1. A. The Scenic Highways Committee will separately rate all requests for scenic designation using a pre-established weighted criteria based on the required intrinsic qualities. The Committee will adopt a rating form consistent with these criteria. The completed rating forms will become a public document following the Committee’s evaluation process. A route being considered for designation as a scenic byway will be rated on weighted criteria to include but not limited to:

   1. (1) Positive Features

      1. (a) Scenic
      2. (b) Historic
      3. (c) Cultural
      4. (d) Recreational
      5. (e) Natural

   2. (2) Negative Features

      1. (a) Junkyards/Litter
      2. (b) Unattractive Housing
      3. (c) Excessive Advertising
      4. (d) Heavy traffic uses
      5. (e) Mining/Lumbering scars
      6. (f) Heavy Industry
      7. (g) Parallel Utilities along roadway
      8. (h) Landfills/other pollutants visible from route

   3. (3) Other Amenities and Support

      1. (a) Hospitality features
      2. (b) Length of route
      3. (c) General support for proposed route
      4. (d) Financial commitment
      5. (e) Role in regional/statewide strategy
      6. (f) Corridor Management Plan
      7. (g) Protective easements or zoning overlays

2. B. Routes considered for scenic byway designation may qualify in one of two categories of scenic routes which will be determined by the Committee’s evaluation:

   1. (1) “South Carolina Scenic Byway” to be recommended by the Committee and approved by the General Assembly.
   2. (2) “Local Byway” will not require an Act by the General Assembly for designation and at some future time may be eligible for “South Carolina Scenic Byway” status.

HISTORY: Added by State Register Volume 21, Issue No. 6, Part 2, eff June 27, 1997.