The document discusses rural zoning districts and regulations across multiple South Carolina counties. It finds that counties approach rural zoning differently, with some having specific rural districts and others addressing rural areas through other designations. Regulations for rural districts vary and sometimes intend to preserve rural character while allowing growth, though purposes are not always clear. The recommendation is that Greenwood County considers creating separate rural residential, commercial, and industrial districts to better regulate unique uses in rural areas.

1. Rural is a very variable district designation. Some counties use it to preserve and protect
local rural character, some have a district with a similar purpose, but call it by another name. Still
others have more than one rural district with distinct purposes.
Lexington County had no district labeled as rural however, it did have several other
districts that could be reasonably assumed to be intended to preserve and protect rural areas of
the county. The Limited Restriction District permitted everything, much like Greenwood
County’s Rural Development District. The Intensive Development District also permitted every
use. The Recreational/Agricultural District could conceivably be intended as a rural district, but
it is unclear. The ordinances do not provide definitions or explanations for what the districts are
intended to do.
Setbacks, buffers, and screening are based on activity rather than by district. For
example, group housing must be twenty feet from the right-of-way, while hospitals must be fifty
feet. Notably, the regulations apply to the Limited Restriction District only when specifically
noted. Within the Limited Restriction District all property within four hundred feet of an arterial
street shall be regulated as if it was in an Intensive Development District, and all other property
shall be regulated as if it was in a Restrictive Development District (Lexington County Zoning
Ordinance).
Charleston County has both a Rural Residential District and a Rural Commercial District.
The intention of these districts is unclear, as the zoning ordinance does not provide a purpose.
Permitted uses are not listed, but the density and dimensional standards are.
Minimum lot size is thirty thousand square feet, maximum density is one dwelling unit
per three acres. Setbacks are fifty feet from the front and street side, fifteen feet from the interior
side, and thirty feet from the rear. Maximum height is thirty-five feet. The Rural Commercial
District has a minimum lot area of forty thousand square feet, a minimum lot width of one
hundred and twenty-five feet, and a maximum height of thirty-five feet. Setbacks are twenty-five
feet from the front and street side, fifteen feet from the interior side, and twenty-five feet from
the rear. No maximum density is listed (Charleston County Zoning Ordinance).
Newberry County has a Rural District. It provides a list of permitted and conditional uses,
as well as uses that require special exceptions. It also provides development regulations.
The minimum lot size for a residential area is one acre. For a non-residential use it is ten
thousand square feet for utilities, and one acre for all other permitted uses. The setbacks are fifty
feet from the front, and seven feet from the sides. The principal structure must be twenty feet
from the rear, while an accessory structure must be six feet. Animal shelters, barns, and pens
must be fifty feet from the front, side, and rear, and one hundred feet from one another (This is
not applicable to agricultural uses). However, it does not include an intended purpose for the
district, nor does it refer to any other document (Newberry County Zoning Ordinance).

2. York County has a Rural Development District and a Rural Development 1 District. The
Rural Development District is intended to protect and preserve areas of the county which are
rural in character. The district further intends to discourage rapid growth, but wishes to allow
orderly growth and timely transitions of rural areas to more urban spaces. Permitted uses are
largely agricultural, residential, and community (churches, community centers, schools etc.) in
nature. Single family structures must on a lot that is a minimum of two acres, and some of the
other permitted uses have setbacks, but there is no list or chart of district-wide development
regulations.
The Rural Development 1 District has a similar purpose, but requires larger lots of a
minimum of one acre to preserve the rural character in the developed area. The district is
intended to be used when there is pressure to develop, but public utilities are not readily
available. Density is limited to one residential unit per lot and accessory dwellings must ten feet
from an abutting side property line, and twenty feet from an abutting rear property line. Setbacks
and other development regulations are included in another section, and these seem to be intended
for use in every district (York County Zoning Ordinance).
Kershaw County has three Rural Resource Districts. The intended use of all three is to
protect area resources, water, air, etc., from development, and keep the rural area from being
altered. The only distinction of permitted uses in the districts relates to manufactured and mobile
housing. Manufactured and mobile homes are not permitted in the RD-1. MRD-1 has appearance
standards for manufactured housing. Mobile homes are permitted in RD-2 only. Manufacturing
and construction businesses are prohibited in the districts. All three districts have the same
development regulations.
The development regulations for residential uses are a minimum lot size of one acre.
Setbacks are thirty-five feet from the front, twenty feet from the side, and thirty feet from the
rear. Maximum density is one unit per acre.
For residential neighborhoods designed with conservation in mind there is a minimum lot
size of a quarter of an acre. The setbacks are twenty-five feet from the front, twenty-five feet
from the side, and twenty feet from the rear. The maximum density for a developed area is four
units per acre on a maximum of forty acres. The maximum density for an entire project area is
1.6 units on an entire project area.
Development regulations for non-residential uses are: a minimum lot size of half an acre,
front setbacks of thirty-five feet from the front, twenty feet from the side, and thirty feet from the
rear. No maximum density is listed.
The maximum building height for is thirty-five feet across the board (Kershaw County
Zoning Ordinance).

