[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98,110],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6309263,"mediaKeyId","2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588","parentId",2413593,"title","Board tables Valvoline‑branded auto service buffer variance after extended discussion; staff had recommended denial","audioSeconds",4620,"startMs",1685000,"endMs",6305000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588&start=1685&end=6305","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588/thumbnail_1685000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6309263/Dorchester-County/South-Carolina/Board-tables-Valvolinebranded-auto-service-buffer-variance-after-extended-discussion-staff-had-recommended-denial","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309263-2054ceb237d6d2766e6a806e722ed22b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775914166&Signature=fC-5Q2TI3j2SsHaOaguZmv2ql9jNKvx9zpXEXuyNrnTwur78tAB-h5FUPwUB83zDlgDsbCxVaZ1qB0jV2tljGynTvDmhGYJJFMNX7jTv5m3aTvkIa3XDGpuWmW~3UgeCj7FMu34mXSXwofHbIWBkLaDJc3cT8mGDUr-B7h3cEIlITq6K4SCUDY5kwrnyCVtatvw~sb6HEPnMQQ0pj4NcUcndSNtK0EqV6Hea7PAIiBJIKILRnLcyUI2HoVWQ~oUpoiqbBn-esdIE8cbkcGAJFZ-WIOxGx7hcUiRzGJl354aQBLkcO2yN4JAzDlIrBHN9Re3NsAxkxeHCrlgYj4jIww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-26T20:26:34Z","article","Planning staff recommended denying a variance to reduce a required residential buffer for a proposed Valvoline (Quality Automotive Services) oil‑change facility on Orangeburg Road near Central Avenue, but the applicant asked the board to consider the site’s narrow shape and other constraints; the board voted to table the application to allow the applicant to revise the site plan.

Staff told the board the parcel is approximately 1.03 acres, unusually deep and narrow (about 100 feet of frontage), and that auto sales/service uses adjacent to manufactured housing trigger a Type B/H buffer of 50 feet. Staff noted the county code allows certain reductions only if a six‑foot privacy fence and additional plantings are provided, and said alternative uses with lower buffer requirements could develop the lot without a variance. The staff recommendation was to deny the variance, citing the ordinance’s intent to protect adjacent residential properties and noting the standards for extraordinary and exceptional conditions were not met.

Applicant representatives from Bowman Consulting and Valvoline argued the property’s narrow width and configuration unduly restrict development. Paul Waller, the project civil engineer, described the proposed layout: \"The overall site is 1.03 acres. It's about 100 feet in width, and about 425 feet in‑depth,\" and said the plan includes a two‑bay, roughly 1,700‑square‑foot building, ten parking spaces and a variable buffer that would taper to as little as about 9 feet in one pinch point while meeting the full buffer at the rear. Tracy Helms of Valvoline explained operational details of oil storage: \"Our buildings have a full basement and downstairs in the basement is steel oil tanks. All of our product is pumped from a truck about twice a month into those tanks. And then about twice a month, we have a recovery contractor that comes by and he pulls the used oil out... it's recycled.\"

The applicant also provided a letter of support from the adjacent property owner, George Tupper, who said the portion of his parcel next to the proposed site would be developed commercially and that the residential mobile‑home area is set back farther to the rear. Tupper told the board he supported the variance request for that reason.

Board members raised concerns about reductions below 15 feet in places where the drive aisle would approach adjacent residences, the precedent a very small buffer could set, traffic and driveway access given the nearby Publix and Waffle House, and whether the applicant had exhausted site‑design alternatives such as shifting the building or seeking cross‑access. Several members suggested the applicant could revise the plan to increase the minimum buffer in the most constrained location or pursue a building‑setback variance on the opposite side to gain width.

After extended discussion the board voted unanimously to table the application and asked the applicant to return next month with alternate site designs or conditions that respond to the board’s concerns. Staff will continue to coordinate any required DOT access approvals and the applicant was told to address building‑setback tradeoffs and buffer widths in a revised plan.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DC Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting 02.26.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Planning staff recommended denial of a request to reduce a required residential buffer for a proposed Valvoline Quick Oil Change on Orangeburg Road; after extensive discussion the Board of Zoning Appeals voted to table the application for a revised site design.","taxTitle","Dorchester County, South Carolina","taxId",4553,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6309265,"Board grants variance allowing primary residence to be placed behind existing accessory structures in Twin Lakes subdivision",507,1199000,1706000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588&start=1199&end=1706","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588/thumbnail_1199000.jpg","/articles/6309265/Dorchester-County/South-Carolina/Board-grants-variance-allowing-primary-residence-to-be-placed-behind-existing-accessory-structures-in-Twin-Lakes-subdivision","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309265-e2f6ff0a4c1c50cb556cbf418bf33c69/orig.mp4?Expires=1775914166&Signature=IiHmgADD7kviGSJbLuYblN5tOjQp~mgy0LbxiXCshq6HJJf~dL2eWt~JzZqujHtm~Vn49-k0H1-1gieqJnRTH2cd0QXPOkFcHYNhjJ4-1nTTav1aJtTvq8b-6Geje8ANDjXIIFT6171WoELjqZau5zr0B34yCA~nhPnuGlMMa6d1ITwLVC1yTaHNK0BARc3meB28TAoxfPHxGvwEhTISakyTeMMmvhFJWAdheN4VrE8kgc4JhDPEsmi0O4ZoBl8~iqfdNphD6B3mVjsrixyfB3QqyvjMQCg6S7281IqTdtjYN8IHEiQyHeYpWrlJWhsGBn8G8zhQZj~-Q21MY5i5PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dorchester County’s Board of Zoning Appeals granted a variance on Feb. 26 allowing placement of a primary residence behind existing accessory structures on a 6.65‑acre lot in the Twin Lakes subdivision.

