Regional planning efforts that have highlighted more than $370 million in unfunded needs in southern Beaufort County but that have stumbled with recent annexation talks north of the Broad River could become the standard across the state under a bill in the House of Representatives.

The state requires local governments to plot out 10-year comprehensive plans for growth. Planning and zoning that account for future needs in unincorporated Beaufort County have been based on a 1997 plan developed by the county.

Regional cooperation in developing the plans to consider impacts beyond municipal and county boundaries has been spotty around the state, said Rep. Ben Hagood, R-Charleston, the author of the bill.

"Some are doing it well and some aren't doing it at all," he said.

Beaufort's regional planning began as an effort in southern Beaufort County last year to coordinate growth plans with municipalities in advance of the 2007 rewrite of the countywide plan that would lay out municipal growth boundaries, shared zoning expectations and recognized deficiencies, said Tony Criscitiello, the county's planning director.

"The growth needs to be in a logical and orderly way to lead to an agreed upon outcome," he said.

But the northern Beaufort County counterpart expected to begin this month follows a string of annexation announcements that would place more than 5,000 acres thought to be key areas for shared coordination into the hands of Beaufort and Port Royal and allow for construction of more than 16,000 homes.

County Councilman Mark Generales said regional planning won't provide much use without legislative changes requiring a consensus between a city and a county before annexation can occur.

"As long as there is annexation at will, it's got no meat to eat," Generales said of regional planning efforts.

The planning bill would require other additions to comprehensive plans, requiring local governments to:

Pull out nonessential development requirements that hinder affordable housing construction and provide an analysis of potential incentives, including density bonuses, design flexibility and streamlined permitting;

Develop a comprehensive transportation model that includes priorities for road construction and available money to pay for it; and

Create priority investment zones, which include walkable neighborhoods with a mix of commercial and residential development, and require some portion to be affordable housing.

But Criscitiello said these efforts would bring the rest of the state up to speed on practices Beaufort County is already applying.

In September, Beaufort County hired its first affordable housing coordinator to promote working-class housing and to help monitor new incentives, including sewer credits and impact fee subsidies.

The county's transportation model should be complete this month and the regional planning efforts have included a priority list of road needs and available funding.

Priority investment zones referenced in the legislation are similar to the so-called village center redevelopment district established on Lady's Island. With community input, officials modified zoning and design standards in the district to encourage infill and expedite permitting. The first development to move through that process, the 85-home Tradewind Plantation, is nearing staff approval.

"It's the same school of thought," Criscitiello said. "You're intending to direct growth where infrastructure is already available."