[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6556720,"mediaKeyId","3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c","parentId",3805569,"title","Chester County council, planning staff debate new subdivision code rules for gravel roads, lot thresholds and conservation options","audioSeconds",3272,"startMs",4032000,"endMs",7304000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c&start=4032&end=7304","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c/thumbnail_4032000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6556720/Chester-County/South-Carolina/Chester-County-council-planning-staff-debate-new-subdivision-code-rules-for-gravel-roads-lot-thresholds-and-conservation-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6556720-a8757198ba1a8196b2e71dc417962839/orig.mp4?Expires=1770930954&Signature=m9Vk5Z~w2RVdvtHLDaNMzeNwg8J0uvJbP675DD3mLY7gxlMA0ornJsbPcY-SWukLcFvhfNecvNBGC0r~3Cumxpg3q9Mpb7~SfRY2ll-nNR37bnSgHArlxexNcfaAxmFUdeDG8RnCPVrCkFFcxjE8IkBplAXagIYXdZFKPbYTF2cG6WpMTzUdSh9zEnQNY2Dr7iyi2gknwT72k77-ZdYNn-E8HBV5iC0kUlIipcBohqeNaON-xUv7vv57aDKmElyRS-uISazO0AeSkyW9w98afxSZ1iGssfVbiH3EqAvqvvLHEl709MCnHGBr-Lvmog6lL1oLt~Mq-rc5DXfwVbL7qw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chester County","date","2025-05-14T14:06:47.71Z","article","Chester County Council members spent more than an hour on April 28 reviewing draft No. 3 of an update to the county's subdivision ordinance, a major rewrite of rules that govern how rural and suburban land is divided and developed.

The planning director, Jeremy Ward, told council the draft reflects more than 300 hours of drafting and public input and is intended to protect the county's rural character while clarifying requirements for streets, open space, amenities and inspections. Ward said the draft separates subdivisions into more categories (minor, medium, major) and adds technical standards for gravel streets that historically were unregulated in the county.

The central point of debate was where to draw the line between minor and medium subdivisions and how many dwelling units may access a private gravel street before paved internal streets are required. Draft No. 3 recommends allowing up to 12 lots as a minor subdivision and up to six houses on a single gravel street (with a higher family exception of up to eight), while medium subdivisions (13–40 lots) would require internal paved roads, sidewalks and other improvements.

Council members raised safety and long-term maintenance concerns. Several members said allowing as many as 12 curb cuts on an arterial road could create traffic-safety problems; others warned that many gravel streets ultimately generate maintenance requests and pressure for counties to assume upkeep. Jeremy Ward said the draft includes mechanisms to record maintenance agreements with the clerk of court and to require property-owner maintenance or HOA responsibility for gravel streets to avoid county liability.

Council members also questioned the proposed \u001cfamily\u001d exception (expanded in the draft to allow more lots on a gravel street if the lots are owned by related family members). Multiple council members expressed concern that the family rule could be difficult to administer over time and suggested lowering the family exception or eliminating it.

Ward said the draft adds a clear definition of \u001cengineered\u001d versus \u001cnon‑engineered\u001d gravel streets. Engineered roads require plans prepared and certified by an engineer; non‑engineered gravel streets must still meet minimum material, width and cross‑section requirements and will be inspected by staff, he said. Council emphasized that standards should ensure emergency vehicles can access properties and that minimums be explicit.

The draft carries a 20% open‑space requirement (measured on buildable land rather than total acreage) and allows certain recreation features to count toward that open‑space total. It also adds warranty and inspection provisions, a two‑year warranty window for infrastructure defects and provisions that require HOA documents or maintenance agreements to be recorded.

Council members discussed conservation subdivisions as an optional tool. Ward said the ordinance text now includes conservation‑subdivision language, but the county does not yet allow them in any zoning district. He recommended the council consider authorizing rural conservation subdivisions (for example, in R‑2 zoning) as a special exception or conditional use and asked whether the council wanted staff to prepare a text amendment to allow that option. Multiple council members supported drafting a targeted text amendment for rural conservation subdivisions to be considered separately.