Planning staff told the board the lot contains two permitted accessory structures that were originally behind an older primary residence that has since been removed. Staff said heavy clay soils and a small buildable envelope in the front yard limit placement of a new house there; public sewer and water are not available at the site and connecting to sewer would require an unavailable gravity tie‑in. The applicant requested the variance to permit a new primary home where the accessory buildings stand.

Applicant Theresa Dowdy told the board the owners had not created the site conditions and that prior mobile homes and septic systems existed on the parcel; she said a septic is still functioning and a dirt pad is available. During discussion, a board member asked whether percolation (perk) tests existed for the front area; Dowdy said no perk test had been done because there was insufficient room to site a home in the front yard.

A board member moved to approve the variance citing the lot’s constraints; another member seconded the motion. The board voted to grant the variance.

The approval is specific to the property described and rests on the soil characteristics, presence of existing accessory structures and lack of available sewer, all of which staff identified as unique circumstances justifying the variance.","The board approved a variance for a 6.65‑acre lot in the Twin Lakes subdivision to allow the primary dwelling to be placed behind existing permitted accessory structures after staff and the applicant described soil limitations, lack of sewer, and existing permitted outbuildings.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6309266,"Board grants density variance allowing second manufactured home on 1.6‑acre Coburn Town Road lot",323,868000,1191000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588&start=868&end=1191","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588/thumbnail_868000.jpg","/articles/6309266/Dorchester-County/South-Carolina/Board-grants-density-variance-allowing-second-manufactured-home-on-16acre-Coburn-Town-Road-lot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309266-f4ba575df868e1bb010b51692671163d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775914166&Signature=FGxaSr6Pv47sNdNCLoCFW0AlWA6Cf2wnDWi2c6qEitHVbRGdNhLghsxg8Niqy8VJJOIKbhSyU3u-W9ortRk8VcFl~-Q83y9pdjumRqzZtyqRO1OBmm1j90h4SFQJeylRYl6F-d0Ct93LSx1jz62z8hUmIhLycbLcyf6RyySjmPfdWepXPsm5yiH0qMw1Db7LkmYN9pb3tlBnD-sJPPxMR8wnWNI2f9YkIVgw0uE8gIv~qv4DA26kV6SbcIhdu1e8Euehj4WW3KrbgH-44BCm2wHDLCE5Z-sUxznIWJGL8v9He3qFxz5b8eWsB37aEVNq9B-oEmEYwBWs3KntcYTD2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dorchester County’s Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance on Feb. 26 allowing the placement of a second manufactured home on a 1.6‑acre lot at 308 Coburn Town Road.

Planning staff told the board the lot is zoned Agricultural Residential (AR), which generally allows one dwelling unit per acre, but that the parcel previously had a second dwelling and an existing septic system remains in place. The staff report notes the AR district’s minimum‑lot‑area requirement changed by ordinance amendments in 1984, 1998 and 2019; the 2019 change established the current one‑acre‑per‑dwelling standard. The report concluded that reestablishment of the second dwelling would be consistent with historic use and that the density in the surrounding neighborhood is similar to what the applicant proposes, and recommended approval.

Applicant Patrice Felder said her aunt — the lot owner — plans to move a three‑bedroom manufactured home onto the site and that the existing septic system was inspected and approved. The applicant told the board a dirt pad is ready for placement of the home.

A board member moved to approve the variance, citing staff’s findings; the board voted to grant the variance.

The approval applies specifically to reestablishing a second dwelling on the existing lot and does not change the county’s AR density standard for other parcels. Staff included a septic inspection and site plan in the record; the transcript indicates the septic was inspected and approved prior to the hearing.","The board approved a variance to allow a second manufactured home on a 1.6‑acre lot on Coburn Town Road, finding the lot had previously held a second dwelling and an inspected septic remains on site.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6309267,"Board OKs variance to shrink buffer at proposed Dominion Energy substation on Sand Ridge Road",535,353000,888000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588&start=353&end=888","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588/thumbnail_353000.jpg","/articles/6309267/Dorchester-County/South-Carolina/Board-OKs-variance-to-shrink-buffer-at-proposed-Dominion-Energy-substation-on-Sand-Ridge-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309267-c6b0423968433a6d1c17b7f8c7cc9f7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775914166&Signature=KrdhLBnHCyhzsz0~21T6H-jw9Yweh-XfSGnWh2IL89E-ZmUT-1EaR~JTcjbPFuoB1ZST~8-lbawPGUe4dV4bkzc6xzuqa5954IaK6or3P~AdWO8tLS~PVfwY2dgCGmpaEd72R-3dCPDouc1~YlKY6oWckIAaC7FXkFO2QZm~xwYDS8WxO6XnjjON6-T6aJqGt-~RavSwd6UbYY9Lok~FKvHVJy6Vx6wiDBSCJvNzeJ4~yd8~Zqc12HRdZ0lSl3YFo99cw1qziROs3Sw-Yn-ZQ-642uWUQ9wjQ5Z-t7SPw14aAW4CsH~1dTG0cr8bqtoPlKEFl9uZpE9U6R7P2fffqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dorchester County Board of Zoning Appeals on Feb. 26 approved a variance allowing Dominion Energy to reduce the depth of a required use buffer for a planned electrical substation near Sand Ridge Road.

