Sumter, SC real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Sumter's zoning map has special districts drawn around Shaw Air Force Base and the Poinsett Range. Some land sits inside crash zones or noise zones, and new subdivisions there have to post noise warning signs at the entrance before permits are issued. Inside the city, two historic districts need design board approval for any outside work.
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Buying a home in Sumter: what to know
The rules that apply everywhere in South Carolina are on the South Carolina page. These are the Sumter details that trip people up.
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The base draws real lines on the zoning map. Sumter County's airfield compatibility districts exist to prevent incompatible land uses or the creation of flight hazards around Shaw Air Force Base and the Sumter Airport. The overlays include accident potential zones, a density dispersion zone, day-night noise level zones and a noise attenuation district. Land in those zones can only be used for the uses the ordinance allows.
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Noise notice is printed on the paperwork, and signs go up at the subdivision gate. The noise notification zone covers land next to Shaw Air Force Base and the Poinsett Range, and the ordinance says it would be shown on all plats, building permits and other correspondence regarding construction in the area. Developers of new major subdivisions have to install a noise warning sign at each entrance at their own cost before permits are issued.
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The base commander gets a say on variances. The city-county board of zoning appeals can grant variances from the airfield safety and performance standards, but the commander of Shaw Air Force Base or his designee has to be notified and asked to comment. A separate ordinance also limits the height of structures near the base.
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City limits and county land share one planning department but different ordinances. Sumter County and the City of Sumter share a joint planning department and commission, but the county has its own zoning and development standards ordinance. Confirm which ordinance controls the parcel before you plan an addition, a shop or a second dwelling.
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Two historic districts control outside work in the city. The City of Sumter Design Review Board covers the Downtown Historic District and the Hampton Park Historic District. It reviews outside work on buildings, landscaping, fences and signs. Paint colours from the city's historic colour palette can be approved without a full board review.
Selling a home in Sumter
If you are selling land near the base, say which zone it is in.
Accident potential, noise level and noise attenuation zones limit what a buyer can build. That is a deal-killer found late, so pull the zoning first.
Historic district work needs approval before you list.
Fences, signs, landscaping and any outside change in Downtown or Hampton Park go to the Design Review Board, which meets once a month. Start early or the repair will not be done by listing day.
Know your appeal window on the tax value.
Sumter County says if you were mailed an assessment notice you have to object in writing within 90 days of the mailing. If no notice was mailed, you object by the first penalty date.
Sumter real estate questions
How close is Shaw Air Force Base to the homes I am seeing?
Close enough that zoning reflects it. Sumter County maps accident potential zones, day-night noise level zones and a noise attenuation district around Shaw and the Sumter Airport, and those zones limit allowed uses. Ask for the zoning on the exact parcel before you write an offer.
Will I know if a house is in a noise zone?
You should. The county's noise notification zone covers land next to Shaw Air Force Base and the Poinsett Range, and the ordinance requires that notice to appear on plats, building permits and construction correspondence. New major subdivisions there also post a noise warning sign at every entrance.
Can I paint or fence a house in Hampton Park however I want?
No. The City of Sumter Design Review Board reviews outside work in the Downtown and Hampton Park historic districts, including buildings, landscaping, fences and signs. Colours chosen from the city's historic colour palette can be approved without extra board review.
I disagree with my Sumter County tax value. How long do I have?
If the county mailed you an assessment notice, you have to put your disagreement in writing within 90 days of that mailing. If no notice was mailed, you object on or before the first penalty date for that bill.
Does the base have any say over a zoning variance?
Yes. The city-county board of zoning appeals can grant variances from the airfield safety standards, but the commander of Shaw Air Force Base or his designee has to be notified and given the chance to comment first. That is unusual and worth knowing before you plan around a variance.
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