The City of Camden is seeking an engineering firm to evaluate and propose viable solutions to correct existing deficiencies and provide alternatives with estimated costs to correct safety issues at the Sunnyhill Upper Pond Dam near 1211 Sunnyhill Drive (S28-0560) Camden SC. The dam is privately owned by the citizens in the residential community. The SCDOT road that is located across the dam is currently closed due to a sinkhole that is believed to be related to underlying problems with the spillway/underdrain. The project will evaluate the condition and stability of the dam and roadway.
Firms interested in the project are to submit resumes and other documentation by 2:00 pm on Thursday May 15, 2025. Please direct all inquiries to Jack Thornsberry – Director of Public Utilities jthornsberry@camdensc.org.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation will conduct lane closures on part of Springdale Drive from U.S. 1 to Knights Hill Road for paving beginning Wednesday, April 30. These closures are expected to last until June. SCDOT encourages drivers to seek alternate routes, if possible and expect delays as crews work to repave the roadway. SCDOT asks drivers to slow down and pay attention to crews and signs when driving near work zones.
The City of Camden is accepting applications to fill an opening on the City’s Parks & Trees Commission. The position on the Commission has a three year term, eligible for renewal in 2028. The Parks & Trees Commission represents the Camden community and brings to the attention of staff and City Council any areas of concern regarding the condition of our City parks, at risk trees on public property, and other issues that involve the built environment maintained by the City for citizen recreation and enjoyment. The Commission also plans the annual Arbor Day ceremony held in December, as well as any other activities to support staff as they relate to our parks and trees. Applications can be picked up in person at City Hall, 1000 Lyttleton Street, or downloaded here.
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.
Banners must be attached to a building and cannot exceed 32 square feet.
Only one banner shall be allowed per building.
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.
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.
