Builders press to reduce buffers on Lexington County streams, ponds

Builders are pressing Lexington County officials again to let homes, shops and offices be placed closer to many streams and ponds.

They want to relax a ban on development within 100 feet of waterways, a standard adopted in 2008 to lessen pollution from erosion.

A 50-foot natural area along streams and ponds is adequate, builders say.

Anything larger is costly environmental overkill, said Earl McLeod, executive director of the Building Industry Association of Central South Carolina.

Large swaths of landscape around streams and ponds provide protection that is “marginal at best” while driving up the cost of development by reducing site use, he said.

“It’s not a savior of water quality,” McLeod said.

Buffer areas allow trees, bushes and other greenery to filter the flow of dirt, fertilizer and other material from lawns, forests and roads into streams and ponds.

The new push from builders for smaller buffers comes after county public works recommended sticking with the larger size to help meet clean water goals.

Some County Council members see larger buffers as added protection from flood damage, particularly after several streams overflowed during record rain Oct. 4.

“I’m at a loss to discuss lesser setbacks,” Council chairman Todd Cullum of Cayce said. “It’s incredible to think about that with what this county experienced.”

The nine council members have the final say on any change.

Builders can seek exemption from the buffer requirement on a case-by-case basis when terrain makes it impractical.

“There’s some flexibility built in if the situation warrants it,” Councilman Johnny Jeffcoat of Irmo said.

Builders estimate the 100-foot buffer plan removes 8,400 acres from possible development countywide. That puts about 13 square miles – just under 2 percent of the 758-square-mile county – off-limits for homes, stores and offices.

The county plan mirrors what federal officials set separately along Lake Murray and the lower Saluda River.

Buffers became part of the strategy to reduce erosion after county officials concluded that silt fences – stretches of black plastic – collapse too often.

This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Builders press to reduce buffers on Lexington County streams, ponds."