Florence City Council advances ordinance to allow accessory dwelling units in residential districts

The City of Florence City Council on a motion approved first reading of ordinance 2025-3037 to amend the Unified Development Ordinance to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — both attached and detached — in most residential zoning districts and the commercial-reuse district.

City staff told the council the proposed ordinance would permit one ADU per single-family lot as a conditional use, require the property owner to maintain the unit as a primary residence, and impose size, setback, parking and permitting requirements. "This is one of the things that makes this kind of a conservative approach," a city staff member said, describing the owner-occupancy requirement.

The change updates the Unified Development Code, which previously allowed attached ADUs under the 2018 code but did not permit detached ADUs. City staff said the Planning Commission reviewed the draft and made recommendations before the ordinance came to council for first reading.

Key provisions explained during the staff report include: ADUs must have a separate entrance and separate living facilities including a kitchen and bathroom; one ADU counts toward the maximum number of accessory structures allowed on a lot; a detached ADU must be at least 10 feet from the primary residence; utilities and the mailing address for the ADU must be combined with the principal dwelling; and ADUs cannot be used as short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, nor solely for a home occupation. Size limits were stated as a maximum of 800 square feet, or for detached units 50 percent of the primary residence footprint (whichever is less), and for attached units a limit of roughly 30–35 percent of floor area up to 800 square feet. The ordinance also requires an additional on-site parking space for an ADU beyond the parking required for the principal dwelling.

Councilman McCall said he supported the change, calling out earlier unintended consequences when the UDO removed many accessory units from use. "I'm glad to see this because there was a huge unintended consequence when we had the UDO to take these homes out of play, which for college students and newly employed ... it really limited the inventory," he said, adding the change could help seniors offset retirement costs.

Council members asked staff clarifying questions about unit height, where additional parking could be located on a lot, and whether the proposal mirrored rules in other South Carolina municipalities. A city staff member replied the city had drawn from other municipalities' codes and that Florence would be more aligned with those peers under the proposed rules.

After discussion, a councilmember moved and a second was made; council members voted verbally "aye," and the presiding officer declared, "the ayes have it," advancing the ordinance on first reading.

The ordinance adds a formal ADU definition to the code and requires ADU owners to obtain building permits, register rentals, and obtain business licenses where applicable. The staff member characterized the approach as "conservative," emphasizing owner-occupancy and permitting controls intended to limit speculative or short-term rental use.

Because the council advanced the measure on first reading, additional readings and any required public hearings or Planning Commission referrals remain possible before final adoption. The ordinance as introduced is identified as ordinance number 2025-3037; the transcript did not specify the schedule for subsequent readings.