Kershaw County Council held its third and final reading Tuesday to pass an almost nine-month long moratorium on subdivision applications with five or more residential lots.
Kershaw County’s population has increased rapidly, with the U.S. Census Bureau showing an almost 10% increase in population in the past five years.
Now, the county’s infrastructure is struggling to keep up.
“People are moving to South Carolina in droves, and while it may be a good thing… we need to rethink the way we look at growth and development,” said county council member Danny Catoe during the ordinance’s first reading on May 27.
He said the county needs to think about more lot size minimums and new zoning regulations to ensure developments match the goals of Kershaw County.
Kershaw County Council also passed an ordinance establishing impact fees for new developments coming to the county.
Under this ordinance, anyone building a home or business in unincorporated areas of Kershaw County would be subject to a fee of at least $2,000 based on an official formula, said project consultant Matt Noonkester.
The fee would only be paid by those buying new property or developments and can be used for land construction, project financing, and engineering around the county.
Residents of Kershaw County have largely spoken in support of the moratorium.
“I would be delighted to change the temporary moratorium to permanent ban on the large developments… that will forever change the landscape of this place we call home,” resident Linda Kanatzer said.
"I view this as addressing the growth concerns that we have, but also not making it go longer than necessary," said Kershaw County Chairman Ben Connell. "And get people back to what they want to do with their property."
Kershaw County joins the city of Camden in pausing new developments.
Camden's moratorium, however, affects all subdivisions and is in place for a year. It was passed September 10, 2024.
Kershaw County's subdivision moratorium and impact fee ordinances took effect immediately July 22.
