DSO Open House
The Town of Seabrook Island will host a Development Standards Ordinance (DSO) Open House meeting on Mon. August 23rd from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The meeting will take place at Seabrook Island Town Hall, 2001 Seabrook Island Road.
During the meeting, attendees will hear a brief overview from the project consultant (PLB Planning Group) about the town’s efforts over the last two years to review and update its DSO, as well as a summary of the goals and objectives of the new ordinance. The town’s Zoning Administrator will present a draft of the town’s new Zoning Map and will summarize the planned transition from the old zoning districts to the new. Following the presentations, town officials and the project consultant will be on hand to answer questions and hear feedback from meeting attendees.
The town is offering six ways to participate in the upcoming Open House:
During the meeting, attendees will hear a brief overview from the project consultant (PLB Planning Group) about the town’s efforts over the last two years to review and update its DSO, as well as a summary of the goals and objectives of the new ordinance. The town’s Zoning Administrator will present a draft of the town’s new Zoning Map and will summarize the planned transition from the old zoning districts to the new. Following the presentations, town officials and the project consultant will be on hand to answer questions and hear feedback from meeting attendees.
The town is offering six ways to participate in the upcoming Open House:
- Attend in Person at Seabrook Island Town Hall:
- The meeting will begin at 2:00 pm. Consistent with CDC and SCDHEC guidelines, please note that all attendees must wear a mask or face covering while inside Town Hall.
- Participate via Zoom:
- Click here for instructions on participating in the DSO Open House via Zoom
- To join by computer, tablet or mobile device: Click Here for Zoom
- To join by phone: Call (646) 558-8656 *Please note that long distance rates may apply*
- Meeting ID: 876 8952 7732 Passcode: 142801
- Watch Live on YouTube:
- The live stream will begin at 2:00 pm. Click here to view our YouTube Channel
- Submit a Question or Comment Online:
- Please use the public comment form below.
- Online questions and comments will be accepted until August 31st at 12:00 pm.
- Submit a Question or Comment by Email:
- Email questions and comments to [email protected]
- Emailed questions and comments will be accepted until August 31st at 12:00 pm.
- Submit a Question or Comment by Mail:
- Mail questions and comments to Town of Seabrook Island, Attn: Zoning Administrator, 2001 Seabrook Island Road, Seabrook Island, SC 29455
- Mailed questions and comments will be accepted until August 31st at 12:00 pm.
Copies of the draft DSO, proposed Zoning Map, Zoning Transition Summary and other materials may be found below.
For more information, please call (843) 768-9121 or email [email protected].
For more information, please call (843) 768-9121 or email [email protected].
DSO Documents
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To view draft documents related to the DSO update, please click the links below:
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What is the DSO?
The Town of Seabrook Island’s DSO is a type of “unified development ordinance” that governs a wide variety of topics related to the zoning, land use and subdivision of land within a single ordinance. The DSO establishes permitted uses and densities within each of the town’s zoning districts; regulates the overall design and dimensional requirements of new development, such as minimum lot sizes, maximum lot coverage, minimum setbacks and maximum building heights; protects environmental resources through beachfront, marsh, tree and wetland preservation requirements; and enhances the aesthetics of the community through buffering, landscaping, lighting and sign regulations. The DSO also outlines procedures for subdividing real property as well as reviewing and approving development requests.
About the DSO Update
In the spring of 2019, the Mayor and Council of the Town of Seabrook Island initiated a comprehensive review and rewrite of the town’s DSO. Last updated in 2004, this was the first major update of the town’s development-related ordinances in nearly 20 years, and the most substantial update since the town first adopted zoning and development regulations in 1987.
On March 26, 2019, Town Council approved a contract with PLB Planning Group, a zoning and land use consultant based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The following month, Town Council created a nine-member DSO Advisory Committee to review and provide feedback on the new DSO to town staff and the consultant. The advisory committee was made up of one member from Seabrook Island Town Council, two members from the Board of Zoning Appeals, two members from the Planning Commission, one staff representative from the Seabrook Island Property Owners Association and three at-large residents of the town.
Over two years and a total of 17 meetings, members of the advisory committee, town staff and the project consultant identified and reviewed deficiencies within the current DSO, evaluated feedback from a variety of community stakeholders, and prepared a new DSO for Town Council’s review and adoption.
The main objectives of the new DSO were to:
In order to achieve these goals, the draft DSO incorporates several major policy and procedural changes, including:
On March 26, 2019, Town Council approved a contract with PLB Planning Group, a zoning and land use consultant based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The following month, Town Council created a nine-member DSO Advisory Committee to review and provide feedback on the new DSO to town staff and the consultant. The advisory committee was made up of one member from Seabrook Island Town Council, two members from the Board of Zoning Appeals, two members from the Planning Commission, one staff representative from the Seabrook Island Property Owners Association and three at-large residents of the town.
Over two years and a total of 17 meetings, members of the advisory committee, town staff and the project consultant identified and reviewed deficiencies within the current DSO, evaluated feedback from a variety of community stakeholders, and prepared a new DSO for Town Council’s review and adoption.
The main objectives of the new DSO were to:
- Improve the organization and presentation of the document to make it more user friendly;
- Eliminate redundancy and conflicting provisions;
- Reduce the number of existing non-conformities;
- Reduce obstacles to property owners’ ability to renovate existing structures;
- Restructure and streamline the town’s review and approval procedures, including delegation of review authority, where appropriate;
- Establish objective standards to guide decisions and improve predictability for applicants and property owners;
- Bring the town’s regulations in line with recent case law and “best practices;” and
- Support the recommendations of the town’s Comprehensive Plan (2019)
In order to achieve these goals, the draft DSO incorporates several major policy and procedural changes, including:
- Eliminating 1970’s and 1980’s era Planned Development (PD) districts and replacing them with new zoning districts that more closely reflect existing conditions and reduce the number of non-conformities;
- Redefining the catch-all “multi-family” zoning district in the current DSO to more tailored districts based on the type of development, such as small lot single-family, cluster development, townhome and true multi-family developments;
- Distinguishing between “maintenance” and “improvements” to existing structures;
- Re-writing the town’s sign regulations to comply with recent Supreme Court decisions;
- Updating buffering, tree preservation and parking requirements;
- Unifying and standardizing requirements inside and outside of the SIPOA security gate; and
- Establishing well-defined and objective standards for the review and approval of new development and redevelopment.
Submit an Online CommentThe Town of Seabrook Island will accept online questions and comments about the draft DSO and new Zoning Map until August 31st at 12:00 PM. Please note that all comments will become part of the public record and may be subject to release under the requirements of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. |
Online Comment Form |
