7-5.1.

PURPOSE.

a.

To provide a district for general commercial and related uses.

b.

Commercial districts should have access from major traffic arteries; however, it is not the intent of this ordinance to encourage the development of long, narrow strips of commercial development fronting on major arteries, often referred to as "strip commercial" areas. Strip commercial development leads to the eventual formation of commercial slums, damages the traffic carrying capacity of streets, increases congestion, is often incompatible with adjacent residential uses, frequently leads to depreciation of property values in adjacent residential areas, encourages undue scatteration of commercial facilities to the inconvenience of the public, and creates disproportionate costs in the provision of governmental services.

c.

Extensions of commercial zoning via amendments to this ordinance should be made principally for the provision of planned, unified commercial areas, and not in such a way that strip commercial areas are encouraged. Extension of commercial zoning should only be made after careful consideration of compatibility with adjacent uses, the need for additional commercial facilities, and whether or not other land is available which is already zoned for commercial use.

7-5.2.

PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES AND STRUCTURES.

a.

Banks and other financial institutions;

b.

Service establishments — personal, business, professional and repair;

c.

Commercial recreational facilities and uses excepting video poker and other similar establishments;

d.

Clubs, lodges, museums and related cultural establishments;

e.

Restaurant establishments including drive-in facilities;

f.

Retail establishments;

g.

Wholesale establishments;

h.

Hotels and motels;

i.

Passenger Terminals

j.

Offices — business, professional, governmental;

k.

Public buildings and land uses;

l.

Printing establishments;

m.

T.V. and radio studios;

n.

Animal hospitals and veterinary clinics;

o.

Farm equipment sales and services;

p.

Automobile servicing and repair;

q.

Parking lots and garages;

r.

High-rise buildings subject to the provisions of Section 8-3;

s.

Public drinking places, subject to the following provisions:

i.

Lots used as public drinking places shall not be located closer than six hundred (600) feet from any lot which contains a school or place of worship;

ii.

The hours of operation shall be no later than 11:00 o'clock p.m. when such establishment is located within 600 feet of a residential zone;

iii.

One (1) off-street parking space shall be provided for each fifty (50) square feet of gross floor area for public use;

iv.

Adequate ingress and egress shall be provided;

t.

Cemeteries;

u.

Funeral homes.

(Ord. of 8-11-1997; Ord. of 9-9-2002; Ord. of 1-14-2008)

7-5.3.

PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES AND STRUCTURES.

All use permitted in the C-2 Office and Institutional Commercial District, excluding the residential use, are permitted, in addition to the following:

a.

Solar energy systems.

b.

Garage sales subject to the provisions of Article 8-8.

c.

Satellite dish antennae subject to the requirements of Section 8-10.

d.

Home Occupations subject to the provisions of Article 8-5.

e.

Other structures and uses which:

i.

Are customarily accessory and clearly incidental and subordinate to permitted uses and structures.

ii.

Do not involve the conduct of trade on the premises other than permitted as a principal use.

iii.

Are located on the same lot as the permitted principal use or structure, or on a contiguous lot in the same ownership.

iv.

Are not likely to attract visitors in larger numbers than would be expected in the neighborhood.

7-5.4.

PERMITTED SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS.

a.

Dwelling unit(s), provided all following conditions are met:

(1)

Dwelling unit(s) must be on a level above the grade level floor.

(2)

Dwelling unit(s) must have access to a street as required by building and fire codes.

b.

Wholesaling or distribution establishments.

c.

Storage yards for permitted uses but not junk yards or recycling facilities.

d.

Light manufacturing uses such as a bakery, dairy products processing, soft-drink bottling, dry cleaning plant, and electronic production.

e.

Public utilities, transformer stations, water tanks and towers, electrical transmission lines and towers, communication towers, telephone exchanges with no vehicles or equipment stored on the premises, subject to the height requirements of Section 6-9.

(Ord. of 1-8-2007)

7-5.5.

PROHIBITED USES AND STRUCTURES.

a.

Any use other than as provided under "Permitted Principal Uses and structures" or "Permitted Accessory Uses and Structures," or as permitted in connection with "Special Exceptions."

b.

Dwellings, except as provided under "Permitted Special Exceptions."

c.

Any outside storage or new or used building materials, or for any scrap or salvage operations, or for storage or display of any scrap, salvage or second-hand materials.

d.

Truck terminals and warehouses for storage of wares in connection with wholesale or distribution of operations; storage of distribution centers for bulk petroleum products.

e.

Outdoor storage of flammable liquids.

7-5.6.

MINIMUM LOT AREA AND WIDTH.

For all permitted or permissible uses and structures, no minimum lot area is required except as needed to meet other requirements herein.

7-5.7.

MINIMUM SETBACK REQUIREMENTS.

The depth of front and rear setbacks, and the width of side setbacks shall be as follows for all permitted or permissible structures, unless otherwise specified:

(1)

Front Yard: 20 feet.

(2)

Side Yard: 3 feet.*

* Note—No yard setback is required if building is constructed to lot line, otherwise the setback must be at least three (3) feet.

(3)

Rear Yard: 15 feet.

7-5.8.

MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE BY ALL BUILDINGS.

For all permitted or permissible uses and structures, no maximum lot coverage is required.

7-5.9.

HEIGHT OF STRUCTURES.

No portion of any building shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height, nor may accessory structures exceed the height of the principal structure.

7-5.10.

MINIMUM OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING REQUIREMENTS.

Off-street parking an loading requirements are set forth in Article 6.

7-5.11.

SIGNS.

Signs are permitted in the C-1 District as in accordance with provisions of Article 9.

7-5.12.

PROMENADE.

Definition of the Promenade includes:

1.

U.S Highway #1 from Main Street in the Leesville District to Pine Street in the Batesburg District.

2.

S.C Highway #23 from Main Street in the Leesville District to Pine Street in the Batesburg District.

a.

These requirements apply to any C-1 properties located along the Promenade area as well as any properties transitioning to C-1.

b.

Requirements:

1.

As the town and promenade grow, sidewalks should be consistent in size with a design of brick ribbons and handicapped ramps at curb cuts with skid plats to provide safe pedestrian travel. New businesses, renovation projects, and refurbishing projects would adhere to the requirements. The Zoning Administrator would have the authority to enforce, alter or wave certain parts of these requirements.

2.

Decorative streetlights consistent with current lights installed in the most recent streetscape project would be required. Electrical components and installation would be furnished by the property owner and/or SCE&G with the town supply the new streetlight and fixture a determining the location thereof.

3.

A promenade society would be established to work with the town to promote and maintain the corridor. The society would be comprised of business owners and residence owners along the promenade, as well as persons interested in beautification of our town and making the promenade a scenic corridor. Promoting the area would include such things as historical markers or other points of interest to the community. The society would also coordinate with the Chamber of Commerce Merchants Association and the town to secure grants as a continuous work-in-progress to enhance the corridor.

(Ord. of 5-10-2010)