Appendix 711. Resort Commercial District (RC).

Intent. The purposes of the Resort Commercial District are to create and protect areas wherein compatible residential, recreational, and commercial uses may be established and maintained on a sound basis. Standards are so designed as to encourage both seasonal and permanent occupancy of dwellings within this district; to permit commercial activities, such as marinas, boat service stations restaurants, and other selected retail establishments which are compatible with resort-oriented residential and recreational development; to encourage the discontinuance of nonconforming uses; and to prohibit any use that would substantially interfere with the development or continuance of resort-oriented commercial establishments, recreational, and residential structures in the district.

711.1 Permitted Uses:

(A)

All permitted uses allowed in any General Residential District as shown in section 709.1;

(B)

Hotels, motels, and tourist homes, provided:

1.

Minimum lot area twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet or one thousand (1,000) square feet per accommodation for one- or two-story structures or seven hundred (700) square feet per accommodation for three (3) or more story structures, whichever is greater;

2.

Maximum building height: Unlimited provided that parking standards and other regulatory requirements are met;

(C)

All permitted uses allowed in any Neighborhood Commercial District as shown in section 714.1; and,

(D)

Accessory uses.

(E)

Repealed.

(F)

Campers or recreation vehicles subject to the special provisions of Article 12.

(G)

Churches, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship subject to the provisions of Article 12.

(Ord. No. 31-01, § 1, 6-19-01; Ord. No. 157-02, § 2, 12-17-02; Ord. No. 88-16, § 3, 11-1-16; Ord. No. 116-17, § 1, 11-14-17)

711.2 Conditional Uses:

(A)

Publicly owned buildings, facilities, or lands, provided the review as required by Section 6-29-540 of South Carolina State Law is complete.

(B)

Publicly or privately owned utility substations or sub-installations, including water towers, provided the review as required by Section 6-29-540 of the South Carolina State Law has been completed.

(C)

Private educational facilities, nurseries or day care centers, provided that:

1.

Such uses must meet the minimum standards set forth for such facilities by the Department of Social Services and other state departments;

2.

Such uses shall be located on a lot of at least ten thousand (10,000) square feet in area;

3.

Reserved;

4.

A buffer strip may be required if deemed necessary in order to reduce the noise factor generated by the day care facility;

5.

Day/child care centers shall meet the requirements established in section 525.

(D)

Commercial marinas which provide boat slips on a rental basis in addition to some or all of the following activities: sale of fuel, tackle, convenience store for the sale of merchandise associated with boating activities, sale and/or trade boats, motors, and trailers but not as a principal activity (no retail showroom sales), restaurants, offices associated with the marina operation, site seeing and dinner cruise boats, provided that adequate parking is met as determined by maximum occupancy certified by the U.S. Coast Guard and casino boats as determined by the subsection 711.3 of this ordinance. Marinas that provide a boat ramp will be required to have additional off-street parking areas. The conditions for approval are as follows:

1.

An application for such uses shall be accompanied by a concept plan to be reviewed and approved by the Zoning Administrator subject to requirements contained within the Zoning Ordinance, which shows the following:

a.

Proposed uses of buildings and land;

b.

Proposed location of buildings and their general exterior dimensions;

(1)

Marinas providing outdoor dry rack storage as an accessory use shall conform with the requirements of Article V Section 512 and;

(2)

Shall be no closer than thirty (30) feet from any property line adjacent to a residential use or zoning district.

(3)

Must have exterior siding on any side exposed to a residential use or zoning district.

(4)

The outdoor rack structure including the height of the boat shall not exceed 35 feet in height. (Cupolas, antennas, and other accessory equipment shall be exempt.)

c.

Surface water drainage plan;

d.

Facilities for sanitary waste disposal;

e.

Traffic, parking, and circulation plan, showing proposed location and arrangement of parking spaces and ingress and egress to and from adjacent streets;

f.

Location of fuel storage tanks; and

g.

A buffer strip shall be provided to screen the marina activities from residential uses.

h.

Minimum lot area of fifteen thousand (15,000) sq. ft., additional lot area will be required for marinas with boat ramps, to be determined by the Zoning Administrator upon review of the concept plan.

i.

