LEXINGTON, S.C. — Lexington County is considering a zoning rewrite that would carve its unincorporated land into three residential districts, each with its own limits on how many homes can go on an acre and how big lots must be.
The measure, Ordinance 26-14, won a first vote from County Council in September and drew residents to a public hearing on Oct. 13. It still needs two more readings before it becomes law.
In the Lake Murray District, covering western parts of the county around the lake, single-family building along arterial roads would generally top out at three homes per acre, or four on some four-lane roads that meet extra design standards. Townhomes would need access to a four-lane arterial.
The Central Lexington County District would set a quarter-acre minimum for most new single-family lots, plus 75 feet of road frontage. Subdivisions with 30 or more lots would face added architectural rules, and new neighborhoods with streets would need streetlights.
The sharpest debate is over the Neighborhood Residential District. It would span about half the county on its eastern side, from Red Bank and Pine Ridge to Springdale, Cayce, West Columbia and South Congaree. There, density would depend on the road serving a project, from four homes an acre on arterials down to two on most local streets. Attached housing would be held to arterial roads and capped at 200 units per development.
The changes would also scale back how often local service providers are consulted on new developments, a review known as concurrency. Speakers at the hearing split, with some backing stronger planning and others warning about traffic studies, density limits and effects on housing costs and property values.
Section: More Clinton SC politics news
Filed under: Clinton SC Politics News
