Hardeeville has experienced an explosion of growth in the past six months, with dozens of annexations and several large mixed-use developments. The so-called Joint Planning Effort aims to standardize all development requirements throughout the county to prevent "jurisdictional shopping" and unforeseen infrastructure costs.
"Here is a county of 25,000," Hal Jones, director of Jasper's Building Department said Wednesday. "We're trying to digest the kind of growth that will give us five to eight times that in a very short amount of time."
A panel of 16 private consultants, county and municipal administrators offered an update Wednesday on the plan's progress.
Clarion Associates is developing the land-use plan; Clough, Harbor & Associates is developing the traffic plan; the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and district office of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture are developing a resource management plan; the Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development is drafting an economic impact study and the county and municipal planning commissions have been shuffled so parts of the unincorporated county are represented in municipal zoning considerations.
William Molnar with Clemson said he has seen the ravaging cost of bad growth.
"With the estimated growth in 10 years (Lancaster County) would have run up $5.2 million in deficiencies with 90 percent in capital costs," he said. "The tax cost per household would have been $1,650."
Officials emphasized that the planning effort and controlled growth won't produce "undue economic burden on the existing Jasper County residents," as was described by Hardeeville's attorney David Tedder, who officiated Wednesday's panel discussion.
The Lowcountry Council of Governments, which is assisting the private consultants, said a four-county, bi-state long-term traffic plan is in the works.
Beaufort officials complimented the plan.
"It's very commendable to see the county and municipalities working together toward a joint intergovernmental agreement," said Tony Criscitiello, Beaufort County's planning director. "They don't seem to have a rivalry. It's been that way in the past (in Beaufort), but less so now."