No final vote was taken. Council directed staff to refine the draft based on the meeting's discussion, to prepare a potential text amendment for rural conservation subdivisions, and to return with clarified language about gravel‑road standards, the family exception, and how county and state roadway requirements will interact. The draft will be on a future agenda for further review and potential readings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chester County Live Stream 4-7-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Chester County Council reviewed draft No. 3 of a comprehensive revision to the subdivision ordinance, focusing debate on how many homes may use gravel streets before a paved internal road is required, whether to expand a \u001cfamily\u001d exception, and whether to allow conservation subdivisions.","taxTitle","Chester County, South Carolina","taxId",57666,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6556705,"Votes at a glance: Chester County Council approves readings, minutes, priority list and committee appointments",3826,194000,4020000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c&start=194&end=4020","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c/thumbnail_194000.jpg","/articles/6556705/Chester-County/South-Carolina/Votes-at-a-glance-Chester-County-Council-approves-readings-minutes-priority-list-and-committee-appointments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6556705-bbdc15c550407d754612cd7a2644b89b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770930954&Signature=lrdxy-MKV5v7OVLEUoYYGUrqxHlnCbaer2e75KnmFke0Ja8Q1f2W4U7UGnheXDffoZtCVB2pg4QYzh3c~Hryalw~F8vRnIMrjLgGfni10M5YzBPL1Nl16ooC5tlAlJNc66U6v9JKVbGCk-Vkrt0ibbt1zlXdvc7uIKkqNnezHBk7ZPBzv48XgdQW0oHIfXVnhIpwqiv9jKvMhleDsO5NJAWmAmwoJb0vxvO8TOX-BBPhD317VkpmayIko4TJyvY40nxWnXhcT-35xWOvIuOKdUcn8boQFBt06OILPkdqo2k4y~DFfCNaI47uaL0eGR1PZK7fVxtJjgCiL9cbWxPlYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Chester County Council recorded several formal actions by voice vote or motion during its April 28 meeting. The following list summarizes each item, as recorded in the meeting transcript. Where the transcript reported only voice votes, the outcome is recorded and the transcript is cited; specific roll‑call tallies were not provided.

- Approval of minutes: Council approved the April 7, 2025 County Council meeting minutes and the April 14, 2025 budget workshop minutes by voice vote.

- Addition to agenda: Council voted to add a \u001cneeds and assessment\u001d public hearing item to the meeting agenda (motion made and approved by voice).

- Reading of Ordinance 2025‑10: Council approved the reading of Ordinance 2025‑10 (amending chapter 2, article 6 related to boards, commissions and related renumbering) by voice vote after a brief staff/attorney overview.

- CCMA 25‑14 (rezoning request for 1.5 acres at 1937 Baton Rouge Road): After hearing Planning Department information that the original survey overstated usable acreage because road right‑of‑way must be excluded (roughly 0.4 acres), Councilman Agee moved to override the Planning Commission's prior recommendation to deny. Council voted to approve the reading and moved the item back on the agenda for formal reading at a future meeting.

- Approval of the Chester County 2025 priority needs list for CDBG (as amended in the meeting): Motion carried by voice vote.

- Consent agenda: Council adopted the consent agenda (CCMA 25‑13 and CCMA 25‑15) by voice vote.

- Grievance committee: Council accepted the proposed grievance committee membership as presented, a seven‑member panel of county employees (three exempt, three nonexempt and two alternates).

- Appointments: Council approved the Fort Lawn/ Fort Walton Fire Protection District appointment and the Hazel Pittman Center board appointment by voice vote.

- Other: Multiple ordinance readings and consent items were read and put on future agendas as required; where the transcript records only a voice vote, the motion passed as announced at the meeting.

Notes: The transcript records outcomes by voice or raised hands but does not provide roll‑call vote counts for most items. Where the planning commission recommendation was reversed, staff noted that the planning commission did not take a new formal vote but asked staff to inform council that the new survey data would have changed its recommendation.","A roundup of formal motions and outcomes recorded during the April 28 Chester County Council meeting, including minutes approvals, ordinance readings, a rezoning override reading and several appointments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6556710,"Chester County officials praise multi-county response after fatal bus crash; developer withdraws 114‑home rezoning application",0,1207000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c&start=1207&end=1207","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c/thumbnail_1207000.jpg","/articles/6556710/Chester-County/South-Carolina/Chester-County-officials-praise-multi-county-response-after-fatal-bus-crash-developer-withdraws-114home-rezoning-application","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6556710-f0ebe24e96fa704c419bd0c1985bc7cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770930954&Signature=Pg6aR~6n9d~TJ2oyXyDOLbi64KC9b~sgo2nlqgjSLPNxEVFAoMg7ihFzGm7-d1mpEiYvCLFZiGageqyxIkQnQnUGZl~X6OthVaTW3H8VXqsuLgCh48wLqVz8b9hrlz4UQsWJgaY8t1RLF9fp74rtcy4syRXddV3tKjBcMOySMfsKpb8FIH4qnVjvXDvyO7TnBYaJaLdOnj4OrN1jo1xz-8CZ55bTPP4-1N6-hWSqj4EYVWyvA8saiZCOeUSM93Re8bHzanPr1OwspCUv2buQ4Dk-B-J~YrtCk40tMXTIiX92uREZrKr~10dV8Bqt7cSyZD5RRX4uxWKHv~nQr1T5Bw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Administrator provided a detailed update on April 28 regarding a fatal school bus crash that occurred the previous week and on the status of a residential rezoning proposal.