Setbacks: Fifty (50) feet front yard setback; twenty-five (25) feet side yard setback; twenty-five (25) feet rear yard setback; no setback is required for the rear if the marina is abutting a body of water.

(E)

Free-standing, commercial parking lots subject to the following limitations and conditions:

1.

This off-site parking shall not be used to satisfy the parking requirements of Section 1104 unless otherwise authorized by the zoning ordinance or the property owner of the parking area grants a deed restriction naming Horry County as a party to ensure that the off-site parking is not later eliminated without prior approval of Horry County.

2.

This off-site parking shall not be used to satisfy the parking requirements of Section 1104 for any expansion of a use and/or structure where the parking for said use and/or structure is nonconforming.

(Ord. No. 67-88, 4-18-89; Ord. No. 51-99, §§ 16, 20, 23, 12-7-99; Ord. No. 114-01, § 1, 9-4-01; Ord. No. 122-02, § 1, 9-3-02; Ord. No. 59-13, § 1, 11-12-13)

711.2.1 Special Exceptions. Owing to their potential negative impact on the community, the Board of Zoning Appeals may approve the following use(s) as a special exception:

Bed and breakfast establishments (B&Bs) subject to the following conditions:

1.

That the special exception complies with all applicable development standards.

2.

That the special exception will be in substantial harmony with the area in which it is to be located.

3.

That the special exception will not be injurious to adjoining property.

4.

That the special exception will contribute to the economic vitality and promote the general welfare of the community.

5.

That the special exception will not discourage or negate the use of surrounding property for uses(s) permitted by right.

6.

In granting a special exception, the board of zoning appeals may impose such reasonable and additional stipulations, conditions, or safeguards as, in its judgement, will enhance the siting of the proposed special exception.

(Ord. No. 87-01, § 1, 7-10-01)

711.3 Special Exceptions: Owing to their negative impact on the community due to potential parking congestion, and due to potential disruption to residential communities arising from movement of vehicles and people at unusual and unsociable hours, the following use (s) may be approved, but only as a special exception by the Board of Zoning Appeals:

(A)

Casino Cruise Boats, to include all cruise vessels offering cruises of less than twenty-four (24) hours in duration with gambling or gaming, docking at facilities within Horry County to load and unload passengers, subject to the following conditions:

1.

That the special exception shall not be located closer than two thousand (2,000) feet (measured from property line) from an existing residential use, except in unusual circumstances where mitigating conditions can be imposed to minimize adverse effects to residential uses;

2.

That the special exception will be in substantial harmony in the area in which it is to be located;

3.

That the special exception will not be injurious to the use or enjoyment for permitted and other lawful uses of adjoining property;

4.

That the special exception will contribute to the economic vitality and promote the general welfare of the community;

5.

That the special exception will not discourage or negate the use of surrounding property for use(s) permitted by right; and,

6.

In granting the special exception, the Board of Zoning Appeals may impose such reasonable and additional stipulations, conditions or safeguards as, in its judgment, will enhance the siting of the proposed special exception.

(Ord. No. 196-99, § 1, 4-17-01; Ord. No. 154-01, § 1, 10-23-01)

711.4 Other Requirements. Unless otherwise specified elsewhere in this ordinance uses permitted in Resort Commercial Districts shall be required to conform to standards as set forth:

(A)

Area and yard requirements are the same as for General Residential as shown in sections 709.2 through 709.5.

1.

Maximum building height: Unlimited provided that parking standards and other regulatory ordinance requirements are met.

(B)

Hotels, motels, tourist homes, and eating establishments provided:

1.

Minimum lot area: Twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet or one thousand (1,000) square feet per accommodation for one- or two-story structures and seven hundred (700) square feet per accommodation for three (3) or more story structures, whichever is greater.

2.

Maximum building height: Unlimited provided that parking standards and other regulatory requirements are met.

(C)

Signs permitted in Resort Commercial Districts, including the conditions under which they shall be located, are set forth in Article X.

(Ord. No. 196-99, § 1, 4-17-01)