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Pickens County staff outlines plan to unify and modernize land-use rules
Summary
County staff presented a draft unified land-use and development ordinance to merge four existing chapters, add clearer land-use categories, incorporate fire-prevention rules, streamline permitting and tighten subdivision and road standards; staff recommended continued public and commissioner review before formal adoption.
Bill Wood, a county staff member, presented a draft titled the Pickens County Unified Land Use and Development Ordinance, saying the goal is "one unified chapter" that merges separate rules for buildings, land development, roads and land-use/density maps into a single, clearer code.
The draft would merge four existing chapters (Chapter 16: building regulations; Chapter 38: land development standards; Chapter 54: roads and bridges; Chapter 67: land use and density districts) and add seven core enhancements staff described as clarity, consistency, efficiency, fairness, policy alignment, simplicity and improved customer service. "The working title is Pickens County Unified Land Use and Development Ordinance," Wood said.
Staff emphasized several substantive changes: adding and tightening land-use listings to reduce reliance on broadly worded "unlisted uses," refining major/minor subdivision thresholds and approval steps, strengthening documentation for subdivision reviews, and expanding road and right-of-way dimensional standards. Wood told commissioners the draft would also "incorporate fire prevention and suppression" standards in coordination with the county fire marshal to close gaps between existing chapters.
Staff framed the work as an in-house drafting effort rather than a contracted rewrite, saying the county could better tailor rules to local circumstances. Wood said the current code framework stretches back to 1997 with intermittent amendments and that consolidating the chapters should reduce redundancy and make administration less complaint-driven.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about implementation and slide content; staff acknowledged some presentation typos and said they would continue soliciting individual input from commissioners as the draft is refined. The presentation did not include a formal adoption vote; staff said they would return with more detailed language and next steps for public review and formal consideration.
Clarifying details from staff included that the work will create a process for "relaxed change" transitions for qualifying existing land-use districts, establish more specific rules for grandfathering/nonconforming situations, and streamline permit application-to-aftermath paths so reviews and enforcement are clearer. The transcript includes a staff timeline reference written as "02/3025," which appears to be a typographical error; staff described the change as intended to take effect in an upcoming implementation cycle and said they would provide clearer timing when the draft advances to formal hearings.
Next steps: staff will continue drafting the ordinance, incorporate commissioner feedback, and return with formal draft language and recommended public-notice and hearing steps before any adoption vote.
