The Orangeburg County Planning Commission on Wednesday agreed to change the zoning on two mobile home subdivisions to allow additional single-wides in an effort to limit economic hardship on the developer.

Commissioners, after much discussion, also proposed the creation of a third residential zoning district that would allow a mixed use of residences from on-site built homes, to manufactured homes to trailers. The new district would not change any existing zoning but would only serve as an option property owners could request.

The matter will be brought forward for public hearings and a vote by Orangeburg County Council in the next few months.

Jan D. Shuler of St. Matthews appeared before the Commission Wednesday requesting a zoning reclassification for two of his subdivisions -- Holly Ridge Estates and Country Lane -- from general residential to forest/agriculture, which would allow him to sell single-wide mobile homes.

The subdivisions, which are about three miles apart, are located off of S.C. Highway 4 near Gospel Hill Court.

"It is a mobile home subdivision," Shuler said, expressing his bewilderment as to why additional single-wides cannot be placed in the subdivisions under the new zoning ordinance. "The way I look at it, if there is such a thing as grandfathering ... it should fall under that to begin with."

The problem resides in the fact that while mobile homes currently in the subdivision are grandfathered, under the zoning ordinance the subdivision is now zoned general residential preventing any further single-wides from being placed there.

Double-wide but not single-wide homes are allowed in the RG district.

"I sell property specifically for mobile homes," Shuler said, explaining that he has lost about four sales since the zoning change. "Orangeburg County is barring me from making a living."

Planning Commission Chairman Jim Albergotti said the county had adequate public hearings and opportunities for Shuler to voice his opinions and concerns before the enactment of the zoning ordinance.

Shuler noted that he lives in Calhoun County and was not aware of the meetings.

In a spirit of compromise, commissioners approved changing the zoning classification for Shuler's property from RG to FA. The commissioners will also consider creating a new district.

"I think we need a third residential area that allows a mixed use of any type of housing," Albergotti said. "I think we need to address that and discuss that and possibly something to solve this problem."

The motion was unanimous.

Prior to the vote, Shuler described the zoning ordinance as "discriminatory" against single-wide mobile home occupants.

"One thing the county needs to look at is there is a certain segment of the population in this county that can only afford to live in a single-wide mobile home. You are telling them in essence you are living in a single-wide, that single-wide is no good and you can't put it anywhere in the county," Shuler said.

Orangeburg County Deputy Administrator Harold Young rejected that assessment, noting that Orangeburg County's ordinance is liberal in the placement and regulation of single-wides compared to other counties in the state.

The county allows single-wide mobile home placement in its FA district, which consists of about 90 percent of the county, and allows for homes manufactured after 1976 to be placed in the county.

Young noted in surrounding counties, mobile homes older than 5 years old are not allowed.

"I understand your pain, but there are other counties that are tougher on mobile homes than we are," Young said.

Albergotti said when the ordinance was drafted, the general theme was to reduce the amount of inferior and dangerous single-wides, not to make it too expensive for anyone to live in the county.

"There was a theme in this ordinance that we were going to lessen the impact of lower cost, single-wide mobile homes," he said. "I can tell you from the workshops that they (County Council) wanted the single-wide mobile home proliferation in Orangeburg County to be declining and they wanted the ordinance written to that end."

Also during the meeting, commissioners approved James and Virginia Wilson's zoning reclassification request for their property at 7864 Savannah Highway near Henry's Road. They want it rezoned from forest/agriculture to commercial general for future use in automobile sales. The property is currently used as an automobile repair shop.

In other matters, commissioners gave preliminary approval to the construction of student housing on U.S. 301 near the U.S. 21 Bypass, pending the receipt of a storm-water permit.

The 13 building, 300-bed apartment complex will consist of two-floors with each building roughly 23,000 square feet.

Each 1,400-square-foot suite will consist of four beds, two baths, a living and kitchen area. Each building will have eight suites per building.

The apartments will be on 29.7 acres. The expected occupancy date is by late 2009.

The project contractor is C.F. Evans Construction and engineer is Columbia-based BP Barber.

T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com

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