Planning & Zoning Department

Contact Eric Vinson

[email protected]
864.834.8740 

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.

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: Dave Koss ( Chairman), Murray Dodd, Michelle Garrison, Don Watson, Phillip Smith, Claudia Burns, Susan D Franklin

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 2020 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.

• Zoning Ordinance
• Zoning Map Ammendment
• Zoning Map
• Townhouse Residential District Ordinance

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.

Meetings & Agendas
Meetings are held as needed and minutes are available upon request.

Proposed 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.

A Short term rental is considered a commercial use because they are transient residential occupancies similar to hotels.   The adopted Building Code ( IBC) defines transient residential occupancies as places where occupants stay no longer than 30 days.   For this reason these uses are currently only allowed in C-2 Commercial District and S1 Services District.

In addition an Occupancy Permit is required and the owner must have a business license and must pay accommodations tax.