KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Concerns over unchecked development in Kershaw County have prompted local officials to limit the number of homes built in the region.
Arch Kingsley, a resident of Camden, expressed worry about development sweeping through Kershaw County. "We are unprotected from rampant development in the sense that our county council and our citizens didn't predict this oncoming tsunami, of interest in Kershaw Counties land," Kingsley remarked.
Melissa Rice also emphasized the changes in Kershaw County's rural atmosphere.
"I understand that there will be growth but I chose Camden, particularly, for its rural atmosphere," she said.
Derek Shoemake, the county council member overseeing Elgin-Lugoff, and Russell Brazell, responsible for the Lake Wateree community, have spearheaded efforts to address the issue.
After months of deliberation, the council expanded home lot sizes from a third to half an acre. Now, they've taken it a step further.
“We’ve gone back and expanded it further to a half acre, so if you are building a single-family home, you are on a half acre; the other piece of this is for any type of multi-family; these are your apartment complexes, townhomes, duplexes, those are no longer allowed to be more than 10% of a major development," Shoemake said. "So, that prevents a big developer from coming in, buying 200 acres, packing it with townhomes, [and] putting 4,000 people there."
"We're not listening to the developers, we're listening to the people," Brazell said.
Shoemake emphasized that these regulations would apply to developers going forward. The proposal's next step is a second reading scheduled for Tuesday, May 14, at 6 p.m. at the Kershaw County Government Center.