Georgetown Sprawl (SC)
©Bill Lea
The sun sets over development along a South Carolina estuary.
Demand for coastal property in South Carolina is fierce. A proliferation of second homes has brought sprawl and all its attendant problems to this unique landscape. In our 20 years of experience working in growing communities across the South, SELC has brought about a better understanding of the link between transportation planning decisions and land-use patterns: new roads fuel new development-often sprawling development-which brings with it traffic, air and water pollution, diminished recreational opportunities, higher taxes and a lower quality of life.
As the only organization addressing growth issues comprehensively across our six-state region, SELC is able to import lessons learned from one community to another and promote positive alternatives to poorly planned, sprawling development. Our in-depth knowledge and facility with the complex laws and policies that govern land use and transportation makes us a unique and valuable leader in this work.
Georgetown sprawl: Weehaw Tract
The Weehaw tract is currently the highest-profile development proposal in Georgetown, South Carolina. This 5,000-acre project would more than double the size of the city and, on build-out, increase the county population by one-third. If planned well, the Weehaw development could enhance Georgetown by protecting key natural features and allowing people to live and work in the same locale. If planned poorly, traffic will escalate, the area's relatively pristine waterways will face pollution from runoff, and long-time Georgetown residents will be shouldered with a heavier tax load resulting from the new infrastructure that this development will require.
SELC is pressing decision-makers to identify the full range of impacts posed by this project and ways to minimize them. Our goal is to help ensure that Weehaw can serve as a model for sensible growth as other large-scale developments are proposed. One of the critical roles SELC will play is to ensure that all federal and state laws are followed while development-related permits are issued. For example, one of the key permits is a complex requirement for wetlands protection-an aspect of environmental law and policy for which SELC is recognized as a national expert.
SELC knows how to maximize the utility of this requirement to achieve the most environmentally protective outcome. This is the very type of expertise and advocacy that can make the difference between allowing developers to dictate how an area grows-or ensuring that well-informed and empowered citizens play a major role in shaping future growth.
