South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 29 - South Carolina Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act Of 1994
Section 6-29-1540. Conditions and limitations.

A vested right established by this article and in accordance with the standards and procedures in the land development ordinances or regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter is subject to the following conditions and limitations:
(1) the form and contents of a site specific development plan must be prescribed in the land development ordinances or regulations;
(2) the factors that constitute a site specific development plan sufficient to trigger a vested right must be included in the land development ordinances or regulations;
(3) if a local governing body establishes a vested right for a phased development plan, a site specific development plan may be required for approval with respect to each phase in accordance with regulations in effect at the time of vesting;
(4) a vested right established under a conditionally approved site specific development plan or conditionally approved phased development plan may be terminated by the local governing body upon its determination, following notice and public hearing, that the landowner has failed to meet the terms of the conditional approval;
(5) the land development ordinances or regulations amended pursuant to this article must designate a vesting point earlier than the issuance of a building permit but not later than the approval by the local governing body of the site specific development plan or phased development plan that authorizes the developer or landowner to proceed with investment in grading, installation of utilities, streets, and other infrastructure, and to undertake other significant expenditures necessary to prepare for application for a building permit;
(6) a site specific development plan or phased development plan for which a variance, regulation, or special exception is necessary does not confer a vested right until the variance, regulation, or special exception is obtained;
(7) a vested right for a site specific development plan expires two years after vesting. The land development ordinances or regulations must authorize a process by which the landowner of real property with a vested right may apply at the end of the vesting period to the local governing body for an annual extension of the vested right. The local governing body must approve applications for at least five annual extensions of the vested right unless an amendment to the land development ordinances or regulations has been adopted that prohibits approval. The land development ordinances or regulations may authorize the local governing body to:
(a) set a time of vesting for a phased development plan not to exceed five years; and
(b) extend the time for a vested site specific development plan to a total of five years upon a determination that there is just cause for extension and that the public interest is not adversely affected. Upon expiration of a vested right, a building permit may be issued for development only in accordance with applicable land development ordinances or regulations;
(8) a vested site specific development plan or vested phased development plan may be amended if approved by the local governing body pursuant to the provisions of the land development ordinances or regulations;
(9) a validly issued building permit does not expire or is not revoked upon expiration of a vested right, except for public safety reasons or as prescribed by the applicable building code;
(10) a vested right to a site specific development plan or phased development plan is subject to revocation by the local governing body upon its determination, after notice and public hearing, that there was a material misrepresentation by the landowner or substantial noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the original or amended approval;
(11) a vested site specific development plan or vested phased development plan is subject to later enacted federal, state, or local laws adopted to protect public health, safety, and welfare including, but not limited to, building, fire, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical codes and nonconforming structure and use regulations which do not provide for the grandfathering of the vested right. The issuance of a building permit vests the specific construction project authorized by the building permit to the building, fire, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical codes in force at the time of the issuance of the building permit;
(12) a vested site specific development plan or vested phased development plan is subject to later local governmental overlay zoning that imposes site plan-related requirements but does not affect allowable types, height as it affects density or intensity of uses, or density or intensity of uses;
(13) a change in the zoning district designation or land-use regulations made subsequent to vesting that affect real property does not operate to affect, prevent, or delay development of the real property under a vested site specific development plan or vested phased development plan without consent of the landowner;
(14) if real property having a vested site specific development plan or vested phased development plan is annexed, the governing body of the municipality to which the real property has been annexed must determine, after notice and public hearing in which the landowner is allowed to present evidence, if the vested right is effective after the annexation;
(15) a local governing body must not require a landowner to waive his vested rights as a condition of approval or conditional approval of a site specific development plan or a phased development plan; and
(16) the land development ordinances or regulations adopted pursuant to this article may provide additional terms or phrases, consistent with the conditions and limitations of this section, that are necessary for the implementation or determination of vested rights.
HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 287, Section 2, eff July 1, 2005.

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