(Richland PIO) – Richland County’s newly revised Land Development Code (LDC), the result of a years-long process to prepare for future growth and development, takes effect today.

The new LDC and its updated zoning districts are designed to:

• be more user-friendly
• help implement the policies in PLAN Richland County, which establishes a vision and desired growth pattern for the County over the next 10 to 20 years and contains strategies for achieving that vision
• align zoning districts, property uses and development standards with current best practices
• allow for greener, more sustainable development

Richland County’s Geographic Information Systems Division has developed an interactive app viewer that shows zoning information for a specific area. The viewer, along with other helpful information, can be accessed via the updated Land Development Code webpage.

Following a work session, a public hearing and two readings by County Council, Councilmembers approved text amendments to the LDC last Nov. 14. State law required Council to first adopt a zoning map before it could consider new text amendments recommended by the County’s Planning Commission. Richland County’s proposed zoning map passed on third reading Oct. 3.

People with questions on the rewritten LDC should email LandDevelopmentCode@richlandcountysc.gov or call the County’s Planning Department: 803-576-2190.

What the LDC Does

The LDC and its accompanying zoning map are adopted County ordinances that regulate land use, growth and development outside of incorporated cities and towns. They govern the types of uses, location and size of developments within various zones, as well as establishing procedures for how development proposals are reviewed. The LDC also controls various development and subdivision standards such as:

• parking
• landscaping
• signs
• addressing
• building form and open space within a development
• the division and platting of land

County Council and the Planning Commission reason that, as Richland County adapts to changes in technology, lifestyles and economic conditions, corresponding changes must be made to the LDC to assure that development occurs in a logical and planned fashion.

Planning for the Future

In South Carolina, all land development codes must have two parts: written rules and a zoning map. Before the rules and map are adopted, however, the community must create and adopt a community master plan or comprehensive plan, according to state code.

The County last updated its Comprehensive Plan in 2015, and the 10-year statutory revision date is 2025. Richland County anticipates starting the Comprehensive Plan revision process later this year and will continue until a revision is adopted in 2025. Find Comprehensive Plan information on the County’s website.