Now SC’s fastest-growing county, Jasper close to tapping the brakes on development
By Tony Kukulich
The Post and Courier
RIDGELAND — Wedged between Beaufort County and Chatham County, Georgia, Jasper County is one of the growth hotspots in the state and, surprisingly, the country.
Responding to expanding growth pressure, Jasper County Council has taken steps to approve a nine-month moratorium on development in an environmentally and culturally rich portion of the county, an area referred to as the Euhaw Broad River Planning Area.
“This puts a pause on major subdivisions and major land development permits,” said David Tedder, attorney for the county, during the June 5 council meeting. “It does not affect single-family homes or minor subdivisions (with) less than four homes.”
The moratorium, according to County Administrator Andrew Fulghum, will give the county time to assess the appropriateness of its zoning and density ordinances given current development demands. The phrase “pumping the brakes” on development is used frequently when the moratorium is discussed.
“They need to update the zoning code and think about how they want to deal with (growth) proactively rather than reactively responding to this tidal wave of rezonings and permits,” Kate Schaefer, director of land protection for the Open Land Trust, told The Post and Courier.
Conceived by a citizens group, the moratorium has already received the first two of three approvals needed to go into effect.
A final vote could come in a few weeks.
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