Leaders push to update Chesnee’s zoning ordinance, comprehensive plan

CHESNEE, S.C. (WSPA) – Leaders in Chesnee are working to update the city’s zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan.

The city last updated its zoning ordinances in 1990 and comprehensive plan in 2004, the same century the city was established.

Chesnee Mayor pro-tempore Lauren Dove said community members can share their input by filling out an online survey .

“We’ve got new businesses coming to town,” Mayor Dove said. “We’ve got houses kind of going up both inside city limits and outside of city limits and so I think this comprehensive plan is kind of a good way to see what does everybody think we need.”

The city’s comprehensive plan was established in 1999, while zoning ordnances were set in 1990. While the zoning ordinances were never updated, the comprehensive plan was reviewed in 2004.

Chesnee City Administrator Delissa Coggins expressed the need to review the ordinances and plan at in August 2024 at a city council meeting.

“The plans are meant to be reviewed every five years and revised every 10 years,” Coggins said.

With a lack of review, the comprehensive plan designed to guide Chesnee leaders has not been revised in a quarter-of-a-century.

“It was a learning process for me too to hear that same information in the council meeting,” Dove continued. “I’ve been on council for a year. All of our city staff are new within the last couple of years, so I can’t really speak to what happened.”

Some survey questions ask community members to rate the overall quality of life in Chesnee as well as road conditions.

One question even asks is respondents would support the sale of alcohol at city-run events and festivals.

According to Mildred Mcintyre, a former LPN living in Chesnee, she wants leaders to focus on making the city better for everyone.

“Chesnee needs a warming station in the wintertime for the homeless people and a cooling station in the summer for them,” said Mcintyre.

City leaders said the Appalachain Council of Governments has been hired to work on updating zoning ordinances and the comprehensive plan, as well as drafting land development requirements.

The City of Chesnee has never had established land development requirements.

If you want to fill out the survey but do not live in the city limits, Mayor Dove said it’s open to members of the Chesnee community.

“The survey is also available for not just residents that are in city limits but maybe for people who consider themselves part of the Chesnee community who don’t have a city limit address,” said Dove.

The survey will close on December 31.

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