The purpose of this article is to address the unique needs of Mobile Home and Tiny Home Parks, in order that they may be considered a safe and healthy residential option to the residents of Lexington County.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

The regulations set forth herein shall apply to any property located within the jurisdiction of this Ordinance that is now or is proposed to be developed as a Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

Mobile Home activities, also defined as manufactured homes, are transportable dwellings intended for permanent residential occupancy that are built entirely in a factory under federal construction and safety standards administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). They may be single- or multi-section, and are transported to the site and installed. This activity shall not include modular residential construction, as defined within the South Carolina Modular Buildings Construction Act. Modular residential construction shall be included in the Residential Detached or Residential Attached activity types, as appropriate.

Mobile Home or Tiny Home Parks Three or more mobile homes, tiny homes, mobile home spaces, or tiny home spaces that are located within 1,000 feet of one another and operated in any coordinated manner. The park may be located on a single parcel, or multiple parcels in the same or different ownership. For the purpose of this Ordinance, three mobile homes and/or tiny homes shall not be considered a mobile home or tiny home park if one of the three mobile homes and/or tiny homes are occupied by the property owner and is their legal residence. Additional mobile homes or tiny homes may be allowed by the Zoning Administrator without creating a mobile home or tiny home park, provided the mobile home or tiny is to be the primary residence for an immediate family member with special needs (i.e., disabled, handicapped, elderly, ill, or other special/dire circumstance) and other requirements of the Ordinance are met. Immediate family members may include grandparents, parents, spouses, siblings, children, grandchildren, and/or legal guardians. At such time the additional home is no longer utilized to house an immediate family member with special needs, the mobile home or tiny home must either be removed from the site within 60 days or the property(s) shall conform to the current requirements for a mobile home or tiny home park land use.

Mobile Home or Tiny Home Parks (Limited) The minimum size of an individual mobile home space in this type of development is 20,000 square feet.

Mobile Home or Tiny Parks (Extensive) The minimum size of an individual mobile home space in this type of development is 6000 square feet.

Tiny Home activities are typically single-family type units, which may also be used for rental communities, which are generally 400 square feet of less in size, excluding lofts. Tiny home construction/manufacturing may consist as a site-built/stick built structure, modular unit, manufactured home (reference "Mobile Home"), recreational vehicle, or park model. Regardless of construction, Tiny Home land uses shall be regulated as an individual land use activity. Tiny Home subdivisions shall also comply with all standards for Mobile Home and Tiny Home Parks, as regulated within Article 7 of this Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

Upon the effective date of these regulations, Mobile Home or Tiny Home Parks can be developed or expanded only in accordance with the applicable restrictions contained herein. Legally nonconforming Mobile Home or Tiny Home Parks are subject to the provisions found in Article 16.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

71.41 A request for a permit for a mobile home or tiny home park will require special exception approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals. The basis for such approval is a demonstration by the applicant that the owner/operator can operate the mobile home or tiny home park in a manner that addresses the unique conditions that are created by lease or rental habitation. It will be the responsibility of the applicant to make evident to the Board that the following criteria can be met:

a.

As demonstration that the day-to-day operations of the mobile home or tiny home park addresses the unique conditions of a lease or rental community, the applicant must demonstrate the ability to effectively manage the park;

b.

As demonstration that the mobile home or tiny home park community will be harmonious with the surrounding properties, the appropriate Buffering Restrictions, General Requirements and Performance Standards will be provided, if applicable; and

c.

As assistance to the traveling public and public safety response agencies, adequate identification of the mobile home park will be provided. For E911 purposes, the name and addressing of the Mobile Home Park shall be approved by the Lexington County Planning and GIS Department.

71.42 For the Board to rule on a mobile home park special exception request based on these criteria, the following information must be submitted for consideration with the application:

a.

One way to demonstrate the ability to manage the park is to submit a management plan. Such a plan could address such things as group gatherings, parking, care and control of household animals, traffic controls, disposal of household and other waste, grounds keeping, and mobile home maintenance;

b.

A detailed site plan showing the buffering restrictions, parking, driveways, spacing and density shall be required, drawn in accordance with provisions published by the Board of Zoning Appeals; and

c.

