SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The city of Spartanburg, S.C., has launched Code Spartanburg, a full rewrite of a zoning ordinance adopted more than 35 years ago, and is asking residents to help shape it at a public session Thursday, Oct. 8.
The second of two kickoff meetings runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Dr. TK Gregg Community Center. The first was held Wednesday at the downtown library.
Mayor Jerome Rice said the current rules were written for a city that no longer exists and are not equipped to guide the one that is coming. He said the project may not sound exciting at first but will shape Spartanburg for a generation, and he stressed that the city is not trying to take away rights property owners hold today or remove protections for neighborhood character.
Zoning sets what can be built in the city and where. City officials say the existing code has been amended piecemeal for decades, leaving rules that are hard to use and administer. Planning Director Fredalyn Frasier described it as a patchwork and said the goal is a code residents and developers can understand without hiring a specialist.
The rewrite will be guided by the city’s comprehensive plan, Plan Spartanburg, and is expected to weigh what types of housing can be built in city neighborhoods. Spartanburg became the first city in South Carolina to adopt a form-based code when it approved its Downtown Code in 2014.
Frasier said the full process will take about 14 months. Staff will study the current code over the next couple of months, begin drafting a framework in December and start writing the ordinance in March 2027, with adoption and implementation possible as early as September 2027.
