Reporting Issues to Dorchester County & SCDOT

The Archdale Civic Association does not have enforcement power for neighborhood covenants and restrictions.
While the ACA can assist in elevating neighborhood concerns, the ACA encourages individual residents to report issues directly to the county.

Below are Dorchester County agency and SCDOT contacts, and some FAQs related to reporting and response.

Dorchester County Contacts

Dorchester County has two (2) Codes Enforcement Officers assigned as Environmental Services Officers. These officers are responsible for conducting investigations involving unmaintained premises, including vacant lots or land, upon which any condition exists which constitutes a nuisance, health, or safety hazard and enforcing Dorchester County Ordinances

https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/services/code-enforcement/environmental-services

And the enforcement of Dorchester County Ordinances as they relate to an abandoned motor vehicle on any public street or public grounds or upon any privately owned property which is exposed to public view.

No person controlling privately owned property shall permit any abandoned or unsafe vehicle to remain thereupon. 

A vehicle is determined to have been abandoned if the vehicle:

      • Fails to display a current license plate within 90 days after the plates expiration date
      • Is partially dismantled or wrecked or incapable of self-propulsion
      • Is being moved in the manner for which it was originally intended and remains in such condition for a period of 60 days or more

More Information: https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/services/code-enforcement

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Parking of Commercial Vehicles – Dorchester County Zoning and Land Development Ordinance: see further below Dorchester County Zoning and Land Development, Ordinance 04-13 l ARTICLE X. SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISION : https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/20773/638441154572700000

Public Notice

Ground spraying will take place between the hours of 9:00 PM – 5:00 AM, Monday-Friday, excluding holidays. Residents are encouraged to locate their zone and review the bi-weekly spray schedule (schedule is updated every two weeks while spraying is ongoing). Residents may also request ground spraying via the online request form. 

Dorchester County has developed a Mosquito Abatement Map that subdivides the County into fifty (50) spray zones.

Each zone has its own map printed with detailed street information. The County may amend the boundary of these zones from time to time to provide for more efficient mosquito abatement spraying.

Locate your zone (Archdale is Z48)

Sec. 28-2. – Unreasonably loud noise prohibited.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to create or allow to continue any unreasonably loud or disturbing, noise within the county. Noise of such a character, intensity or duration as to be detrimental to the life or health of any individual, or of physical discomfort to a person of ordinary sensibilities, or disturbing of the public peace and welfare is strictly prohibited.

(b) The term “person” shall extend and be applied to and shall include associations, businesses, clubs, societies, firms, partnerships, and corporations, as well as to individuals.

(c) Any person found to be in violation of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 90-16, 4-2-1990)

To report a noise violation, contact the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office (843) 832-0300

Dorchester County Zoning and Land Development, Ordinance 04-13
ARTICLE X. SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISION

Commercial Vehicles, (Section 10.6)

The particular section that pertains to Commercial Vehicles, (Section 10.6) is in Article X. Section 10.6 : Limitations on Commercial Vehicles Parked in Residential Zoned Districts
(a) The parking of commercial vehicles upon any lot, land, street, right-of-way or shoulder thereof, for a period of time exceeding one (1) hour, except in emergency situations or for such length of time as may be necessary for the pick-up, loading, unloading or delivery of materials and/or passengers in a Residential Zoned area: R1, R1M, R2, R2M, R3 and R4 is prohibited.
It is further provided that this prohibition shall not apply to lots larger than two acres provided adequate screening of such alleged prohibited conduct is undertaken.
(b) The intent of this ordinance is to limit the size and weight of commercial vehicles in residential areas and:
(1) to eliminate the visual blight created by large commercial vehicles being indiscriminately parked in residential areas for long periods of time.
(2) to minimize physical damage to publicly maintained rights-or-way.
(3) to protect property values and character of property within residential developments.
(4) to reduce traffic congestion.
(5) to protect children from traffic injuries.
(c) For the purposes of this Ordinance, Commercial Vehicles is defined as a vehicle whose Tare Weight exceeds 5 tons (10,000 lbs), or a vehicle having more than two axles, or vehicle greater than 8’ in height. Construction equipment and farming equipment of any type is included in this definition.
 

