Coalition to Develop Anderson County Responsibly

Oconee county is getting thing right. Great jobs. Great company. Great salaries. No FILOT. This company is paying ad valorem taxes. Tell us again Anderson County Council why companies won’t come here without huge tax breaks?

Ok, the zoning posts have so many people commenting that simply dont understand zoning, what it is, how it works and that it protects property owners. People saying “no one is telling me what I can do on my private property,” and “I don’t want an HOA.”

Let me properly address theses concerns with a photo for attention that many have said they don’t want, so hopefully it doesn’t upset so many people.

First, the HOA argument. Zoning is not an HOA. Not even close. Don’t want an HOA, don’t live in a neighborhood that has one. Easy. But HOA’s have nothing to do with zoning or how it works.

Now, on to the “nobody is telling me…” camp. If you believe that by being in an unzoned area you have no restrictions on the use of your land, you are simply wrong. The CURRENT Land Use Development Standards Ordinance has plenty. You should read chapter 24 of that document, available on the county website. Since I know most of you will not do anything like that, here are just a few of the restrictions placed on your UNZONED property.

1. Minimum lot size. For a well and septic tank, lot size is minimum 1 acre. Septic and public water, 25,000 sqft min.

Mandatory Structural Setbacks. You cannot build any closer than 30 feet to the road RIGHT OF WAY.

You cannot add a commercial driveway anywhere you like.

No property owner can erect a fence, wall, or thick plant privacy screen between the heights of 2.5 feet and 10 feet within a designated "sight triangle" at road intersections or where a private drive meets a public road.

To expand an industrial development, you must have it approved by Anderson county development standards, even if your structure already exists.

Junk Vehicle and "Rubbish" Ordinances.
Code enforcement rules apply countywide, regardless of zoning. A property owner cannot accumulate "junk cars" (vehicles that are unregistered, untagged, or mechanically inoperable) or pile up exposed household rubbish and debris in a residential yard. Doing so triggers a public nuisance violation.

Again, these restrictions all apply to UN ZONED areas of the county. So to think if you don’t live in a zoned area, you can do anything you want with your land, you are simply wrong.

The LUDO is currently being reviewed by a third party consultant for change recommendations so some of this may change going forward, but not likely to remove any restrictions currently in place.

Thank you Upstate Forever for your tireless work protecting SC!

Concerned about growth in Anderson County? Attend the Public Open House tomorrow, Wednesday, May 27, from 4 PM to 6 PM at the Civic Center to learn more about the proposed updates and hear what we have been working on.

Presentations will be held at 4 PM and again at 5 PM. We look forward to seeing you there!

It seems our last post about zoning got a lot of people riled up that have no idea what zoning does.

Zoning can keep a data center from being your neighbor. Zoning will not prevent you from having a car on blocks in your yard if you choose.

Zoning ordinances regulate nuisances like heavy industrial smoke, blinding commercial lighting, extreme noise, and toxic runoff.

Your property rights rely on the public infrastructure. Zoning helps preserve that.

Zoning can help lower your insurance rates: no zoning requires an insurance company to assume a chemical plant could be built next door to you when. Zoning created predictable, low risk environments which keep your premiums lower.

Zoning can provide stability making it easier to get a loans at better rates.

Zoning preserves your resale value.

Zoning can provide a layer of protection against eminent domain.

This is just a few ways zoning helps when those that cry “my property rights.”

Think this can’t happen in your neck of the woods? If your area is not zoned, it absolutely can. Reach out to your council member for info on getting the zoning ball rolling in your precinct. Protect what you have. Unzoned areas can have virtually anything go up with one reading from a planning commission that seems determined to destroy our county. Some things don’t even require that! Zoning gives you several more layers of protection as it guarantees a hearing before zoning and three readings before county council. Otherwise county council never has a say in the matter.

I can say that Councilman Davis works just as hard for his constituents when it’s not an election year as he does when it is! Well done Councilman.

The following is a letter that I sent SCDOT and GPATS concerning a dangerous intersection- please be aware--

Dear SCDOT Representatives and Mr. Brockington

I am writing to express serious concern regarding the intersection of Highway 81 and Old Williamston Road in the Powdersville area of Anderson County and to request immediate action from SCDOT regarding the ongoing operational and safety issues at this location.

A previously completed corridor study identified this intersection as a high-need area due to traffic congestion, operational deficiencies, and continuing safety concerns. Since that time, traffic volumes and development pressures in the Powdersville area have continued to increase significantly, further straining an already problematic intersection on the state highway system.

In addition, the recently approved Dollar General development near this intersection will introduce additional turning movements and traffic demand that will further impact both functionality and public safety if improvements are not made.

As this is a state-maintained roadway, we believe SCDOT has a responsibility to address known hazardous conditions and work proactively to improve the safety and operation of this intersection before a preventable tragedy occurs. The citizens of Anderson County rely on SCDOT to ensure state roadways are designed and maintained in a manner that protects the traveling public from dangerous conditions.

Residents and local officials continue to raise serious concerns regarding congestion, visibility, near misses, and the increasing difficulty of safely navigating this intersection. These concerns have persisted for some time and continue to escalate as growth in the area accelerate.

I respectfully request that SCDOT prioritize this intersection for immediate evaluation and implementation of both short-term safety improvements and long term transportation solutions identified through the corridor study process. Given the continued growth in this area, timely action is critical.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued partnership with Anderson County. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue further and assist in advancing a solution as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,
Jimmy Davis
Anderson County Council
District Six