Planning director outlines zoning and code tools to support affordable housing

Rob Merchant, Beaufort County Planning Director, told the Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 3 that the county’s comprehensive plan and existing zoning code already include several tools staff can use to facilitate affordable housing. Merchant described density bonuses (including an example conversion that required 25% of units to remain affordable for 20 years), accessory dwelling units that are permitted in many districts, rural small‑lot subdivisions and a family‑compound option for longstanding rural parcels, and place‑type overlays and traditional community plans that allow mixed housing types and staff‑level approvals for qualifying projects.

"It's important to constantly... evaluate policies. What can we do better?" Merchant said, framing the presentation as a starting point for further policy refinement. Committee members asked about minimum acreage for traditional community plans (Merchant said the neighborhood threshold is about 20 acres and an ‘infill’ threshold about eight acres) and raised questions about tracking income eligibility for workforce bands above 80% AMI.

Assistant County Administrator said staff will engage the county’s Housing Trust and return to the committee and council with recommendations focusing initially on two priorities: expanding density‑bonus options in additional zoning districts and using transect/place‑type overlays to encourage mixed‑use developments with varied housing types. Merchant cautioned that some tools — especially those tied to income tracking — require additional program design and administrative capacity.

Next steps: staff will coordinate with the Housing Trust, refine proposed ordinance or program changes, and bring recommendations back to council for consideration as part of the budget and code‑amendment processes.