Development 101: Learn about planned communities

 

The rise of modern residential communities

During the course of the last century, the shape of neighborhood development has morphed on a large scale.  Not too many decades ago, builders mainly constructed a single home at a time on an individual homesite. This has shifted to a trend in master planned communities where multiple neighborhoods and various businesses, schools and places of worship are combined into self-sustaining entities.
 
Historically, zoning and land development ordinances, established by a municipality in cooperation with state laws, have dictated residential construction. Such neighborhoods generally did not have governing documents which specified home design, size or configuration. Nor did they typically include the many amenities homebuyers now expect in new neighborhoods.
 
As America returned to life after the culmination of World War II, the country saw the development of many new larger-scale residential communities.  Developers and municipalities extended water lines, sewer service and improved roads to new, contiguous areas. Mortgages became more accessible and the GI bill allowed for improved quality of life as veterans returned to school. Levittown is one of the first “modern subdivisions” in the United States.  In Charleston, Byrnes Downs was one of the first modern subdivisions to grace the city beyond the peninsula. 
 
Currently, across the Charleston tri-county area, you will find many localities each with their own planning departments, commissions and ordinances. These commissions manage and regulate the development of land within that municipality’s boundary.
 

 

Types of planned communities

Unless you’re a student of urban planning, you’re unlikely to be familiar with the different types of planned developments.   As you search for a home in the greater Charleston area, you may hear the terms “Master Planned Community” (MPC) and “Planned Unit Development” (PUD).
 
According to the Community Associations Institute (CAI), “for the eighth time in 15 years, Americans living in homeowners’ associations, condominiums, and housing cooperatives say they’re overwhelmingly satisfied in their communities.” We’ll talk about what these types of developments are and why they’re such a success with those that call them “home.”

 

 

Lowcountry Master Planned Communities

“A city within a city” is a concept that aptly describes many Master Planned Communities. These developments are typically comprised of multiple neighborhoods with different builders constructing homes within each neighborhood. They have CC&Rs (covenants, conditions and restrictions) which specify rules and regulations for the community.
 
PrivateCommunities.com defines MPC as “a PUD that is larger than 2,500 acres...The development type may comprise tens of thousands of acres and numerous individual subdivisions that include both single-family and multi-family homes. The MPC typically has an abundance of recreational and social amenities that are usually restricted for use by residents, exclusively.” In the Lowcountry, Cane Bay, Carnes Crossroads, Nexton, The Ponds and Summers Corner are examples of Master Planned Communities. In fact, Nexton was just named The Best Master Planned Community in South Carolina!
 
South Carolina can claim the distinction of the first-ever Master Planned community— Sea Pines Plantation. According to a citation from Houston Galveston Planning Council, it “was built in the 1950s, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.” The Houston-Galveston Area Council also notes of MPCs, “Most of these communities have a wide range of housing choices offered by multiple builders, which provides greater choice in type, floor plans, pricing, and lot sizes. Unlike subdivisions, the businesses in a master planned community are a part of the developer’s original plan and are built with the hope that as housing is developed, business will follow. A master planned community typically has its own defined community character with many of the details, such as architectural styles, building materials and common areas standardized throughout the development.”
 

 

Greater Charleston Area Planned Unit Developments

Planned Unit Developments are another type of comprehensively planned development. They are allowed by South Carolina law Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994 which sets forth how localities may go about the process of working with landowners who wish to set up a PUD.
 
The city or town in which the PUD land lies establishes the ordinances regarding PUDs. PUDs can be distinguished by a number of characteristics such as:  open land for community and resident enjoyment and use; amenities such as tennis courts, swimming pools, biking, hiking, or walking trails; various types of housing such as single family homes, townhomes, condominiums, or apartments.
 
Homeowners’ Associations govern all residential unit owners in a PUD. According to South Carolina law, “a 'Homeowners' association'...means an incorporated or unincorporated entity upon which responsibilities are imposed, to include managing, maintaining, or improving the property and of which the voting membership is comprised of persons owning separate lots or units who are required to pay assessments to the association for the purposes delineated in the declaration and governing documents of the association.”
 
CC&Rs also govern many aspects of a PUD. These may cover all types of issues from where you may park your car, the type and number of pets, and landscaping and a home’s exterior appearance. CC&Rs also seek to prevent undesirable or detrimental conditions which would negatively affect a property’s value.
 
According to the South Carolina Dept. of Health and Environmental Control, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (SCDHEC-OCRM),
 
“PUDs allow developers to deviate from standard zoning and development regulations on large properties in exchange for site-specific open space conservation, mixed land uses, and other design innovations and improvements. Each PUD has unique land uses, densities, open space, and development standards that are described in a site-specific master plan, which must be reviewed and approved by the local government...The town or city council makes the ultimate decision regarding approval or rejection of the development; this usually results in a more politically oriented process than is the case for traditional subdivision developments.”
 
It is typical for local governments’ planning commissions to establish development agreements with PUD developers. These may allow the developer to “lock in” adherence to current zoning laws and regulations governing PUDs. SCDHEC-OCRM notes, “Development agreements are a tool that can provide for more predictable and orderly growth by allowing developers to “lock in” to existing, local land use and environmental regulations while providing local governments with a development timeline to better plan for necessary capital facilities.”
 
 

 

Positives of planned communities

If you choose to purchase a home in a MPC or PUD, you will have an extra layer of governance and pay fees to your homeowners’ association. You will enjoy many more amenities as compared to residents of traditional neighborhoods and will be protected from non-compliant uses of property and obnoxious activities or poorly maintained homes.


Take a look at the many planned communities in the Lowcountry and the great homes and lifestyle they offer.

 

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