Planning & Zoning Commission discusses four proposed zoning-code tweaks on engineer plans, paving, fencing and RV parking

Mount Pleasant — The Planning & Zoning Commission discussed four proposed, minor amendments to the city’s development and zoning code at its March 11, 2025 regular meeting: (1) limited authority to require engineered plans in unusual cases, (2) allowing asphalt as an approved paving option with standards, (3) material and screening standards for fences, and (4) restricting parking of trailers, boats and RVs to the side or rear of properties rather than on front-yard grass.

Planning Director presented the package as small, incremental edits intended to clarify where development standards belong in the zoning code and to remove compliance obstacles for small businesses. The planning director summarized the effort as “four proposed changes. They're very small…perpetual thorns in the side of both the development side, code enforcement side, [and] planning side,” and said the items were being discussed for possible later formal drafting and council review.

On engineered plans, staff proposed wording to give building officials limited leeway to require an applicant to hire an engineer for structural analysis in atypical circumstances. The proposal would not establish a blanket new requirement but would create a way to require engineering where current practice leaves a gap.

On paving, staff noted the city’s current engineered standards allow only concrete; the proposal would permit asphalt as an alternative in appropriate cases. The planning director said the change is aimed at giving small parking areas a lower-cost option. Commissioners raised durability and maintenance concerns, especially where heavy vehicles or trash dumpsters will operate. One commissioner noted the fire-lane requirement would still mandate concrete where a fire lane is required. Another commissioner suggested adding a minimum design standard for asphalt — for example, a Department of Transportation (DOT) standard asphalt mix — because older code iterations that allowed asphalt lacked minimum specifications and produced poor results.

Staff emphasized the practical trade-offs: allowing asphalt could reduce upfront costs for small businesses but would need clear standards and case-by-case review to avoid substandard installs. The planning director and commissioners discussed handling approvals administratively by staff in routine cases rather than sending each request back to the commission.

The proposed fencing and screening standard would add a permitted-materials list and a prohibited-materials list to reduce ad hoc, temporary coverings (tarps, pallets, salvaged roofing) that degrade and create visual blight. Staff said the change is aimed primarily at residential districts, though commercial properties sometimes use nonstandard materials as well.

The proposed limit on parking trailers, boats and RVs would generally require those vehicles to be stored behind the front setback line (side or rear yard) to prevent grass damage and mud in front yards. Staff would not require a new paved pad in every case but said an existing permitted concrete pad in the front would remain compliant.

Commissioners also flagged other potential future code updates that staff intends to study separately: creating by-right design standards for townhomes (instead of requiring a planned-development overlay), revising downtown use standards (for example, spacing requirements for uses such as vape or tattoo businesses), updating the land-use table and nomenclature, adding screening/lot-size standards for automotive uses, noise standards that account for nonstandard sources such as data centers, and a possible framework to allow regulated food-truck courts.

No formal action was taken on the four items at the March 11 meeting; staff said the changes would be drafted for future review and that the city manager would decide whether to bring them forward to council.