An auto body shop based in Horry County, SC, has to close while looking for a new site due to a rezoning request denial.
Avant Auto Repair has been operated by Sylvester Avant in his home’s backyard since 2007. According to local news station WMBF News, inquiries were made last year into the business’s zoning compliance, as Avant’s home is zoned residential-only.
Avant asked for a rezoning, but was denied. At a county council meeting in January, he was given five months to find a new site for the business and move all of the vehicles out of his home’s backyard.
“A lot of places are for rent but are not under my zone compliance for my businesses as far as mobile, stationary and towing,” Avant told WMBF News. “A lot of places are not in the right zoning for that, so it’s hard to find places to rent to get that approved.”
The county declined to renew Avant’s business license, which expired April 30, saying it no longer issues licenses for home-based businesses, Avant said.
Horry County Councilman Tom Anderson told WMBF News he is personally trying to help Avant find a new location.
Avant is hopeful he will find a new location, and said he is saving money for a down payment on a property.
