Controlling development has become a hot political issue in South Carolina, and some are battling back.

The S.C. Landowners Association formed five years ago to oppose Charleston County's proposed zoning changes, but it since has grown significantly in size and scope.

Today, the association has a statewide reach, complete with an executive director, Mark Nix, and a Web site. It has joined with builders and real estate business interests to fight land-use rules and impact fee proposals from the coast to the Piedmont.

The association recently teamed up with the Charleston Trident Homebuilders Association and Charleston Trident Association of Realtors to fight proposed development limits in Dorchester County.

That coalition brought national figures in the property rights movement to speak on the issue of development regulations, including Oregon attorney Dave Hunnicut, who led the successful push for Oregon's Measure 37, and Randall O'Toole, an opponent of light rail systems.

"We're trying to shed some light on the smart-growth agenda," said John Templeton, a Charlestonian who founded the S.C. Landowners Association. "Light rail might be fine for New York City, but we don't have the population to support that here."

Like some other property rights groups, the association has come to oppose not only land-use restrictions, but other tenents of the planning concepts known as smart growth and sustainable development, from light rail to bike paths.

Templeton said the issue touches on fiscal responsibility, taxes and, ultimately, housing affordability. He said the group's goal is to educate people and share ideas.

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