Help with rezoning residential duplex into commercial property

Help with rezoning residential duplex into commercial property

Investor · Columbia, SC · Member since 2023 · 37 posts · 11 votes

I have a duplex in Rosewood, Columbia SC and I spoke with the City of Columbia zoning to ask if I can add an additional unit to the property. They said that my parcel of land can hold a max of 3 units so I can either extend the current property into a triplex or add a free-standing unit to the land. However, they told me that I have to rezone my property as commercial and that I have to comply with a bunch of different regulations like updated landscaping, parking, etc. Has anyone else gone through this process of rezoning and can provide me with some links/guidance on the process? 

Thank you BP community!

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  • Will GastonPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Columbia, SC · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2y

    @Qais Attarwala will you have to do a stormwater plan? Have they not given you any of the specifics?

  • Real Estate Broker · Denver/Castle Pines/Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2021 · 248 posts · 136 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Qais Attarwala:

    I have a duplex in Rosewood, Columbia SC and I spoke with the City of Columbia zoning to ask if I can add an additional unit to the property. They said that my parcel of land can hold a max of 3 units so I can either extend the current property into a triplex or add a free-standing unit to the land. However, they told me that I have to rezone my property as commercial and that I have to comply with a bunch of different regulations like updated landscaping, parking, etc. Has anyone else gone through this process of rezoning and can provide me with some links/guidance on the process? 

    Thank you BP community!


     I have no guidance for you specific state, maybe you'll get lucky with someone on here but you may want to start posting in your local FB forums or head to the local meetups to find someone. 

    My question is: 
    Is it worth it to go through all that trouble? Will the 100's of thousands to input into the project provide a viable return or a cash out/equity push up refi for it to make sense? 

    I was in a similar position without the rezone, I can put a third unit on my duplexes property, but after running buildout numbers it makes far more sense to use that capital towards just buying another duplex. You're situation could be far different, for me I am looking at higher construction costs than you have (most likely) and deals in the area I can put 20% down on as opposed to using the money for another unit. 

    Let us know what you figure out! Sounds like a really cool project!

  • Investor · Columbia, SC · Member since 2023 · 37 posts · 11 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Max Ferguson:
    Quote from @Qais Attarwala:

    I have a duplex in Rosewood, Columbia SC and I spoke with the City of Columbia zoning to ask if I can add an additional unit to the property. They said that my parcel of land can hold a max of 3 units so I can either extend the current property into a triplex or add a free-standing unit to the land. However, they told me that I have to rezone my property as commercial and that I have to comply with a bunch of different regulations like updated landscaping, parking, etc. Has anyone else gone through this process of rezoning and can provide me with some links/guidance on the process? 

    Thank you BP community!


     I have no guidance for you specific state, maybe you'll get lucky with someone on here but you may want to start posting in your local FB forums or head to the local meetups to find someone. 

    My question is: 
    Is it worth it to go through all that trouble? Will the 100's of thousands to input into the project provide a viable return or a cash out/equity push up refi for it to make sense? 

    I was in a similar position without the rezone, I can put a third unit on my duplexes property, but after running buildout numbers it makes far more sense to use that capital towards just buying another duplex. You're situation could be far different, for me I am looking at higher construction costs than you have (most likely) and deals in the area I can put 20% down on as opposed to using the money for another unit. 

    Let us know what you figure out! Sounds like a really cool project!

    Thank you for your reply Max, I'll post on my local meetup group's FB page and see if I can get some more info. Ironically, the leader of the meetup told me to check with the county if I can add another unit on the property and I confirmed that I can but he probably wasn't expecting for me to have to rezone it as commercial. 

  • Investor · Columbia, SC · Member since 2023 · 37 posts · 11 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Will Gaston:

    @Qais Attarwala will you have to do a stormwater plan? Have they not given you any of the specifics?


     All the county told me is that I'll have to do some landscaping work, add extra parking spaces, but I don't know anything about the stormwater plan. 

  • Investor · Columbia, SC · Member since 2023 · 37 posts · 11 votes
    2y

    I filled out a pre-application form with the Columbia Zoning Department so that I can get a meeting with the committee and discuss my proposal. I will keep everyone posted on the results of that meeting.

  • Investor · Columbia, SC · Member since 2023 · 37 posts · 11 votes
    2y

    I filled out a pre-application form with the Columbia Zoning Department so that I can get a meeting with the committee and discuss my proposal. I will keep everyone posted on the results of that meeting.

  • Investor · Columbia, SC · Member since 2023 · 37 posts · 11 votes
    2y

    I talked with the City of Columbia Planning office and they said I can split the property into 2 separate lots and by doing so I can circumvent rezoning into commercial. Will have to get a land surveyor to draw up subplots and get them approved by the planning department and recorded with the Richland County Register of Deeds Office. I can only put 1 unit on the subplot but it's a whole lot easier than turning the duplex into a triplex and then rezoning. 

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