Charleston County Council working on new zoning for East Edisto development

Charleston County Council has taken some technical steps that are essential to the future of the massive East Edisto development in the southwestern part of the county.

The 78,000-acre development proposed by MeadWestvaco, now MWV, will straddle the Dorchester and Charleston county line. About 32,000 acres of it fall in Charleston County. The developer plans to build it over the next 50 years.

County Council Tuesday gave initial approval to allow a new kind of zoning called form-based code, which looks at the type of development that would be appropriate in a particular area, rather than zoning individual parcels of land. Council also approved changes in its zoning and land use ordinances that apply to developments of 1,000 acres or more.

Councilman Elliott Summey, chairman of the East Edisto Development Committee, said MWV has agreed to leave as green space 75 percent of its Charleston County land, which lies in a largely rural area. "It's a win for everyone," he said.

Councilman Vic Rawl said the group also must adopt some state-level rules about developments before the East Edisto project moves forward. The county needs to make sure it has properly adopted the state's statutory scheme that provides for and authorizes property development agreements, he said. He expects the group to adopt those at the same time it gives final approval to form-based code and county rules for large developments.

Dan Pennick, the county's planning director, said the county and MWV are working on a draft of the development agreement, which he expects to be complete in mid- to late March. In a development agreement, the county and the developer contractually agree upon zoning rules, timetables and provisions for public services. Pennick said the county would hold two public hearings on the document once it is complete.

Read more in Thursday's editions of The Post and Courier.