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Photo by Blake Wheeler
The Hartwell City Council voted to approve several changes to the zoning ordinances on Monday that increases and reduces lot size, density and setback requirements and creates two new zoning districts.
The changes were approved following a second reading by the council.
Minimum lot sizes for two-family dwellings (duplexes) in the R–1A and R–1B Single-Family districts were reduced from 20,000 square feet to 9,000 square feet.
The approved changes also creates two new zoning districts – the R-3, Two-Family Residential District, and the RC, Residential Cottage District and increases the maximum lot coverages and principle building setbacks across all R and B districts.
“It’s very technical information. The main thing for the public to understand is why? Why do we do this? Why should we be updating and trying to respond to new market standards? Primarily, the city has been in great shape, historically, because we’ve had good strong zoning rules, we have a planning and zoning committee that takes their job very seriously,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “So we’ve been able to govern and regulate our expansion, our housing expansion and our commercial expansion. That’s why you see a planned growth strategy.”
The council also approved to reduce the maximum density in the R-2 Multiple-Family Residential District, from 10.4 units per acre to 7.4 units per acre without onsite parking, or eight units with onsite parking.
The change in density allows developers to build within a smaller footprint, so they don’t have to spread out infrastructure such as pipes which saves money and makes housing more affordable and attainable.
“People are no longer doing one and two acre estates, three and four-thousand square foot homes. It’s very expensive,” Johnson said. “Cities are gravitating toward a bit more densely planned [housing].”
Councilman Tray Hicks made a motion to remove the ordinance requiring an attached one-car garage in the R-2, Multiple-Family Residential District townhouses. Councilman Mike McNabb seconded the motion. Councilman Stephen Ayers was the only member who opposed.
In other business, an audit review for the City of Hartwell for 2022, conducted by Williams and Company, was presented by Christian Hatch.
“Hartwell was able to increase revenue, pay down existing debt, invest in a capital assets and improvements, while maintaining healthy cash balances,” Hatch said. “We noted no financial statement finding significant deficiencies or material instances of non-compliance during our audit.”