County planning staff told the board that the property owner — Dominion Energy — did not have sufficient land to meet the buffer requirements of section 13.2 of the county zoning code and that an overhead transmission easement limited planting in parts of the parcel. \"If the board does determine that the impact to neighboring properties can either be mitigated by additional plantings, or is minimal,\" the staff report says, \"the applicant meets the requirements for a variance, and therefore would recommend approval of the request.\"

William Lam, an engineer with Thomas & Hutton representing Dominion Energy, said the substation would serve a nearby renewable natural gas plant and provide redundancy for the town of Dorchester area. He described the site as adjacent to an existing transmission line and said the layout needs a 10‑foot safety buffer around the fenced substation for grounding and equipment safety. Lam told the board the company proposed a roughly 19.5‑foot screening buffer in combination with evergreen plantings and a six‑foot privacy fence where full buffers were not feasible.

A board member moved to approve the variance citing the presence of existing power lines and the need to site a substation adjacent to transmission infrastructure; another member seconded the motion. The board voted in favor and the variance was granted.

The staff report noted alternatives such as moving the substation to a different site would require additional right‑of‑way clearing and new transmission lines; staff also flagged that not all four variance standards were fully addressed in the applicant’s written responses but recommended approval if the board found mitigation adequate.

The approval allows Dominion to proceed with the proposed layout subject to any conditions the board may impose during permitting and inspection.","The Dorchester County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance allowing Dominion Energy to reduce the required use buffer at a proposed transmission substation near Sand Ridge Road after staff said additional plantings and a six‑foot privacy fence could mitigate impacts to adjacent property.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6309260,"Board elects vice chair, holds officer votes and adjourns after regular business",147,6217000,6364000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588&start=6217&end=6364","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2413593-83724a2ed634c7dbdad2f1106b24d588/thumbnail_6217000.jpg","/articles/6309260/Dorchester-County/South-Carolina/Board-elects-vice-chair-holds-officer-votes-and-adjourns-after-regular-business","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309260-ec74566478d4dfca6fe6291fd7e9bd09/orig.mp4?Expires=1775914166&Signature=PKw7UbQIEWFEpMfWcjV30Ew6t0ka9pVYyumYjzvyAw1IkkIBab-XBLkoc-DQ~ID3ra0dKWptCho1VGn7PWKSHXFzmIlgIlBzEYSQgW99Zh7CRz-W~7gnNEWQFvqm1sMC6uLOHTjcI8Hczn-Cc4kgaF-UaRzjTX83kbQbp7OnYnmN7HBjrEhXmTaO8jMgWpOLPNMDSQ5MeV1LTJISZ0BMJNGkozjOWLizxrtcDpcTnJ2TDqkCX7QxsnRQwIMAWMaNfZBkpQSK1eq1tnI0F1MceLiYrN5J6zg3zppp6vJdMSgkGIjfSu3SmMv864IAEAZ-CHc5RxVWFFhIzM3XrYM-Lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Following the evening’s variance hearings the Dorchester County Board of Zoning Appeals held officer elections and closed its meeting.

The board accepted minutes from its Nov. 20, 2024 meeting by voice vote earlier in the meeting. During the new‑business portion the board held elections for officers under amended bylaws. The board nominated and elected Miss Harper as vice chair; the transcript records the nomination, a second, and an affirmative voice vote. The record does not specify the newly elected chair by name in the transcript excerpt.

There were no additional reports from the administrator and no public comments at the meeting’s conclusion. A board member moved to adjourn and the board voted to adjourn the session.","At the Feb. 26 meeting the Board of Zoning Appeals conducted elections for its officers (vice chair nominated and approved: Miss Harper), accepted minutes, and adjourned after completing agenda business.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board tables Valvoline‑branded auto service buffer variance after extended discussion; staff had recommended denial

Board grants variance allowing primary residence to be placed behind existing accessory structures in Twin Lakes subdivision

Board grants density variance allowing second manufactured home on 1.6‑acre Coburn Town Road lot

Board OKs variance to shrink buffer at proposed Dominion Energy substation on Sand Ridge Road

Board elects vice chair, holds officer votes and adjourns after regular business