all screening and buffering materials as well as preserved hardwood trees;

   (K)   Stormwater plan to provide a graphic representation of existing and proposed stormwater system components and use best management practices that maximize on-site infiltration in smaller, more numerous ponds versus a large central pond;

   (L)   A utility plan with the location of any on-site natural areas, buffers, trees and sidewalks that may be impacted by utility facilities including the existing and proposed location of any easements or rights-of-way; and

   (M)   Any other information that the Zoning Administrator determines is necessary to determine whether the application complies with the standards established in this subchapter.

(Ord. 23-05, passed 6-1-2023)