1. Auditor’s Office
The Auditor’s Office is responsible for creating and adjusting the business personal property tax bills collected by the Treasurer’s Office. This office also issues vehicle tax bills.
Phone: 843-832-0118
E-mail: auditor@dorchestercountysc.gov
Website: www.DorchesterCountySC.gov/auditor

2. Building Services (Codes and Inspections Division)
Building Services is responsible for reviewing plans, issuing permits, inspecting structures to ensure compliance with all residential and commercial codes, issuing manufactured housing permits, and enforcing code compliance for unsafe residential and commercial structures.
Phone: 843-832-0011
E-mail: InspectionRequests@DorchesterCountySC.gov
Website: www.DorchesterCountySC.gov/building

3. Business Services
The Business Services Department is the County’s “one stop shop” for businesses. This department issues business licenses and enforces the County’s Hospitality Taxes.
Phone: 843-563-0018
E-mail: businesslicense@dorchstercountysc.gov
Website: www.DorchesterCountySC.gov/businessservices

4. Fire Marshal’s Office
The Fire Marshal’s Office reviews construction documents and conducts fire and life safety inspections of new and existing businesses in the unincorporated areas of Dorchester County to ensure compliance with governing building and fire codes for their respective occupancies.
Phone: 843-832-0214
E-mail: esd@dorchestercountysc.gov
Website: www.DorchesterCountySC.gov/businessservices

5. Planning and Zoning Department
This department facilitates the County’s public planning process. Their goal is to incorporate best practices, balancing environmental and economic concerns, in Countyland use regulations. This department includes professionals in flood management, addressing, zoning, site plan review, neighborhood  improvement, comprehensive planning and Geographic Information Systems. It is critical to check with these divisions prior to making a decision regarding the location of a business to ensure the use is allowed and to determine if site plans will be required.
Phone: 843-832-0020
Website: www.DorchesterCountySC.gov/planning

6. Sheriff’s Office
The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for ensuring public safety for the County. “It is [their] mission, as trusted public servants, to prevent crime and the fear of crime by providing excellence in law enforcement services, accountability and connections with our communities.” This department collaborates with the community using Community Policing strategies and problem-solving techniques, supported by aggressive enforcement of Federal, State and Local Laws.
Phone: 843-832-0300
Website: www.DorchesterCountySC.gov/DCSO

7. Treasurer’s Office
The Treasurer’s Office is responsible for the collection of real estate property taxes, vehicle taxes, business personal property taxes, and other taxes. This office also maintains County bank accounts, investment of funds and certain disbursements. This office does not create or adjust bills (Auditor’s Office) or calculate a property’s taxable value (Assessor’s Office).
Phone: 843-832-0165
E-mail: treasurer@dorchestercountysc.gov
Website: www.DorchesterCountySC.gov/treasurer

8. Assessor’s Office
The Assessor’s Office is responsible for the assignment of values to all real estate properties such as mobile homes, not the tax amounts. This office also maintains GIS information on properties located in Dorchester County.
Phone: 843-832-0162
Website: https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/property-tax-services/assessor

FAQs

FYI: Sawpit Creek is under the jurisdiction of the Army Corp of Engineers. https://www.usa.gov/agencies/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers

  • Maintenance of ditches for aesthetics and/or trash is the responsibility of the property owners/residents in the neighborhood.

Report concerns to Code Enforcement. Contact information above. https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/services/code-enforcement

Phone in your report to the Public Works front desk so a work order can be generated. https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/public-works/operations/request-for-service

Phone in your report to the Public Works front desk so a work order can be generated. Report the sign needed and the intersection. https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/public-works/operations/request-for-service

 

Contact: https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/public-safety/sheriff-s-office

Contact Information: Summerville Office & Mailing Address: 212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 29483; (843) 832-0300

Administrative Office Hours:  8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Friday Excluding Holidays

Public Works makes their own signs, but not in mass quantities. Archdale can provide their own poles and signs and Public Works would attach their traffic control signs as needed.
**The ACA and its members replaced all of our signs in Archdale 1Q/2023.**

Archdale is zoned as “R2- Single Family Residential” in unincorporated Dorchester County. It is very important to know exactly where your property – or projects or contracts – are located.

Dorchester County allows certain types of businesses to operate within residences. However, certain conditions must be met before such a business is permitted to operate.

Businesses should be aware that, while “Dorchester County” includes the municipalities of Summerville, North Charleston, St. George, Ridgeville, Harleyville and Reevesville, the government of Dorchester County, in most but not all cases, regulates businesses only in the unincorporated areas of Dorchester County – those areas not inside a city or town limits.

