Oconee looks to change its building codes

Oconee County will change its building codes to deal with safety concerns for construction of multiple-occupant dwellings. It’s now just a matter of how. After a special called meeting, County Council directed the planning building codes and legal staff to look into what impact fees, changes in the county code will best address concerns and how these can be implemented. The changes will target concerns raised in December over multi-level, wood-framed construction that some county officials see as flimsy and a possible fire hazard. Specifically, county officials have in mind apartment buildings. It was proposed in December that steel and concrete be required for all apartment developments and high-rises, but there was no indication yesterday if the final proposal would include this. The changes, according to Council chairman Julian Davis, will target construction designed to provide “200 beds.” That figure was pulled from a recent moratorium by the city of Clemson on such resident-dense construction that has motivated Oconee officials concerns that the focus of such development could shift to that portion of Oconee County bordering Clemson. The effort for a moratorium in Clemson is driven by city residents concerned about the traffic and other impacts on the city of more high-density housing aimed at the university student community. Recommendations from the county departments tasked will be presented to the council at a future date.