Mauldin council discusses holding off on zoning changes while comprehensive plan is finalized; no moratorium adopted

Mauldin — City councilors spent a substantial portion of the Jan. 12 meeting debating how to handle zoning requests while the city updates its comprehensive plan. Councilmember Stenger said the lack of a current comprehensive plan makes it difficult to evaluate zoning requests and suggested bringing the full council into the discussion. Some members proposed a temporary moratorium on zoning changes; others said a moratorium could be unnecessary if the comprehensive plan is complete in three to four months.

Key points - No moratorium adopted: After discussion about the pros and cons and how long an ordinance-based moratorium would take (two readings, roughly 60 days), council members agreed they did not want an outright moratorium at this time. - Staff direction and alternatives: Council discussed informal directions to staff to communicate the council’s posture to prospective developers and to ask developers to ‘hold offers’ until the new plan is available. Council asked staff to prioritize completing the comprehensive plan and to return with recommendations on interim processes. - Context: Council members noted the 2014 comprehensive plan’s limitations for current growth patterns and stressed the need for updated zoning tools and overlays that match the city’s changed development patterns.

What’s next: Staff will continue work on the comprehensive plan with an expected timeline discussed (three to four months by one council member). The council may revisit formal restrictions if significant proposals arise before the plan is complete.

Source: Mauldin City Council meeting transcript, Jan. 12, 2026.