“Zoning 101: What is Zoning?” Richland County releases user-friendly video to help residents understand the zoning process.
Columbia, SC – June 15, 2021 – In an effort to help residents better understand the zoning process, Richland County has launched the Zoning Made Easy campaign. The campaign features a series of videos, graphics, and pamphlets with the first video released last Friday. The campaign is working in conjunction as the county rewrites its Land Development Code, according to a news release from Richland County.
The 3-minute video is titled “Zoning 101: What is Zoning?” and can be found on the county’s YouTube page. The video walks viewers through a series of colorful animations and voice-over the explain zoning and land development; it will be a part of a continuing video series that will also provide information on rezoning and zoning districts.
As no subtitles are available on the video or through YouTube’s auto-generated CC tool, we’ve included a transcription along with timestamps to aid in user accessibility:
0:00 – What is zoning? Zoning is a sets of laws that control the physical development of land and the use of property. Zoning regulates what uses are allowed on a property, where, and to what extent those uses are allowed on the property, and how the property can be developed.
00:19 – Local government such as Richland County creates zoning laws which has two elements: a text that describes the laws and a map that shows where those laws will be applied.
00:30 – Zoning is used to promote the safety, public health and welfare of the community. Richland County utilizes zoning laws to balance compatibility between existing and new dew developments, while creating or preserving a specific look and feel. Like when there is a row of traditional 1-story homes and a developer wants to add a multi-story apartment complex. In this example zoning laws regulate the size, usage and type of building the property owner can build. Which preserves the development goals and planning for that community.
1:00 – Zoning is also the primary tool for implementing land use policies to manage growth and to control where and how growth occurs. Richland County’s comprehensive plan guides the established vision, goals and needs of a community’s future.
1:20 – Richland County creates zoning districts, also known as zones, or simply just zoning. These zones typically include broad categories of uses such as residential, commercial, or industrial zones. Within each broad category are more detailed classifications and types of usages like multi-family use, retail more than 20,000 SF, or a chemical processing plant.
1:48 – Every parcel of land is included within a zone and each zone has specific standards which must be met. Including elements such as lot size or density. For example, zoning regulates the amount of housing units allowed per parcel or how many lots can be created through subdivision.
2:08 – Zoning districts can regulate setbacks that measure how far away buildings can be from property lines. The building’s height, or number of stories tall the building can be, and lot coverage meaning how much of a property can be covered.
2:22 – Zoning specifies the permissions for how the property can be used and developed. For instance, in a residential zone, you can have a house but you may not have a coffee shop if the zoning doesn’t allow for that. Zoning balances the rights of land owners to utilize their property with the good of the public in order to regulate less than desirable uses. For example, zoning laws would not permit a property owner to build a drinking establishment next to a school.
2:54 – Ultimately, zoning is the authority on whether or not someone can do something with their property. Whether it’s building a house, establishing a business, or adding a pool.
3:03 – Thank you so much for watching. You can learn more about the land development code by visiting www.WePlanTogether.org
View more on the Richland County’s Press Release and view the video here.
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