(A)

The following districts are hereby established.

(B)

No amendment shall be initiated which would create a new zoning district with an area of less than two acres. This minimum does not apply to the extension of an existing district, or the addition of NC or OC Districts adjacent to a GC District.

(Ord. No. 5.202, 11-24-1981; Ord. No. 5.291, 8-29-2005; Ord. No. 5.315, 6-30-2008; Ord. No. 5.318, 7-28-2008; Ord. No. 2012.007, 12-17-2012; Ord. No. 2015.002, 4-27-2015)

Cross reference— Penalty, see § 155.999.

(A)

Purpose. The zoning districts established in this chapter are for the purposes of guiding development in accordance with existing and future needs and promoting public health, safety, morals, convenience, order, appearance, prosperity and general welfare, and all of the purposes set forth in S.C. Code § 6-29-710. The following statement of intent shall be used in interpretation and application of the district regulations.

(B)

Intent. The residential district regulations are designed to encourage a stable and healthy environment for residential purposes, and to discourage encroachment by commercial, industrial or other uses adversely affecting the residential character of the district.

(C)

Districts.

(1)

D-1 development district. This district is intended to provide for large tracts of land located primarily on the fringe of urban growth where the predominant character of urban development has not yet been fully established, but where the current characteristics of use are predominantly residential or agricultural with scattered related uses. It is further recognized that future demand for developable land will generate requests for amendments in zone designations to remove land from the D-1 classification and place it into other more intensely developed classifications as a natural consequence of urban expansion.

(2)

RE rural estate district. This zoning district is intended to include areas with large lot sizes to accommodate residential and equestrian estate type development.

(3)

RU rural district. This zoning district is intended to include areas with acreage tracts in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry with pastures, barns, barnyards, corrals, pens and associated facilities. Residential uses include manufactured homes on individual lots and limited commercial and service establishments are permitted.

(4)

R-40 low density residential district. This zoning district is intended to include large lot (minimum of one acre) residential subdivisions. The district would also permit uses compatible with these residential areas. Developments in this zoning district may or may not be served by public water or public sewer systems.

(5)

R-20 low density single-family residential district. This zoning district is intended to include low density residential subdivisions with lot sizes of 20,000 square feet or larger. Developments in this zoning district would be served by public water and/or public sewer systems. Permitted uses are the same as those permitted in the R-40 zoning district.

(6)

R-12 single-family residential district. R-12 districts are intended to be single-family residential areas with detached units and low population densities. Use regulations allow limited nonresidential use which are compatible with the character of the district.

(7)

R-8 one- and two-family residential district. R-8 districts are intended for one- and two-family detached units and low to medium population density. Uses include those in R-12 districts plus rooming and boarding houses, garage apartments, duplexes and manufactured homes with permanent foundations on single lots. Certain uses to serve governmental, recreational and religious needs are permitted. The regulations are designed to encourage a stable and healthy environment for one- and two-family dwellings, and to discourage encroachment by commercial, industrial or other uses adversely affecting the residential character of the district.

(8)

R-5 general residential district. This district is intended for high density residential purposes, including single-family detached units, duplexes, multi-family units and manufactured homes on individual lots. Mobile home parks are permitted as special exceptions upon approval of the board of zoning appeals. Certain uses to serve governmental, recreational and religious needs are permitted.

(9)

NO neighborhood office district. As the least intense commercial zoning district, NO neighborhood office is intended to provide a mix of light-intensity office and civic uses and medium-intensity residential uses. Retail uses are restricted so as to facilitate location compatibility with adjacent low-density residential districts.

(10)

NC neighborhood commercial district. This district is intended to provide a mix of light-intensity office, civic, and retail uses, along with medium-intensity residential uses. Compared to the NO neighborhood office district, the NC neighborhood commercial district allows larger commercial floor areas and adds a variety of retail and personal service uses. However, commercial hours of operation are limited to facilitate location compatibility with nearby low-density residential districts.

(11)

MO multi-neighborhood office district. This district is intended to provide a mix of medium-intensity office, civic, and residential uses. Compared to the NC neighborhood commercial district, the MO multi-neighborhood office district allows larger commercial floor areas. However, retail uses are restricted so as to facilitate location compatibility with adjacent medium-density residential districts.

(12)

MC multi-neighborhood commercial district. This district is intended to provide a mix of medium-intensity office, civic, and retail uses, along with medium-intensity residential uses. Compared to the MO multi-neighborhood office district, the MC multi-neighborhood commercial district allows larger commercial floor areas and adds a wide variety of retail and personal service uses.

(13)

TC town center district. This district is intended to provide the principal focal point of the entire community, with a vibrant mix of retail, service, office, restaurant, entertainment, cultural, civic, government, and residential uses. Land use intensities are heavy for office, civic, and residential uses. Compared to the MC multi-neighborhood commercial district, the TC town center district allows larger commercial floor areas and a wider variety of retail uses, but retail land use is not as intense as in the CC community commercial district.

(14)

CC community commercial district. This district is intended to provide a mix of heavy-intensity office, civic, retail, and residential uses. Compared to the TC town center district, the CC community commercial district allows the largest and most intense commercial uses.

