Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Arcadia Lakes, South Carolina

Town of Arcadia Lakes’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, repair, moving or demolition of buildings and structures inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • Applies to work involving expenditure of more than $500.00
  • Permit issued by the town clerk-treasurer; a public utility need not obtain a permit for work on its utility system
  • Permit invalid if work not begun within six months or suspended/abandoned for one year; 90-day extension for cause
  • A surety bond for stormwater sediment is required before a permit issues (§ 4-108)
  • A separate zoning permit is required (§ 5-229)

  expenditure threshold: > 500 USD (public utility work on its own system)

  “no person shall construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, or demolish any building or structure”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • Latest editions as promulgated by the South Carolina Building Codes Council; also adopts electrical, fire, fuel gas, mechanical, plumbing, swimming pool and property maintenance codes (§§ 4-202 to 4-208)

  “the latest edition of the international residential code for one- and two family dwellings, including appendix b and appendix j, and all amendments thereto, as promulgated by the south carolina building codes council, are hereby adopted by reference.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land and improvements within Arcadia Lakes town (Richland County)

  • Administered by the clerk-treasurer as zoning administrator; board of zoning appeals hears appeals and special exceptions

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall apply to all land and improvements within the town of arcadia lakes, south carolina.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Arcadia Lakes town

  • Boundaries shown on the official zoning map dated 1985, as amended, on file with the clerk-treasurer

  “four (4) zoning districts are established in the town, designated as follows: rs-l single family residential (low density) rs-2 single family residential (medium density) lc light commercial pud planned unit development”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  RS-1 single family residential (low density) district, Arcadia Lakes town

  • Pre-existing lots of record may be built on as single-family sites (§ 5-227)

  minimum lot area: >= 25000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 100 ft

  “minimum lot requirements: rs-l: lot width 100 feet -- lot area 25,000 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RS-2 single family residential (medium density) district, Arcadia Lakes town

    “rs-2: lot width 90 feet -- lot area 15,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  RS-1 district, Arcadia Lakes town

  • Values read from the first data row of the § 5-226 table, whose text extraction is garbled
  • Corner lots: side yards adjacent to a street must be at least half the front yard (§ 5-214)
  • Accessory buildings must be in the rear yard at least 5 ft from any property line (§ 5-223)

  front yard setback: >= 35 ft · combined side yards: >= 20 ft · minimum individual side yard: >= 10 ft · rear yard setback: >= 25 ft

  “30% 35 feet 20 feet minimum individual side yard setback rear yard setback maximum height of structures 10 feet 25 feet 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RS-2 district, Arcadia Lakes town

    “30% 30 feet 15 feet 7 feet 20 feet 35 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  RS-1 district, Arcadia Lakes town

  • Percent of lot covered by buildings; table text is garbled, read by column order

  maximum lot coverage by structures: <= 30 percent

  “maximum front yard combined % of lot setback side yards covered by of same buildings structure total 30% 35 feet 20 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RS-2 district, Arcadia Lakes town

    “30% 30 feet 15 feet 7 feet 20 feet 35 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  RS-1 and RS-2 districts (and residential structures in LC), Arcadia Lakes town

  • Height limit does not apply to church spires, belfries, cupolas, domes, monuments, water towers, flag poles, chimneys, antennas and similar structures (§ 5-227(b))
  • Height measured from mean finished ground level to the highest point of the roof

  maximum height of structures: <= 35 ft (exempt structures listed in § 5-227(b))

  “30% 30 feet 15 feet 7 feet 20 feet 35 feet”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Travel trailers/RVs on residential lots inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • A travel trailer may be parked only as the owner's personal property, outside the required front yard, and not occupied for habitation
  • Trailer parks are prohibited

  “however, a travel trailer may be parked on a lot occupied by a residence subject to the following conditions: (1) the trailer is the personal property of the owner. (2) the trailer is not located in a required front yard. (3) the trailer is not occupied or used for human habitation.”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Manufactured and mobile homes inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • Applies on temporary or permanent foundations and to buildings of similar construction intended for human habitation

  “manufactured homes, mobile homes or trailers on temporary or permanent foundations (including buildings of similar construction intended for human habitation) are prohibited in the town.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic systems inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • Town requires public sewer connection and bans new septic tanks; existing systems are to be removed from service in accordance with DHEC regulations (§ 6-304)

  “it shall be unlawful to use an existing septic tank or to install a new septic tank within the town.”

• Off-grid sanitationProhibited

  Onsite sewage disposal inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • Septic tanks are also declared a health hazard and public nuisance (§ 6-304)

  “it shall be unlawful to use an existing septic tank or to install a new septic tank within the town.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  All occupied residential and commercial structures inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • No distance or availability threshold stated; connection is required for all occupied structures
  • Private wells may only be used for animals, irrigation and/or HVAC water source heat pump systems
  • Public water system is owned and operated by the City of Columbia

  “all residential and commercial structures occupied within the town shall be connected to the public water system. private wells may only be used for animals and irrigation and/or hvac water source heat pump systems.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permits inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • Amended October 3, 2019
  • Plan review fee $150 added to minimum permit fee; each inspection after the first and final is $150
  • Starting work before a permit adds a 100 percent penalty
  • Commercial schedule is separate (minimum $300)

  residential permit fee: per 4 USD per $1,000 of work (minimum $150) · plan review fee: 150 USD

  “the fee shall be four dollars ($4.00) per thousand or fraction thereof, with a minimum permit fee of $150.00. the plan review fee for any construction is $150.00 and shall be added to the minimum permit fee.”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit applications inside Arcadia Lakes town

  • Application accompanied by two copies of plot plan, drawings and specifications sealed by the responsible designer
  • Zoning permit from the zoning administrator also required (§ 5-229)

  “application for a permit required by this chapter shall be made on the form provided by the town. subcontractors shall be listed on the application.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Arcadia Lakes or Richland County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Arcadia Lakes town
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new construction inside Arcadia Lakes town
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Arcadia Lakes town
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Arcadia Lakes town
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Arcadia Lakes town

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.