Growth issues have captured the attention of residents and elected officials in the Charleston metropolitan area, and that's fortunate, since residential development shows no sign of abating. The most recent figures cited by Post and Courier reporters shows plans for 135,000 new houses in various stages of preparation.

That's 20,000 more than were on the drawing board in 2005. Clearly, there can be no relaxation of ongoing efforts to limit growth and maintain the area's existing quality of life.

Growth threatens the landscape, natural habitat, traditional rural enterprises and small town life. It creates ever more traffic congestion and adds to commuting time. It requires considerable public investment in new schools, water and sewerage, roads and bridges.

Growth also is to some extent inevitable, as Americans continue an apparently inexorable move to the coast. A recent conference on coastal growth, cited in a column today on our Commentary page by Clemson University's John Kelly, attempted to advance solutions for the eight coastal counties. As Dr. Kelly noted, a Clemson planning study of the rapid urbanization of the Charleston metro area helped put the issue to the forefront and helped to galvanize public response.

In some instances, the reaction has been encouraging. There has been a greater acknowledgement that Charleston County's urban growth boundary must be respected, and Charleston Water System has agreed to limit service to the urban portion of the boundary on Johns Island. CWS also decided to restrict future service to the town of Hollywood to cool its growth aspirations. In Berkeley County, which expect to see mammoth new subdivisions near I-26, officials are working on a proposal requiring developers to pay more for related road construction. If that doesn't put a damper on new development, at least it puts some of the expense where it belongs.

Meanwhile, Dorchester County has downsized its ambitious sewerage expansion and has asked for the assistance of Clemson planners at it works out the details. Dorchester officials are expected to undertake a review of the county's comprehensive plan next year. The result should be better protections for the rural area.

Still to come is a resolution of the development of Watson Hill and other forest tracts along the historic and scenic Ashley River Road. Ongoing efforts to restrain development at Watson Hill, and elsewhere, were given new context recently at a tourism conference in Charleston, as local officials were told that the state's largest industry - tourism - depends on maintaining historical and scenic attractions.

"If a destination is too crowded, too commercial, too much like everywhere else, then why go?" asked Ed McMahon, of Urban Land Institute, in comments quoted by The Associated Press. "How much is too much?"

For many local residents, the answer to that question would be "Enough, already." Unfortunately, as our reporters noted, the developers who plan to build the the region's next 135,000 houses already have the necessary approvals in hand.

That frightening thought ought to concentrate the attention of local policymakers. So, too, should the public's demand for growth management initiatives. There's no time to lose.