As local governments complete a Southern Beaufort County Regional Plan and begin work on a similar plan for the north-county area, legislation that could have considerable impact statewide has been held up in the S.C. Senate.

According to The Sun News of Myrtle Beach, Sen. Dick Elliott, D-North Myrtle Beach, has filed an objection that prevents easy discussion and passage. The objection could kill the bill for the year because of adjournment next week.

Provisions of the bill would amend the Local Government Planning Act to require that county and municipal councils include new elements in comprehensive plans. Among those would be transportation and affordable housing elements. Both are sorely needed in Beaufort County.

The transportation element would affect development and annexations similar to Port Royal's recent annexations, including the 105-acre Mobley tract across the Broad River, and Beaufort's proposed annexations between Grays Hill and Seabrook. Transportation impacts would have to be taken into consideration in new development. The element was designed to reduce development over time. This probably is one of the elements that caused Gov. Mark Sanford to jump into Port Royal's annexation fray. The transportation impact study provision came out of his quality-of-life task force study.

The priority investment element could improve planning and development coordination among local governments and would encourage good stewardship of taxes for roads and other infrastructure.

To the extent that local governments are discussing regional plans, Beaufort County is fortunate. But Beaufort and the remainder of the state need this mandate to focus on the stress of development and the need for affordable housing in the fastest-growing area of the state -- the coastal plain. Elliott should remove this restriction and allow the legislation to pass.

It would be nice to be out front instead of performing triage on every annexation and development proposal that comes down the pike.