A plan for mobile home or tiny home park identification signage and identification of the individual mobile homes in accordance with the Addressing and Road Naming Ordinance will be required.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

It shall be the sole responsibility of a Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park owner to establish and operate a Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park in accordance with the regulations as set forth in this article. The zoning permit shall be issued on the basis of compliance with both these regulations and the regulations that are contained within South Carolina DHEC Regulation 61.40, and is considered a "permit to operate" by Lexington County.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

All existing mobile home or tiny home parks should have an appropriately prepared site plan that includes but is not limited to spaces, driveways, space numbers and/or addresses, parking and spacing between homes and boundaries of the park to assist in the issuance of permits and to aid park owners in achieving future compliance with Article 16.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

The Zoning Administrator, upon sixty days notice, may withdraw a zoning permit issued to the Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park owner and require the park to cease operation. Other enforcement procedures are found elsewhere in this Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

All new or expanding Mobile Home or Tiny Home Parks must adhere to any applicable Federal, State, or County regulations or guidelines, including but not limited to SCDHEC Regulations, the Addressing and Road Naming Ordinances, the International Building and Residential Codes, the Assessor's Mobile Home Registration process, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) registration process, and the Auditor's Office registration process.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

All driveways which provide access to any activities within a Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park shall adhere to the following guidelines:

a.

Driveways shall be a minimum of 18 feet in width, exclusive of parking.

b.

All driveways shall be constructed in the following manner:

1.

All unpaved driveways shall meet the minimum road design criteria as stated in the Private Road Policy adopted by the Lexington County Planning Commission. If the unpaved driveway connects to a paved road, a paved apron 50 feet in length measured from the existing pavement and with the appropriate intersection radii width must be provided. A maximum of 25 mobile home or tiny home spaces may access one unpaved driveway.

2.

Paved driveways shall meet all the applicable paved road design standards established by Lexington County, with the exception of roadway width.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

The density of a mobile home or tiny home park shall comply with Section 22.30 and the design standards of this article.

A mobile home or Tiny Home space is the leasable area or lot provided to an individual tenant. In a Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park (Extensive) each space shall have a minimum area of 6,000 square feet, and shall be a minimum average width of 50 feet. In a Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park (Limited) each space shall have a minimum area of 20,000 square feet, and shall also be a minimum average width of 75 feet. The mobile home or tiny home space shall be exclusive of the prescribed buffer area, and all mobile home or tiny home spaces shall be clearly delineated by fencing, vegetation, or other substantial means. The delineation of the spaces may be waived by the Board of Zoning Appeals if the park owner can demonstrate that maintenance and upkeep of the park will not suffer for lack of this measure. Even if the space delineation is waived, the prescribed buffer area must still be delineated to protect the required inactive character of that area.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

There shall be a minimum of 30 feet between any two mobile homes and/or tiny homes, or any mobile home/tiny home and a common building (laundry, etc.). Where entrances/exists of mobile homes or tiny homes do not face each other, the minimum setback may be 10 feet from the mobile home or tiny home space delineation line. Accessory structures for individual mobile homes or tiny homes shall be located a minimum of 6 feet from any adjoining mobile home or tiny home.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

A minimum of two parking spaces, exclusive of the common Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park driveway(s), shall be provided per mobile home or tiny home space. Parking of recreational vehicles and craft must be exclusive of the minimum two parking spaces for the mobile home or tiny home and may not encroach the driveway area for the Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

All grounds, common buildings, and homes located within Mobile Home or Tiny Home Parks are to be maintained in a clean, sanitary and safe manner. The mobile home or tiny home spaces shall be kept clear of accumulation, refuse, debris, garbage, and unnecessary clutter, and all garbage and refuse shall be stored, collected and disposed of in a centralized and totally screened garbage collection area, such as a dumpster, in a manner as not to create a nuisance, vector attractant, breeding or harborage problem. Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park grounds shall be maintained in a groomed and evenly mowed condition and not allowed to grow uncontrolled, landscaped areas shall be properly maintained, and dead and/or dying trees that are deemed hazardous to pedestrians and property must be removed immediately. All mobile home units and common buildings shall be maintained and kept free of deterioration, rotting materials, graffiti, rust, tearing, holes, breaks, or other forms of structural disrepair. Tenants within Mobile Home or Tiny Home Parks are prohibited from storing un-registered vehicles and/or vehicles under repair for longer than 30 days on-site.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)

Each Mobile Home or Tiny Home Park shall adhere to the buffering restrictions covering height regulations, buffers, setbacks, and screening as outlined in Chapter 3 of Article 2.

(Ord. No. 23-17, 6-25-2024)