Sumter County Council approves berm screening option for vehicle parts yards

Sumter County Council on March 25, 2025 granted second reading approval to OA-25-01, a zoning text amendment that adds earthen berms and combinations of berms with walls or fences as acceptable methods to achieve the 7-foot screening standard for used motor vehicle parts merchant wholesalers that perform on-site dismantling or vehicle storage in the Light Industrial‑Warehouse (LI‑W) district. Planning Director Helen Roodman presented the ordinance amendment and said the changes modify Article 5.b.3.g of the county's Zoning & Development Standards while leaving the substance of Ordinance 24-995 otherwise unchanged.

The Planning Commission recommended approval, citing that an earthen berm can help screen large expanses of property from public view and give potential business owners more options for meeting screening requirements. The ordinance text requires berms to be stabilized with year-round vegetation to prevent erosion and allows combinations of berms and fences or walls — including constructing a wall or fence atop a berm — subject to review and approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals. The 7-foot screening provision does not apply to customer parking, business signage, or other customary public‑facing features.

Applicant Rusty Brown attended the public hearing and, according to the minutes, "voiced his indifference" to Council's ruling on the amendment. After the public hearing closed, Councilman Artie Baker moved to grant second reading; Tasha GardnerGreene seconded the motion and the measure passed unanimously.

What happens next: OA-25-01 received second reading approval; the transcript does not list a subsequent effective date. Any specific berm designs or color/ material approvals must be reviewed by the Zoning Board of Appeals per the amended text.