RICHLAND – As part of its year-and-a-half long effort to rezone all unincorporated properties in Richland County, the county’s planning staff has a new proposal for high density residential zoning that will spill into Blythewood 29016 if the plan is approved.
At the end of the Oct. 3, 2022 planning commission meeting, the county planning staff, the driving force behind the mass rezoning effort, presented two maps – one showing all the M-1 (manufacturing) zoning in the county. The other map showed how every M-1 rezoned parcel in the county is proposed to be rezoned to one of five new zoning designations – MU 1 (Multi-Use) – 10 units per acre; MU2, – 20 units per acre and MU3 – unlimited units per acre, GC (general commercial) – 16 units per acre and EMP – 20+ units per acre.
A large area – about 360 acres that make up Northpoint Industrial Park off Community Road and adjacent to Ashley Oaks and Dawson’s Creek/Dawson’s Pond neighborhoods – is zoned M-1 and is proposed to be zoned EMP.
Much of the 360 acreage is available for development according to Richland County GIS information. EMP zoning allows mixed uses including high density residential and multifamily.
EMP zoning will allow an even higher density than 20+ units per acre with bonus density options.
Planning Commissioners will vote their recommendation for or against the proposed new zoning designations at their Nov. 7 meeting at the Richland County Building at 2020 Hampton St. in Columbia.