Managing growth in the Beaufort area

[krazeeboi]

We don't really hear anything here about the state's next emerging MSA, but in the Beaufort area, officials and planners looking to stave off unchecked growth will meet Friday to begin a yearlong process of determining urban boundaries, the cost to taxpayers and the strain on Beaufort's natural resources.

The Northern Beaufort County Regional Plan is expected to chart growth and determine the public facilities and infrastructure necessary to put resources in place ahead of development.

The Charleston area isn't the only part of the Lowcountry bracing for growth, as the article clearly demonstrates.

[GSP Tiger]

Beaufort, Hilton Head and surrounding areas along the lowcountry coast continue to grow because of its populatarity for golfing, retiring or vacationing. This area is slowly mking its own identity.

One should wonder if its current transportation facilities are able to handle the projected growth and serve as evacuation routes in the case of any tropical disturbances. A fully controlled freeway as an Interstate or a toll road should be considered.

[Spartan]

Wow, that is suprising. An urban boundary, as they call it, would be unprescedented in SC (to my knowledge).

[krazeeboi]

It would be. Sounds like something straight out of Oregon.

[Spartan]

True. If the eminent domain legislation passes then this wil die fast. Too much negative impact. (even though the impact is clearly positive). Think of the lawsuits. Yikes.

[knightrider162]

Wow, that is suprising. An urban boundary, as they call it, would be unprescedented in SC (to my knowledge).

Actually Charleston county has urban growth boundries also

[Spartan]

Yeah thats right. I suspected that Charleston had one, but I wasn't sure.

The question is though, how effective is it? Given Charleston's relatively dense metro, maybe its working. I have always been under the impression that it is ineffective.

[lsgchas]

Yeah thats right. I suspected that Charleston had one, but I wasn't sure.

The question is though, how effective is it? Given Charleston's relatively dense metro, maybe its working. I have always been under the impression that it is ineffective.

Beaufort's biggest problem will the same as Charleston's: it's surrounded by small towns that are exempt from anything the county does to control growth. So far, it looks like Port Royal and Bluffton are the big sprawl engines down there. Port Royal recently hopscotched way up the Broad River to annex a tract of land so a developer could get out from under the county's more restrictive zoning.

[vicupstate]

Last Sunday "The State " had an article on Bluffton. In a matter of a few years Bluffton has grown from 1 square mile to 53. To put that in perspective, Columbia is 43 square miles if you subtract out Ft. Jackson.

Reading this article, it does appear that the developers are making an end-run around these restrictions by annexing to one city or town or another.