Florence Planning Commission approves ordinance change to allow detached accessory dwelling units with strict conditions

The Florence City Planning Commission on a July evening approved an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance to permit detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in more zoning districts subject to a conditional-use permit and 21 specific conditions.

City planning staff presented the revision as a way to legalize existing secondary units and expand long-term housing options while placing limits intended to prevent subdivision or short-term rental conversions. The commission approved the proposal after a public hearing in which one speaker asked which other cities were used as models.

The ordinance change opens the possibility of a detached dwelling on the same lot as a principal house if the applicant secures a conditional-use zoning permit and meets all 21 listed conditions. Planning staff said those conditions include a requirement that the property remain owner-occupied (the owner must live in either the main house or the ADU), a size cap of 50 percent of the main house or 800 square feet (whichever is smaller), one ADU per recorded lot, a minimum 10-foot separation between the structures, and compliance with the same setbacks that apply to the principal house. Staff also said any new detached ADU would need standard building permits and must meet the full building code for a single-family house.

Lauren, planning department staff, said the proposal would allow some older, existing detached living units—such as garage apartments—to be "grandfathered in" without forcing owners to demolish and rebuild while still requiring a certificate of appropriateness through the design review board for exterior changes in historic areas such as Timrod Park. "This is a revisit of the amendment to the unified development ordinance to permit detached accessory dwelling units," Lauren said during the staff presentation.

The amendment prohibits short-term rentals, which staff defined as stays of 30 days or fewer. It also requires applicants to obtain a business license and a rental permit prior to renting an ADU, and it mandates that the ADU use the same water, sewer and gas service as the principal house to limit easy subdivision into a separate parcel.

During the public hearing, Peter Ratcliffe asked which cities staff had reviewed; Lauren listed Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Columbia and Raleigh as models staff consulted. "Most of them, it's been fairly new... I didn't see any huge red flags pop up," Lauren replied.

Commissioners raised concerns about potential overcrowding in smaller lots and how the city would monitor compliance if ownership changed. One commissioner suggested triggers tied to property transfers could prompt review by tax or code enforcement records; staff said complaints would be handled through normal code-enforcement channels.

After discussion the commission made a motion to approve the amendment. The chair called for the vote and declared the motion approved, with no nays recorded during the roll call. The commission also noted that existing accessory units in some neighborhoods may be legalized under the new rules but that properties within restrictive covenants that prohibit ADUs would remain subject to those covenants.

The ordinance change now advances as approved by the Planning Commission; any additional procedural steps (for example city council review or final adoption) were not detailed in the meeting record.