Florence County businesses could get more leeway with accessory uses

By: Charles Tomlinson | SCNow
Published: August 19, 2009

Florence County Council is scheduled Thursday to hold final reading of an ordinance that council members have said would give businesses more leeway regarding what can go in front of their facilities.

The ordinance would offer more leeway regarding the accessory uses that can be placed in front of principal buildings, Councilman James Schofield said last month.

The amendment would offer flexibility that would make it easier to place an ATM in front of a bank or a vacuum in front of a car wash while still tightening up on setbacks in backyards that adjoin residential areas,Schofield said before last month’s Council meeting.

The county planning commission in a 10-0 vote recommended approval of the updated rules.

During last month’s meeting, Council revived the ordinance from its inactive agenda, where it had remained since May, and passed second reading of the measure. The action came after Council’s Public Service and the Florence County Planning Committee met earlier that morning to discuss the issue.

The committee, of which Schofield is chairman, will meet again at 5 p.m. Thursday to discuss portable sign regulations as well as other issues before the committee.

The full council’s regular meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

In other business on today’s agenda, Council is scheduled to vote on $20,000 of county infrastructure funds to help Lake City with roof repair, painting and other renovations to the Greater Lake City Chamber of Commerce office, located in the city’s historical railroad depot.

Council also will vote on $21,000 in county utility funds to help Olanta buy and install a sand filter as well as pumps for a sewage lift station.

Other utility allocations up for a vote include $40,000 for 1½ inches of asphalt at the parking lot of North Vista Elementary School in Florence.

Meanwhile, county agencies and rescue squads will receive two grants pending Council’s approval today.

One is a $50,000 award from the State Law Enforcement Division for the county Emergency Management Department to receive approved homeland security equipment and training.

The other is a $24,173 grant from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. The funds would be split among the rescue squads of Johnsonville, Pamplico and Timmonsville and would pay for equipment and training.

In addition, council will decide whether to declare 364 CES Votomatic punch-card voting machines as surplus property to be sold via Internet auction on GovDeals.com.

Today’s agenda also includes votes on the following road projects through the county’s Road System Maintenance Fee fund:

$85,000 for the resurfacing of Lowell, Yvonne and Sundance streets near Florence.
$60,000 for 6 inches’ worth of reclamation and 1½ inches of asphalt for McKenney Court near Florence.
$50,665.75 for MBC stone and crushed asphalt on Pisgah Road near Florence.
$20,000 for asphalt on Devon Road south of Florence; the Florence County Transportation Committee has approved an additional $20,000 for the project.