(A) Purpose. The purpose of this subchapter is to create a Building Permit Allocation System to distribute certain building permits at a reasonable rate and in a manner intended to limit the pace of construction of certain dwelling units over a fixed period. The purpose of the system is to respond to a variety of growth and development forces which affect the town’s ability to meet community expectations and demands. Some factors and considerations supporting the need for the BPAS are as follows:
(1) The Town of Mount Pleasant is a desirable place to live and work due to its position in the Greater Charleston metropolitan area. The town’s convenient location, level and quality of municipal infrastructure and services, climate, and access to beaches and other recreational areas have generated continued high and unsustainable levels of residential growth;
(2) According to U.S. Census Bureau data and Mount Pleasant’s estimates, the town’s population increased by 19.07% from 2012 to 2017. The average annual population growth during that period was 3.54%. The chart below indicates the annual growth in dwelling units over the last five years;
Year | Increase in Dwelling Units | Growth Rate |
2013 | 1,232 | 3.84% |
2014 | 1,142 | 3.43% |
2015 | 1,003 | 2.91% |
2016 | 1,377 | 3.88% |
2017 | 1,218 | 3.23% |
(3) Like other fast-growing communities, the Town of Mount Pleasant continues to face infrastructure stresses brought on by continued residential growth. Maintaining pace with the demands of increasing numbers of housing remains a significant community issue;
(4) Considering the town’s coastal location and physical geography as defined by the ocean and major rivers, movement of people and goods depends upon a limited network of major roadways. Growth greatly affects the town’s road system as daily activities generate traffic and considerable congestion on primary road corridors which struggle to handle daily traffic volumes, especially at certain peak periods during each day. This situation is projected to worsen as the region continues to grow;
(5) The rate of growth has outpaced the availability of funding from the State Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to install necessary transportation infrastructure, especially roads;
(6) Town revenues do not support construction of needed capital investments identified in the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP), necessitating difficult budgeting decisions that Town Council faces. This may also affect public safety in the event of evacuation in advance of a hurricane or during another natural emergency;
(7) To manage the effects of growth and to assure quality, well-designed development in the future, the town has commissioned, adopted, and implemented various studies and plans to identify needs and assist in providing required infrastructure and services to support its citizenry in a cost-effective manner, without raising ad valorem taxes. These include new or updated versions of the Comprehensive Plan, the Long-Range Transportation Plan, the Capital Improvement Plan, and similar plan documents;
(8) The annual CIP assesses the infrastructure needs of the town and prioritizes capital projects to fund using the Town’s goals and objectives, with the need for infrastructure driven by population growth or changes in the levels of service; and,
(9) If the town’s population rate of growth is not adequately managed, Town Council may be forced to either significantly increase property taxes to respond to service and infrastructure demands or reduce the present levels of service for town facilities and services. Either response will generate negative financial or quality of life impacts since infrastructure is directly connected to the quality of life in the town.
(B) Intent. In designing and implementing the Building Permit Allocation System, the town has incorporated appropriate mechanisms to recognize different categories of residential development, account for already-approved residential development covered by the lawfully enacted Carolina Park and Liberty Hill Farms development agreements, provide equity and fairness, allow for reasonable flexibility, and not exclude the less fortunate from the opportunity for suitable, reasonably priced housing in the town.
(1) These provisions are intended to better manage and address the effects of growth that have resulted in increased traffic, congestion, and burdens upon the infrastructure system and the ability of the town to provide other public services.
(2) During the lifespan of the BPAS, the town is fully committed to the appropriation of funds and the construction and installation of needed capital improvements which will serve existing and future residents.
(3) In implementing the BPAS, the town has sought to devise a plan that does not disrupt existing residential development patterns in the town and which utilizes a means of distributing permits that recognizes and reasonably accommodates, without undue delay, prior expenditures and expectations of owners and developers of property.
(4) The BPAS is intended to manage the construction of dwelling units through the allocation of residential building permits. Single-family, duplex and townhouse residential units represent individual dwelling units and therefore require one permit for each unit. Because multi-family units require a single building permit for each building constructed, regardless of the number of units within each building, the plan of distribution takes this into account. While each building only requires a single building permit for construction, an individual permit allocation shall be assigned to each separate dwelling in a multi-family building.
(Ord. 18097, passed 1-8-19)