The staff of the Sumter City-County Planning Department provides a variety of services to the public. The major services are:
- Rezoning and Land Use: Support, inquires, and guidance including area around Shaw AFB and Poinsett Range
- Subdivision of Property / Plat: Approval for all plats in the City of Sumter and the unincorporated area of the county
- Floodplain Management: Information, rules, and code compliance
- Mobile Home Zoning: Certification and Mobile Homes Building Permits for all newly sited manufactured / mobile homes
- Temporary Uses: Regulations and permits for a variety of uses
- Sign: Permits for all signs except one per parcel based on zoning (special instructions are provided for size and location of all signs)
Rezoning/Land Use
All zoning and land use for the City and County of Sumter is governed by the individual Zoning and Development Standards Ordinances for those two government bodies. The Sumter City-County Planning Department maintains the original document and the original, approved zoning maps.
Any requests for zoning or ordinance text changes will go through the Planning Department by consultation and the submission of the proper request and appropriate fee. The full range of forms with fee included on the forms are attached.
Additionally, Conditional Use requests and any inquires for Business License issues should be addressed to the Planning Staff.
Subdivision of Property/Plats
The Planning Department and the Sumter City-County Planning Commission reviews all subdivision of property actions (plats) for the City of Sumter and the unincorporated portions of Sumter County. Plats are reviewed for Compliance with zoning and subdivisions standards as published in the appropriate Sumter Zoning and Development Standards Ordinance.
Major subdivisions and major site plans require Planning Commission approval while the Staff does all minor subdivisions, site plans, and plats for approved major subdivisions.
In accordance with state and local laws, an approved and recorded plat is required before property may be sold or transferred. They are also required for Building Permits. DHEC may require them for septic tank approval.
Variances to subdivision regulations are considered by the Planning Commission and/or Planning Staff.
See City and County Zoning and Development Standards Ordinances.
Floodplain Management
Sumter has over 4,000 parcels and 90,000 acres in designated Special Flood Hazard areas (SFHA) that require special permitting actions.
The Zoning Administrator is the Floodplain Manager for the City and County of Sumter and is responsible for all actions associated with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Community Rating System (CRS).
The Planning Department houses and maintains the required FEMA documents and material including submitted elevation certificates, FIRM maps, LOMRs and other adjustments to the FIRMs, and digital maps to help citizens determine floodplain boundaries and required actions.
The Building Official also is available for Building Code compliance, inspections, and hazard mitigation.
For information regarding floodplain administration, please contact Helen Roodman, Floodplain Coordinator, at (803) 774-1660.
Mobile Home Permits
The Sumter City-County Planning Department and the Sumter County Assessor's office provide the documents, stickers, certifications, and permits necessary to move and site a mobile / manufactured home in Sumter City and County. (Modular Homes with proper documentation are permitted using the same procedures for site built homes).
The Planning Department does Mobile Home Certifications and Mobile Home Building Permits.
The Planning Department has produced a step by step list (below) that explains the entire process for Mobile / Manufactured homes placement. The key action is to contact the Planning Department staff at (803) 774-1660 to answer all questions and review site plans and parcel zoning.
Mobile Home Placement Requirements
Temporary Uses
Temporary Uses for Sumter City and County are controlled by the appropriate Zoning and Development Standards Ordinance and reviewed and permitted by the Planning Staff. All temporary use rules and guide lines are contained in Section 5.c of the Zoning Ordinances. Fees for the different temporary uses are attached as part of the Planning Fees.
Early contact with the Planning Department Staff will answer all questions and help avoid major conflicts.
Signs
No other section of the Sumter Zoning and Development Standards Ordinance has created as much discussion and confusion as the Sign Regulations (Section 8.i.). This section was designed to meet major objectives established in the Comprehensive Plans and gives everyone fair and equal treatment for advertising and free speech. Please contact the Planning Staff as soon as possible with all questions relating to signs, permits, and fees.
All signs are controlled by this Ordinance. Most have permits and fees associated with them, while almost all have time, manner, and place rules.