Planning and zoning regulations for the City of West Columbia are authorized by the S. C. Code of Laws to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of its citizens. The intention of the regulations is to lessen congestion in the streets, provide safety from fire, panic and other dangers, provide adequate light and air, prevent the overcrowding of land, and avoid undue concentration of population. The regulations also facilitate adequate provision of parks, schools, transportation, water and sewerage, and other public requirements in accordance with the City of West Columbia Comprehensive Plan. The regulations are known as "The Zoning Ordinance of the City of West Columbia, South Carolina" and apply to all land and improvements within the incorporated boundaries of the City of West Columbia, SC.
Click on the links below to view further documentation and information:
West Columbia Zoning Ordinance
Click HERE to view the DISCLAIMER for the maps below:
West Columbia Zoning Map - Atlas
Bookmarks are provided in this .pdf atlas to browse between map pages. Please refer to the Help menu of your .pdf viewer for information about enabling and using bookmark tools. This atlas is organized by tax map pages. You may research individual parcel information, including tax map numbers, by visiting the Lexington County GIS Property, Mapping, and Data Service (link to http://www.lex-co.com/GIS/Index.html ) web page.
West Columbia Comprehensive Plan
Zoning Application for a Building Permit
Site Plan – Use if no additional site plan is submitted with permit application
Zoning Application for a Business License
Zoning Application for a Home Occupation
Zoning Application for a Sign Permit
Application for a Special Exception
Application for a Variance Appeal
Application for a Map Amendment
The City of West Columbia and the West Columbia Beautification Foundation are working together to enhance the beauty of West Columbia. Find out about West Columbia’s beautification efforts by reading The West Columbia Beautification Plan.
Click HERE to view.
Gateway Overlay District Redevelopment Plan
The Congaree Coalition, comprised of The City of Columbia,
City of West Columbia, Columbia Development Corporation, Eau Claire Development
Corporation, Columbia Housing Development Corporation, and the Two Notch
Development Corporation, received a $1 million brownfields grant from the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This grant, funded through the
2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, provides funds for environmental
assessments and redevelopment planning activities throughout the Congaree
Region. The City of West Columbia has designated the Gateway Overlay District
(GOLD), a major gateway area situated on the western bank of the Congaree River,
as its emphasis area for investing a portion of the brownfield grant.
The purpose of the West Columbia Gateway Overlay District Redevelopment
Plan is to investigate the GOLD, assess its redevelopment potential, and to
provide recommendations that best leverage redevelopment opportunities to
improve the community’s overall economic and environmental health. On
November 13, 2012, the West Columbia City Council passed a resolution adopting
the West Columbia Gateway Overlay District Redevelopment Plan.
Click
HERE
to view the Gateway Overlay District Redevelopment Plan.
Planning a yard sale or an outdoor sale at a business?
Please pick up a Yard Sale Permit from City Hall before
your event. A Yard Sale Permit is required for any yard sale on
residential property. A permit is also required if an outdoor sale on
commercial property will be conducted with 50 feet from the roadway
right-of-way. The fee is $5.00 for a residential yard sale and there is no
fee for outdoor sales on commercial property for businesses that have a valid
business license. Keep the following in mind when conducting an outdoor sale:
- Permits must be applied for in person at City Hall.
The Customer Service Department will assist you with the application
process.
- No more than three yard sale permits will be granted
to any property per year.
- Do not block or restrict passageways to less than six
feet. Do not block public sidewalks, crosswalks, bus stops, counter service
windows. Do not block ingress or egress to or from any building.
- Do not store, park, or leave any stand or items of
merchandise for sale overnight on any parking lots, sidewalks, and/or
property which is visible from a public thoroughfare.
Housing Rehabilitation Programs
“The purpose of the Housing Rehabilitation
Programs is to help maintain Lexington County homes for long-term livability and
help our communities remain stable and healthy. Funds for these programs
are through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are
awarded to the county to implement housing and community development activities.
For more information, please click on this link to the Lexington County
Community Development Department.”
For more information, please visit: www.lex-co.com/Departments/CommunityDevelopment/Index.html and/or CLICK HERE to download the informational brochure.
Intensive Commercial (C-1)
This district is intended to accommodate retail core uses, intensive office employment and complimentary uses that serve people who shop or work in a central business district.
General Commercial (C-2)
This district is intended to accommodate a variety of general commercial and non-residential uses characterized primarily by retail, office and service establishments and oriented toward major traffic arteries or extensive areas of predominantly commercial usage and characteristics.
Restricted Commercial (C-3)
This district is intended to accommodate office, institutional and certain types of residential to commercial uses and is intended to accomplish the transition with minimal conflict among uses. Class A mobile homes are permitted with restrictions.
Light Manufacturing (LM)
This district is intended to accommodate wholesaling, storage, distribution, processing, and light manufacturing uses. Some general commercial uses are permitted.
Heavy Manufacturing (HM)
This district is intended to accommodate primarily those uses of a manufacturing and industrial nature, and secondarily those uses that are functionally related to distribution, storage and processing. General com-mercial uses are allowed, but are considered incidental to the pre-dominantly industrial nature of the district.
High-Density Residential (R-1)
This district is intended as a high-density residential area characterized by single-family detached residences, multiple-family structures (such as duplexes and quadraplexes), garden-type apartments and high-rise apartments. Class A mobile homes are permitted in the district providing they conform to certain requirements.
Medium-Density Residential (R-2)
This district is intended as a medium-density residential area characterized by single-family detached residences and two-family attached residences on the same lot. Class A mobile homes are permitted in the district providing they conform to certain requirements.
Low-Density Residential (R-3 and R-4)
These districts are intended as single-family residential areas with low to medium population densities. Use regulations for the single-family districts are identical, but custom has established two classes of lot width and lot area. These dimensional differences are intended to be preserved.
Planned Unit Development (PUD-C and PUD-R)
The intent of planned unit development districts is to derive benefits of efficiency, economy and flexibility by encouraging unified development of large sites, while also obtaining the advantage of creative site design, improved appearance, compatibility of uses, and optimum service by community facilities.
Development (D)
This district is intended to provide for large tracts of land located primarily on the fringe of urban growth where the pre-dominant character of urban development has not yet been fully established, but where the current characteristics of use are predominantly residential, agricultural or semi-developed with scattered related uses.
The above information is very general in nature. Refer to the West Columbia Zoning Ordinance for specific details and requirements.
Please contact the Director of Planning and Zoning at 803.791.1880.
