New School Zone Speed Limit Posted – 25 MPH

New School Zone Speed Limit Posted – 25 MPH

An announcement from the Camden Police Department:

25 MPH school zone signs are now posted on Lyttleton Street between Laurens Street and Hampton Street, behind Camden Elementary School.

Officers will be enforcing the speed limit during school hours to help protect our students and staff.

Please slow down and drive with care. We appreciate your cooperation.

Change to Temporary Sign Ordinance

Change to Temporary Sign Ordinance

City Council recently amended the City ordinance for temporary signs to allow them in the right of way in residential areas only, provided they are 3 feet from the curb.

Temporary signs are prohibited in the public right of way, including medians and areas between the curb and sidewalk, in business districts, and on any street sign, utility pole, and light pole in the city.

The ordinance is included here, with the amended language italicized:
157.109. TEMPORARY SIGNS
The following conditions shall apply to temporary signs.
A. Temporary signs shall not exceed three square feet in residential zoning districts and 32 square feet in nonresidential zoning districts.
A. Temporary signs shall be removed or replaced every 30 days, unless otherwise stated in this section.
B. Temporary signs are prohibited on public property, street signs, utility poles, light poles, and in the public right of way, including medians and areas between the curb and sidewalk, unless the right of way adjoins the yard of a residential use adjacent to the right of way and the sign is more than 3 feet from the edge of the paved roadway.
C. Temporary signs shall be limited to one per street frontage.
D. Temporary signs shall not be illuminated.
E. [RESERVED]
F. Banners are allowed with a permit only in the CBD, GBD, LBD, OI, IND and CMU zoning districts.

  1. Banners must be attached to a building and cannot exceed 32 square feet.
  2. Only one banner shall be allowed per building.
  3. Banners are allowed only if the combined square footage of the banner and all other signs does not exceed the maximum square footage allowed for building signs.

For more information regarding the amended ordinance, please contact Director of Planning & Development Shawn Putnam.

Public Meeting on City of Camden Development Moratorium

As part of the review of the comprehensive plan and development ordinances, the City of Camden will host a planning workshop on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 from 3:30 – 5:30 pm in Liberty Hall at the Revolutionary War Visitor Center, 212 Broad Street. This will be an open-house style workshop where the public can stop in and talk with planning staff and consultants about development-related topics such as zoning, density, housing types, and subdivision design.

At 5:30 pm, City Council will begin their regular meeting, rescheduled from April 15, also at the Revolutionary War Visitor Center. This is due to an anticipated audience larger than what City Council Chambers at City Hall can accommodate. The meeting agenda will include a public comment session where residents can discuss concerns related to future residential growth and provide feedback on charettes presented during the previous meeting.

“We encourage participation in this public forum regarding the development moratorium the City has established,” said City Manager Matt DeWitt. “We will discuss paths forward and what the future of residential development could look like within the City limits of Camden.”

The City of Camden implemented a residential development moratorium on September 10, 2024. The purpose of the moratorium was to pause residential development so the City would have time to consider the effects of new development on existing infrastructure, city services, and the environment. The moratorium ordinance also directed staff to review the comprehensive plan and development ordinances to determine if additional amendments were needed, relating to new residential development. On March 18, 2025, City Council approved an extension of the moratorium until September 30, 2025.

View the complete ordinance here.

Two Lights for Tomorrow

Two Lights for Tomorrow

The City of Camden joins other communities across the nation in a national initiative in commemorating the April 17th-18th ride of Paul Revere, William Dawes, and other alarm riders, to warn Massachusettes villages that the British were coming. “Two Lights for Tomorrow” is a multi-state collaboration that calls for everyone to display two lights in homes, businesses, public buildings, and other sites to raise awareness and draw attention to our working together as a nation to ensure a better tomorrow.

Camden City Council issued a proclamation on April 1, 2025 endorsing this national initiative and calls “on all citizens to unite in remembrance of our shared history, honoring the sacrifices made by those who fought for our independence and reminding ourselves of the values we hold dear today.”

The City of Camden encourages all citizens to take part in this symbolic display by displaying two lights for all to see from April 14 to April 21 and to reflect on how those lights, symbols of the two lanterns hung in Old North Church in Boston to tell Revere and Dawes that the British were traveling across the water, will shine out in the darkness and illustrate our ongoing journey as a nation.

For more information, please contact Rickie Good at rgood@camdensc.org.

Request for Proposal: Managed Information Technology Services

The City of Camden invites qualified Information Technology Support service companies to submit a proposal and statement of qualifications for professional Information Technology (IT) managed services. 

The qualified IT partner will provide ongoing software, hardware and network support Services, improve operational effectiveness, enhance quality of services, minimize support cost, and maximize return on investment in IT.  Additionally, we would require assistance in procuring new hardware and software as well as vendor management.  Following negotiations, the successful vendor will be asked to enter into a contract with the City of Camden. 

The deadline for submission is 2:00 p.m., April 21, 2025. Proposals must be received at 1000 Lyttleton Street, Camden, South Carolina 29020 in a sealed envelope.

Request for Proposal

African American Cultural Center Hosts Heritage Tea Winners

African American Cultural Center Hosts Heritage Tea Winners

Family, friends and the community at large are invited to visit the African American Cultural Center of Camden, located at 517 York Street, as it hosts the winning student projects from the annual Heritage Tea program.

Each year, since 1987, the Arts Center of Kershaw County and its Multicultural Committee partner with the Kershaw County School District to encourage students in grades 3 through 8 to explore the history of prominent African American figures. And student submissions are hosted at the Arts Center of Kershaw County while the Multicutural Committee holds a blind judging of the submitted works. Without knowing students’ names or school, only grade, the Committee selects a first, second, and third place from each grade.

This year, the African American Cultural Center is excited and proud to host the winning projects, for family and friends of the students and members of the community to enjoy, through May 17, 2025. After which, projects will be returned to the students.

The African American Cultural Center is open Fridays from 1:00 to 4:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at 517 York Street. For more information, contact kspadacenta@camdensc.org or call 803-432-2421 x1153.