Plan for grappling with growth heads to councilBy Dave Munday (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Monday, September 1, 2008
SUMMERVILLE — It could be a milestone in the move to control growth in Dorchester County: The County Council is to give initial approval Tuesday to the long-awaited update in its comprehensive plan. A draft version of Dorchester County's Comprehensive PlanThe new plan, which has been in the works for about two years, includes a section saying a development can't be approved if roads and schools can't handle it. Final approval is expected in November, after more public hearings, Council Chairman Larry Hargett said. Residents have been complaining that the county allowed construction of too many houses the last few years, overcrowding roads and schools around Summerville. Realtors, builders, conservationists and community groups have been trying to agree on a vision to control growth without killing it. Coastal Conservation League Project Manager Hamilton Davis says the new comprehensive plan is a good compromise. Council meetingDorchester County Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the county services building in Summerville. It's at U.S. highways 17-A and 78, with the entrance to council chambers in the rear off Cedar Street. "I think this is an incredible first step," Davis said. "It provides a lot of guidelines that aren't in there now. There will be a lot of changes for how growth is done in Dorchester County." Some key details still need to be ironed out. One big question is who will define how much growth roads and schools can handle, Hargett said. For example, the traffic capacity that the state Department of Transportation sets for S.C. Highway 61 may be quite different from what residents along the scenic, two-lane highway want to see. The county will use its own traffic studies to determine adequacy for further development, Hargett said. Councilman Jamie Feltner said he will continue to push for an adequate-facilities ordinance to put some teeth into the growth plan. Hargett opposes a separate adequate-facilities ordinance. The threat of annexation is another challenge to the plan. A developer who doesn't like Dorchester County's development standards can ask North Charleston or Summerville to annex the property. That's what happened, for example, with the Watson Hill tract on Highway 61. Dorchester County limited the density there, both Summerville and North Charleston annexed it, and a court will have to decide who controls it. Hargett, who also is chairman of the Berkeley Charleston Dorchester Council of Governments' regional planning committee, said he's seeing municipalities making more efforts to communicate and work together. But he also cited the recent example of Summerville annexing a parcel on Dorchester Road across from Walnut Farms for commercial use to circumvent the county's residential zoning there. Feltner said he's pushing for a change in state law to require a zoning restriction to remain in effect for five years after annexation into a municipality. The County Council passed a six-month moratorium on major new residential developments last December and then extended it for another three months. The moratorium expires the first of October, and there are no plans to renew it. Reach Dave Munday at 745-5862 or dmunday@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 7 comment(s)
Posted by STREETLAW on September 1, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is probably a little late to be planning for growth in the Summerville area.
About the best thing any county in the tri-county can do at this point is stop all growth for five years and try and sort out the current mess.
Posted by guidedbystewart on September 1, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"The threat of annexation is another challenge to the plan. A developer who doesn't like Dorchester County's development standards can ask North Charleston or Summerville to annex the property. That's what happened, for example, with the Watson Hill tract on Highway 61. Dorchester County limited the density there, both Summerville and North Charleston annexed it, and a court will have to decide who controls it."
Until the annexation laws change there is little that the county can do. Well, this is what you get when you elect developers to become your elected officials!
Posted by mkris on September 1, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pave it over. Thats what the community wants. Its my property and I can do whatever I want. Screw the neighbors. Its the carolinaian way
Posted by bigred on September 1, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
These Whales deaths are not ship related. Slowing ships down to ten knots will not allow them to safely pass each other when approaching/entering Charleston. It will eventually result in a collision and environmental damage. NOAA's efforts will be counterproductive if enacted.
Posted by MyMcClellanville on September 1, 2008 at 9:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have to agree with Streetlaw that it's way too late in the game to start making rules now. Proper planning has to start well before the growth that you want to control. From what I've seen, none of the municipalities have had much regard at all to their planning in search of the all-mighty dollar. Most have already spent their tax revenues from the development before they even get it, so to decrease building rate at this point means more taxes for everyone (when the developers need to be pitching in much more). It's going to be a very bumpy road in terms of education, traffic, and crime for the next few years (and beyond) even if they did put a moratorium on new construction.
I doubt that many of the people moving to the area in the past few years will recognize the place much longer or remember why they moved here in the first place. South Carolina's best resource, the environment (beaches, nature, marshes, etc) has been pimped out and will likely never recover from these towns' greed. At least our #1 "cash crop", tourism, doesn't rely on these things....oh wait...
Posted by Brutus1 on September 1, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you want to move to Summerville. I advise everyone with that stupid notion to come to Dorchester Rd and Trolley/Ladson road areas at rush hour. Not only at rush hour just about anytime of the day. That would probally turn alot of people off.
Posted by CaptPete on September 1, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Growth? These guys must think it's 2005. Try and get a loan on a new development today.