(15)

AO architectural overlay district. This zoning district is intended to require the review and receipt of a certificate of appropriateness from the board of architectural review for new construction, major improvement, or exterior alteration of existing structures which meet the requirements for review. It is intended to promote the development of aesthetically pleasing commercial areas which invite business establishments and will attract resident and visitor patronage. The architectural overlay district includes all property within the NO neighborhood office, NC neighborhood commercial, MO multi-neighborhood office, MC multi-neighborhood commercial, TC town center, and CC community commercial zoning districts. The architectural overlay district also includes the commercial land uses within a PD planned development district.

(16)

LIRP light industrial research park zoning district.

(a)

The provisions in this zoning district are intended to attract facilities that:

1.

Are sensitive to the environment;

2.

Provide high paying, long-term job activities;

3.

Whose management and employees will be involved in community activities;

4.

Will use knowledge available at the research universities; and

5.

Will establish symbolic relationships with other industries in the area.

(b)

Industries involved in manufacturing processes are strongly encouraged to seek the most current ISO 14001 or better environmental management systems certification.

(c)

Development in this district may include, but are not limited to, properties used for offices; clean non-polluting light manufacturing; laboratories, prototype manufacturing, research and development activities; software development; distribution; training facilities; and other similar uses.

(d)

Ancillary facilities may include restaurants and cafeterias, day care facilities, recreation facilities, parking decks, and similar facilities for the benefit of employees and businesses.

(17)

LI limited industrial district. This district is intended to permit light industrial and commercial uses which do not create nuisances by noise or emissions beyond the premises.

(18)

LI-2 limited industrial 2 district. This district allows a wider variety and greater intensity of manufacturing uses than the LI limited industrial district, but not the most intense manufacturing uses of the BI basic industrial district.

(19)

BI basic industrial district. This district is established for a wide variety of industrial uses involving research, manufacturing, processing, assembly, storage, landfill, mining and all uses permitted in the LI district.

(20)

PD planned development district.

(a)

This district designates an area for which an approved development plan constitutes the district regulations.

(b)

It is intended to utilize the factors of efficiency, economy, flexibility, creative site design, improved appearance, compatibility of mixed uses, maximum benefits from open space, safe and efficient vehicular and pedestrian access for a development characterized by a unified site design for mixed uses.

(c)

A planned development district may be predominately residential or predominately commercial.

(Ord. No. 5.202, 11-24-1981; Ord. No. 5.318, 7-28-2008; Ord. No. 5.369, 7-28-2009; Ord. No. 10.014, 5-24-2010; Ord. No. 2012.007, 12-17-2012; Ord. No. 2015.002, 4-27-2015)

Cross reference— Penalty, see § 155.999.

The boundaries of the zoning districts established by this chapter are hereby established on a map entitled Zoning Map of the Town of Blythewood, S.C., which map is declared to be a part of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 5.202, 11-24-1981)

The official zoning map shall be maintained in the office of the zoning administrator. A duplicate official zoning map shall be kept in the office of the town clerk. All zoning district boundaries shall be clearly shown on the zoning map, and amendments shall be recorded immediately after adoption. The official copies of the zoning map shall be dated and attested by the town clerk, and shall be available for public inspection. The official zoning map and any amendments adopted by town council shall constitute the final authority for determination of zoning district boundaries. It shall be unlawful for any person to make unauthorized changes to the zoning map.

(Ord. No. 5.202, 11-24-1981)

Where uncertainty exists as to the boundaries of any zoning district, the following general rules of interpretation shall apply. It is the duty of the zoning administrator to interpret the location of zoning district boundaries. An appeal from an interpretation of finding of the zoning administrator may be taken to the zoning board of appeals as specified in section 155.465 et seq.

(A)

District boundaries indicated as approximately following the center lines of streets, highways or alleys shall be construed to follow the center lines.

(B)

District boundaries indicated as approximately following platted lot lines shall be construed as following lot lines.

(C)

District boundaries indicated as approximately following town limits shall be construed as following the town limits.

(D)

District boundaries indicated as following railroad lines shall be construed to be midway between the main tracks.

(E)

District boundaries indicated as following center lines of stream beds or other bodies of water shall be construed to follow the center lines.

(F)

Supplementary floodplain and floodway boundaries indicated as following the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 100-year floodplain line or the floodway line shall be construed to follow the lines.

(G)

District boundaries indicated as approximately parallel to, or extensions of features indicated in the subsections above shall be so construed and at a distance therefrom as indicated on the official copy of the zoning map. Distances not specifically indicated on the official copy of the zoning map shall be determined by the scale of the map.

(H)

Where a district boundary line as appearing on the zoning map divides a lot in single ownership at the time of adoption of this chapter or subsequent amendment into two different zoning districts, the district least restrictive in the opinion of the owner shall be deemed to apply to the whole thereof. Provided however, that in no case shall a zoning district boundary line dividing the lot be extended into either district in excess of 50 feet beyond the district boundary line dividing the lot.

(Ord. No. 5.202, 11-24-1981)

No structure or accessory use may be placed, structurally altered, or have a change in use where the structure or use is or would be included within two or more zoning districts unless the structure or use conforms to the requirements of all applicable district regulations.

(Ord. No. 5.202, 11-24-1981)

Cross reference— Penalty, see § 155.999.