Sumter County Council grants first reading to rezoning at 495 Myrtle Beach Hwy after split planning history

Sumter County Council voted to grant first reading Oct. 10 to RZ‑23‑21, a rezoning request for approximately 8.48 acres at 495 Myrtle Beach Highway to change the parcel from Light Industrial‑Warehouse (LI‑W) to Heavy Industrial (HI) to allow uses classified under NAICS 42314 (used automobile parts sales with on‑site dismantling and storage).

Planning Director Helen Roodman told council the applicant is Brown Investments of Sumter, LLC (Larry Barker) and that Tammy Brown was present on behalf of the application. Roodman said the property had previously been the subject of a 2020 rezoning request for a 7‑acre portion that was denied and that the site has an ongoing history of enforcement and civil litigation tied to zoning violations. "The applicant is requesting the HI zoning designation in order to establish land uses that involve the sale of used automobile parts with on‑site dismantling and storage of vehicles," Roodman said.

Roodman also told council the requested HI designation is inconsistent with policies in the Sumter 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which designates the corridor for Priority Commercial Mixed‑Use and discourages industrial and outdoor storage uses. She said the Planning Commission nevertheless recommended approval, noting the pattern of nearby development, and that the vote at the Planning Commission meeting was not unanimous.

Councilman Eugene R. Baten told colleagues he has family property across the street and criticized the current condition of the site, saying it "looks like a junkyard" and warning that expansion could devalue nearby properties. Roodman said required stormwater permits and a special industrial stormwater permit from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) would be required for the proposed use and that the applicant had not yet obtained those permits as of Oct. 10.

Council moved to grant first reading. The meeting minutes contain inconsistent entries about who made the motion (SEG 051 records a motion by Vice Chairman Artie Baker; SEG 052 records a motion by Vice Chairman James R. Byrd Jr.), but the recorded vote on first reading was: Byrd, Edens, Baker, Washington and McCain in favor; Baten abstained (tally recorded as 5 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain). A public hearing on the request was scheduled for Oct. 24, 2023, if first reading is granted.

Why it matters: Rezoning from LI‑W to HI would permit dismantling and outdoor storage uses not envisioned by the county’s 2040 plan for the corridor; the decision moves the item forward to a public hearing, where neighboring property owners can comment before any final action is taken.

Next steps: The item goes to a public hearing at County Council’s Oct. 24 meeting; required SCDHEC stormwater permits remain outstanding and must be obtained before development that requires them can proceed.