Planning & Zoning Department
Mission
The Planning and Zoning Department promotes and plans for the future vitality, livability, and prosperity of Travelers Rest. The department’s work involves overseeing and directing all planning and development activities including comprehensive planning, managing and improving the City’s zoning, working with developers, neighborhoods, and citizens on site plans and reviews, administration of federal application process for community development, and redevelopment assistance and more.
Contact Brennan Williams
[email protected]
864.834.8740
Public Notices
| Document Title | Description |
|---|---|
| October 26 Planning Commission Agenda | |
| October 12 Board of Zoning Appeals Agenda | |
| September 28 Planning Commission Agenda | |
| August 24 Planning Commission Agenda |
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission makes recommendations to the City Council on zoning and annexation issues; reviews and approves all new subdivisions and is involved in comprehensive planning to improve the health and welfare of the public. The Planning Commission is composed of 7 members appointed for a 3-year term.
Planning Commissions Board Members: Chair Susan Donkers Franklin, Vice-Chair Tony Rackley, Evan Cantrell, Michelle Garrison, Diane Maxwell, and Don Watson.
Meetings
The Planning Commission meets the 4th Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm in Travelers Rest City Hall located at 125 Trailblazer Drive, Travelers Rest, SC. All citizens are invited to attend and can access the 2021 meeting calendar HERE. Minutes from past meetings are available upon request.
DOWNLOAD THE PLANNING COMMISSION CALENDAR HERE
Request an Amendment to the Travelers Rest Zoning Map
You may request a hearing with the Board of Zoning Appeals by downloading the Application for Amendment to the Zoning Map HERE.
Downtown Master Plan
The Travelers Rest City Council prioritized the need to develop a Downtown Master Plan to provide strategic recommendations that strengthen the downtown as the economic and cultural heart of the community.
The public and other stakeholders participated in an online survey with questions to further define the core values that were highlighted in the 2018 City of Travelers Rest Comprehensive Plan. Over 2200 responses were collected. Additional community input included a 3-day design charrette held in May with participation from stakeholder focus groups (composed of landowners, business owners, and key partners) and public open house drop-ins to share the results of the survey and recent market analysis studies while soliciting ideas for several key parcels in the downtown area. These results were combined with the quantitative data from the survey to inform the Downtown Master Plan which can be downloaded HERE.
Board of Zoning Appeals
The Board of Zoning Appeals reviews land use issues, including proposed variations from the City’s zoning ordinance; special uses that require review to determine compatibility with adjacent properties and appeals of decisions made by the zoning administrator. The board is composed of 5 members appointed for a 3-year term.
Member include: Chair Rebecca Cooper, Vice-Chair Mark Garrison, Larry Moore, Leslee Alexander and Nathan Brown.
Meetings & Agendas
Meetings are held as needed and minutes are available upon request.
Pinestone Development Update
On July 18th an ordinance approving rezoning the Pinestone parcels to PD-R Planned Development Residential Development was approved. To review the ordinance click HERE.
Short Term Rentals
With the growth of the “sharing economy” the City is seeing an increase in owners using popular websites like Airbnb and VRBO to offer their homes for short term rentals.
The City of Travelers Rest is committed to working to protect the traditional quality of life and character of residential neighborhoods. Concerns about permitting short-term residential rentals include, but are not limited to, concerns about increased traffic, noise, trash, and parking needs; safety issues created by increased traffic and population density; residences potentially standing empty for long periods for time; negative impacts on the volume of available and affordable family residential housing stock; and other undesirable changes to the traditional nature of the city’s neighborhoods. The Short Term ordinance, adopted and approved October 10, 2020 provides a registration and inspection process governing all short-term residential rentals, for the purposes of balancing the protection of existing residential neighborhoods and residents with allowing a limited use of residences for short-term residential rentals, and for implementing life safety standards. For more information please download the ordinance below.