Lexington County proposal could allow more clear-cutting for development
Lexington County might be lifting some of its limits on construction, which would expand how much developers are able to clear-cut a site at any one time.
The proposed change under consideration by the county would improve site management whenever a new neighborhood or commercial development is going up in Lexington County, developers argue, even as some locals worry it could encourage more growth in a county that has struggled with an influx of new development and new residents.
That stress has grown particularly acute in what were once more rural parts of Lexington County, where the push for more land for new houses has felled longstanding trees and woodland.
The proposed ordinance would increase the maximum amount of land that can be disturbed for different projects. Residential developments can now clear up to 25 acres with the approval of county staff, up from 20. Larger clearances of up to 50 acres will require an expanded master plan with “specific justification from the project engineer the need for the additional area of disturbance” and “best practices” for managing soil erosion and water runoff. Commercial development can go up to 60 acres with an expanded master plan.
Any development below 75 acres would need to be approved by the stormwater advisory board and Lexington County Council. Even projects above 75 acres “may only advance... based upon an approved construction sequence and adequate stabilization,” the proposal says.
Any project site would also be required to post a “maximum sized” sign listing the name and contact information of the developer and site contractors. Violations or deviations from approved plans can lead to the project being shut down.
Developers who spoke in favor of the proposal at a county council meeting Nov. 18 said it would improve their ability to manage development sites if they didn’t have to seek piecemeal approval as they go from one smaller area to the next.
“Every 20 acres is a stop along that timeline,” Shane Alford with Essex Homes said of the current standard for building new housing. “The longer a project takes, the more it’s exposed to weather, especially rainfall which creates most of the negative impacts. Limiting exposure isn’t achieved by slowing development down, it actually makes it worse.”
The ordinance itself makes the claim that current limits have proven too challenging to the county’s development.
“The ability to allow more acreage of disturbance with extra safeguards will promote quicker site stabilization and development, along with the ability to properly balance development sites without negative impacts on roads and infrastructure,” the ordinance reads.
Robbie Derrick, Lexington County’s community developer director, said his office had conversations about changes to the ordinance with both the Building Industry Association of Central South Carolina and the citizens group Develop Lexington County Responsibly.
But members of the public who spoke at the council meeting said the proposal still allowed for too much clear-cutting, and even members of Develop Lexington County Responsibly questioned the 75-acre maximum, which they said was a late addition to the draft.
Many said additional development risked undermining Lexington County’s character, its landscape and its wildlife.
The ordinance will still require two more readings by Lexington County Council before it goes into effect. At its Nov. 20 meeting, the county Planning Commission deferred taking any more action on the proposal until the latest draft could be reviewed by the stormwater advisory board.
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