Sumter County Council denies two Highway Drive rezonings after neighborhood opposition; approves Camden Highway rezoning and advances private-roads plan

Sumter County Council on Monday heard extended public comment and voted to deny second readings on two rezoning requests for properties on Highway Drive, approved second reading on a separate Camden Highway rezoning to R-15, and directed staff to move forward with an ordinance and implementation timeline to address private roads and stormwater concerns.

The denied Highway Drive requests drew the largest turnout. Residents from Highway Village and Forest Lake subdivisions told council they opposed additional attached housing or duplexes, citing property values, lot sizes and long‑standing maintenance problems at existing duplex properties owned by a local developer. Planning staff had recommended the rezones as consistent with the county’s 2024 comprehensive plan and the suburban development planning area.

The Camden Highway application, for about 3.26 acres, won council approval at second reading after staff and applicants said R-15 zoning would permit a modest increase in residential density while site constraints — notably the absence of public sewer — would limit the number of units because septic systems must meet HEC standards. Council members and several nearby residents discussed drainage, animal impacts and whether the parcel’s frontage would support more than a few lots.

Council also reviewed an ordinance and schedule intended to bring private roads into the county-maintained system. Staff outlined a multi-month process: ordinance readings beginning in August, a pre-application period in October–December, council review and applicant due diligence in January–May, and implementation work beginning in July. Members and speakers said the program aims to correct roads that impede emergency services and school buses.

Public comment ranged beyond rezonings. Multiple residents described chronic flooding and blocked ditches on state roads that have left yards underwater, forced wildlife such as alligators onto properties and limited emergency access. Council members and staff said they had visited problem sites and planned to coordinate with the state highway office and the new District 5 highway commissioner to seek solutions. The meeting also included brief votes to record or clear title issues on two county-owned parcels tied to Mayesville and other routine items.

Votes at a glance: - RZ 2509 (198 Highway Drive) — second reading: motion to deny second reading adopted (second reading denied). Motion/proposer not recorded on roll; outcome recorded by voice vote. - RZ 2510 (adjacent Highway Drive parcel) — second reading: motion to deny second reading adopted (second reading denied). Motion/proposer not recorded on roll; outcome recorded by voice vote. - RZ 2508 (Camden Highway, ~3.26 acres) — second reading: motion to approve second reading adopted (second reading passed). Motion/proposer not recorded on roll; outcome recorded by voice vote. - Ordinance 25-10-31 (parcel matters referenced during public hearing) — second reading: passed (voice vote). - Ordinance 25-10-32 (Mayesville deed/recording matter) — action to sign and record deed clarification approved (voice vote). - Private roads program — council directed staff to prepare ordinance language and an implementation schedule with pre-application and review steps; no final ordinance vote recorded at this meeting.

Planning staff repeatedly told the council that the comprehensive plan supports a mix of residential densities in suburban planning areas and that R-15 zoning permits single-family attached units that can be platted as fee-simple lots if built to building-code fire‑separation standards. Staff and residents highlighted limits on density where public sewer is not available: septic-system footprint and the 50% repair area reduce the realistic number of lots that can be created on many parcels.

Applicant and resident statements reflected the tension between housing affordability and neighborhood character. Adriana Bolly (identified in the record as an authorized agent for the applicant) said the developer intends to offer smaller units potentially priced under $200,000 and that single-family attached units could be sold separately to encourage owner occupancy. Opponents including Chris Brooks and Carolina Richardson said existing duplexes in the area are rental properties on single lots, are poorly maintained in places and are not consistent with the established single-family character of nearby subdivisions.

Council members asked staff for follow-up on several technical points residents raised: whether the recorded platting created unbuildable substandard lots, how parcel frontage compares with R-15 minimums (residents noted an 85‑foot frontage on one lot while R-15 minimum frontage was described in the record as 100 feet), and whether lot combinations reflected on the 2023 plat were properly merged in county records. Staff said they would review mapping and administrative parcel issues with the county mapping office and return to council with clarifications.

In closing, council emphasized that rezoning hearings are intended to balance plan policy, site constraints and community input. For the private roads initiative, staff set the timeline and urged residents to participate in the upcoming pre-application and review steps so the county can identify roads that qualify for county adoption and improvement work.