By MIKE HELM

County commissioners are making significant changes to a proposed ordinance that would regulate how landowners could subdivide their lots and develop property for site-built homes. Commissioners are currently focusing on the appeals process that residents would have.

Commissioners have been meeting jointly with the planning board and county planner to review the document.

The ordinance, a two-year project of the Columbus County Planning Board and state officials, would have little effect in practice, given the county’s stagnant housing market for site-built homes. Over a 10-year period, an average of 35 permits per year were issued for site-built homes, compared to more than 500 for manufactured homes.

The ordinance is aimed at future, large-scale housing developments that some think will spill over into the Tabor City, Pireway, Bug Hill and Riegelwood areas from Horry County, S.C., Brunswick and New Hanover counties.

In its current configuration, the ordinance regulates, for example, the color of sidewalks and the types of shrubbery that can be planted. It also requires roads to be paved to state standards at a cost of $365,000 per mile.
Although the ordinance is aimed at a few areas where growth is expected, it would apply everywhere in the county. County Planner Stevie Cox admitted that another approach could be taken – spot zoning the areas of large tract development, if they come and applying the ordinance in those areas.

Several commissioners expressed concern about the appeals process. In its original form, a resident could appeal a ruling to a person appointed by the county manager as “subdivision administrator.” He or she could then appeal to the planning board. Any further appeal would have to go before Superior Court.

Commissioners spent two nights working out an alternative. Commissioner James Prevatte said the new appeals process begins with the planning board. Residents may then appeal to the county Board of Commissioners. If they are still dissatisfied, an appeal could be taken to a Board of Adjustments appointed by county commissioners.

The next step in the appeals process would be Superior Court.

Prevatte complained that the original ordinance restricted residents to an administrative appeals process controlled by a few people in county government. The new approach would give aggrieved residents a much better hearing, he said.