3. Oconee County has a Traditional Rural District and a Rural Residential District. Neither
provides a list of a permitted uses. The Traditional Rural District is intended to preserve
traditional lifestyles in sparsely populated areas, and to preserve the character of rural areas.
Residential development is limited to single family homes, and there is little commercial or
industrial development. For residential uses the minimum lot size is half an acre, and the
maximum density is two dwellings per acre. Setbacks are thirty-five feet from the front, ten feet
from the side, and twenty feet from the rear. For non-residential uses the development
regulations are the same with the exception that there is no listed maximum density.
The Rural Residential District requirements are also split into residential and non-
residential uses. Residential uses have a minimum lot size of five acres and a maximum density
for one dwelling per five acres. Setbacks are thirty-five feet from the front, twenty feet from the
side, and fifty feet from the rear. Non-residential uses must meet the same requirements,
excepting a maximum density requirement. This district is intended to allow for limited growth,
while minimizing the impact of dense residential development (Oconee County Ordinance).
Richland County has a Rural District, a Rural Residential District, and a Rural
Commercial District. The Rural District is intended to provide low intensity agricultural areas
and very low density single family dwellings. The intent is to preserve and provide open space,
farmland, and rural areas, and protect and encourage integrity of existing rural communities. The
minimum lot area is one acre, and maximum density is one dwelling per lot. Setbacks are forty
feet from the front, twenty feet from the side, and fifty feet from the rear.
The Rural Residential District is intended for single family dwellings and limited, private
agricultural uses. The intent is to provide open space for low density residential development to
maintain a rural setting, while providing a minimum amount of urban character. The district is a
transition zone between the Rural District and more urban districts, acting as a buffer. The
minimum lot size is an acre, and the maximum density is one dwelling per acre. Setbacks are the
same as the Rural District.
The Rural Commercial District is meant to provide for rural residents who are isolated
from shops and services. It is meant to be a flexible district that allows for a mix of uses to serve
the needs of residents who live far from more urban areas. The district is meant to be located at
intersections of arterial and/or major collector roads to prevent the sprawl of commercial uses
into the countryside. The minimum lot area is twenty-two thousand square feet, and there is no
maximum density. Setbacks are twenty-five feet from the front, twenty feet from the rear, and
there are no side setbacks (Richland County Ordinance).
Sumter County has no rural district. Their zoning ordinance lists an Agricultural
Conservation District, and a Conservation Preservation District. It is possible these are intended
to be rural. The Agricultural Conservation District is meant to protect and preserve areas of the
county which are rural or agricultural in nature. Permitted uses are agricultural and residential in

4. nature. Minimum lot size is one acre. Front setbacks are thirty-five feet from local streets, and
forty-five feet from all other streets. Side setbacks are twelve feet for residential uses, fifty feet
for non-residential uses. Rear setbacks from abutting residential and non-residential districts are
fifty feet.
The Conservation Preservation District is intended to preserve and protect
environmentally sensitive areas. Permitted uses area agricultural and residential, and there is a
very limited selection of conditional and special exception uses. The minimum lot requirement
for both city and county is five acres. Front setbacks are thirty-five feet from local streets, and
forty-five feet from all other streets. Side setbacks are fifty feet, and rear setbacks are eighty feet.
Sumter County’s Comprehensive Plan mentions the creation of a Rural Development
Planning Area. Possible regulations are mentioned, along with ways to amend each regulation.
The intended purpose is to support low-density residential development and some non-residential
and agricultural uses in a low-regulatory environment (Sumter County Ordinance).
Columbia County, GA had no rural district listed. A Residential-Agricultural District
seems to be the closest in nature. The purpose is to provide for rural farm and agricultural uses
and low density, non-suburban development. The minimum lot size is 2.5 acres, front setbacks
depend on what kind of road the lot fronts, the minimum rear setback is 25 feet, and the
minimum side setback is 10 feet.
The recommendation is that Greenwood County considers creating a Rural Residential
District, a Rural Commercial District, and a Rural Industrial District, thereby turning one district
into three. As it is now, the Rural Development District already has different lot size
requirements for residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Additionally, the setbacks vary
depending on the use. By creating three distinct districts, the County could regulate development
unique to all three uses, slowing or speeding up development depending on the district, creating
more appropriate lists of permitted, conditional, and special exception uses, and allowing more
appropriate setbacks depending on if an area is intended to be preserved, or developed. An
example of a Rural Residential District follows. The finished product would be more
comprehensive and would be presented in the same format as the rest of the County ordinances.
A Rural Residential District is intended to protect and preserve the rural character of existing
neighborhoods while conserving and ensuring access to the County’s scenic and natural
resources.
Minimum lot size: One acre
Front setback: Fifty feet
Side setback: Ten feet
Rear setback: Forty feet

5. Permitted uses:
Residential:
-Single family dwellings
-Manufactured housing
-Mobile homes
Agricultural:
-Private, limited farming endeavors including but not limited to: dairy farming, fish,
birds, poultry.
Community:
-Churches
-Community Centers
-Schools
Conditional uses:
-Cemetery, provided the lot size is two acres, and a buffer of one hundred feet for each
abutting residential neighborhood.
-Office, provided the building is limited to 1,000 square feet in gross floor space; no
more than five paved parking spaces are provided to limit impervious surfaces; the hours of
operation are from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Special exceptions:
-Drugstore, bookstore, florist, newsstand, tack/feed, antique, craft, and small scale retail
establishments. Such establishments shall be located on lot with a minimum of two acres, with a
buffer of one hundred feet for each abutting residential neighborhood. The maximum impervious
surface is one quarter of an acre.
Sign regulations: Same as R-1 district.