Some “excerpts”
“Every business needs a business license, including home-based businesses.”
 
Other County Requirements:
1. Home-Based Businesses (page 12)
1) A Home Occupation is any use conducted entirely within the dwelling and carried on by the occupants thereof, which use is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling for residential purposes.
2) No person not a resident on the premises may be employed to assist in the operation of this home business.
3) The exterior of the dwelling may not be altered in any way including no signage, no displays, no equipment and no storage of any type is allowed in the yard or exterior of the dwelling.
4) There can be no impact on the neighborhood including no vehicles, no increase in noise, traffic or visual pollution. No customers / clients are permitted physical access to the home business.
5) No major mechanical equipment shall be installed or used for domestic or professional purposes.
6) The home business cannot exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the total heated and cooled floor space of the dwelling.
7) A County Business License is required.
 
For more information, contact the Zoning Division at (843) 832-0014.
 

Other Requirements (page 13)
1. Business licenses are required for businesses doing business in the unincorporated areas of the County, for the current year and the three prior years, or when the business opened, whichever is later, with penalties at 5% per month. The deadline to obtain a current business license without penalty is April 30th. (Schools, however, are exempt.)
2. Independent contractors are required to obtain their own business license. Please verify that any independent contractors have their own business license.

Government » Planning & Development/ Maps / GIS

The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department offers spatial data services through an array of systems, providing access to a wide variety  of geographically referenced information. 

The purpose of the GIS Division is to define, design and deliver an organized, shared geospatial-centric information infrastructure that enables our county to manage data and resources using a cost effective county wide enterprise approach.

https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/planning-development/maps-gis

South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Contacts

 

Your Complete Resource for South Carolina’s Transportation System @ https://www.scdot.org/

File a Damage Claim:

ATTN: Customer Service Center, 955 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201

More Information: https://www.scdot.org/travel/travel-DamageClaims.html

    • Maintenance Work Request

      ** Dial 911 if you have an emergency. **

      Submitting a work request involves 4 steps:

      • Identify work location on the map 
      • Tell us about the work 
      • Input/confirm contact information 
      • Submit 

More Information: https://apps.scdot.org/MWRO/

More Information: https://www.scdot.org/travel/travel-road.htmlhttps://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/building-services

Emergency Response Procedures:

SCDOT personnel respond to numerous emergency situations like these per year:

    • Localized events like providing traffic control for securing a perimeter for safety purposes, i.e. hazardous chemical leak, fires (Graniteville Train Crash or Great Falls Mill Fire)
    • Regional events such as working to protect/repair roadways during and after flooding events that affect a number of counties
    • Statewide events such as hurricane evacuation or snow and ice weather events

If you need to report an emergency situation:

During normal work hours of 8:30 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday, contact the SCDOT Customer Service Center at 1-855-GO-SCDOT (1-855-467-2368) or the telephone number for the local office in your county may be found on our Engineering Directory Page (https://www.scdot.org/inside/countyoffices.html)

Dorchester County:

District 6: Administrator – Tim Henderson, Phone (843) 740-1665

https://www.scdot.org/inside/countyoffices.html

      • Maintenance:
        • Phone: (843) 563-3451;
        • Address: 5225 East Jim Bilton Boulevard, St. George, SC 29477
      • Construction:
          • Phone:(843) 873-5763;
          • Address: 107 West 6th North Street, Suite 206, Summerville, SC 29483

During after hours or holidays, contact your local law enforcement office and report the emergency. The local law enforcement will make contact with SCDOT to address the issue

SCDOT State Highway Emergency Program (SHEP):

Assisting motorists whose vehicles are experiencing mechanical problems and providing support and assistance to emergency response teams during incidents.

For SHEP assistance call *HP (*47)

Coastal Evacuation Routes:

More Information: https://www.scdot.org/travel/travel-emergencyresponse.html

 

Pursuant to the S. C. Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) any person has the right to inspect or copy the public records of SCDOT unless the records are exempt from disclosure by Section 30-4-40, S.C. Code of Laws, 1976, as amended.

For a complete copy of FOIA, see https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t30c004.php.

You may request copies of SCDOT public records by sending a request to SCDOT’s FOIA Officer at FOIAInfo@dot.state.sc.us.

Please be as specific as possible in describing the documents you are requesting.

If you have questions, please contact SCDOT’s FOIA Officer, Ms. Shirley Anderson at 803-737-0997.