Administrator (identified in the transcript as Mr. Hester) offered the county's condolences to the Gonzalez Leonores family for the child killed in the crash and thanked local, county and regional emergency personnel for their response. He said Chester County dispatched and received extensive mutual aid, citing Lancaster County EMS director Clay Cato's offer to send seven ambulances and praising a wide array of responders from neighboring counties. The administrator and public commenter Brad Whitesides described the scene as well managed: Hester said he observed 38 people transported to hospitals within one hour and called the incident-command response \u001cone of the most professional and well run\u001d he had witnessed in his career.

Hester and commenters named incident leaders: Deputy Director J.P. McNeal (incident commander), Deputy Director John Faulkner (EMS operations) and local fire chiefs including David Dutton and T. Melton. The county noted volunteers and off‑duty staff assisted at the scene and that surrounding counties (Lancaster, York, Lancaster, Fairfield, Union) provided support.

Separately, Hester reported that Vista Properties withdrew a rezoning application filed in December 2024. The withdrawn request covered 45.09 acres behind the Dollar General at J.A. Cochran Bypass, Old York Road, Hughes Road and the Norfolk Southern rail line; the plan called for 114 homes. Hester said the withdrawal resulted from the developer's inability to comply with certain terms of the county's standard development agreement at this time.

Hester also reminded the council the budget ordinance reading is scheduled for May 5 and that staff will return on that date with associated budget documents.","County administrator and public speakers praised first responders and regional mutual aid after a serious bus crash that resulted in one child fatality; separately, a developer withdrew a rezoning application for 114 homes behind the Dollar General due to inability to meet development agreement terms.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6556715,"Chester County council adopts 2025 Community Development Block Grant priority needs list; senior services and sidewalks among items added",1657,2311000,3968000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c&start=2311&end=3968","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3805569-86f009555647615d3c5e0af98574584c/thumbnail_2311000.jpg","/articles/6556715/Chester-County/South-Carolina/Chester-County-council-adopts-2025-Community-Development-Block-Grant-priority-needs-list-senior-services-and-sidewalks-among-items-added","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6556715-e62d9fa78df89a11535616d5754c214a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770930954&Signature=SHbpYS0QEjNIIa3Ey2AjicnzI5MM175QiLHIoheqQ3KKAyf~SSSxOudykLADyhjxMOqulz37wxBp27DM1z1D-Vb97mW3eo-Y-vzTSk7mVEjkhC1i1elJJ6IccMFDldnTiaw0vDnnqp0FPDgdq7UqQIdG3rxdKiZLg0KVHXnlxNJmfAwikhMr3HnPIAL-rL9IYgLP3e5FAJsAwnx1COjuSKWXvWQW74Rhw4ZR9475pqOJLC1uDQ8cnmViDclhvyu3ogqRWD5xblOsQpBD-zojQLVw3Jj6ESESZf7NhhsLKDkqbhQUkiRR0def9GpA1D4Twbq34pBh~pL0QKgzoXpMdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chester County Council on April 28 approved the county's 2025 priority needs list for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding after a presentation from Catawba Regional Council of Governments staff.

Frazier Bray, representing Catawba Regional Council of Governments, reviewed eligible CDBG activities — public improvements (water, sewer, drainage), facility renovations, planning and public services targeted to low‑and‑moderate income (LMI) areas — and explained program caps, match requirements (typically 10 percent), and application cycles.

Bray said most competitive applications in the region focus on water and sewer infrastructure but noted non‑infrastructure projects such as senior services facilities and ADA upgrades can be eligible when they primarily serve LMI residents. She reminded council that projects must be advertised and that public hearings are required at multiple stages.

Council reviewed the draft priority needs list and discussed specific local candidates, including streetscape and sidewalk upgrades on Lancaster Street (Highway 9), Saluda Street (Highway 72), and Ashford Street; water and sewer upgrades in targeted neighborhoods (East Chester, Lincolnville Street); brownfield remediation in former mill sites (Great Falls mills, Eureka Mill and Gale Mill); courthouse ADA work; and senior services facility improvements and transportation support. Council members asked staff to add senior services and Dawson Drive infrastructure/service-line improvements to the list and to prioritize sidewalks in certain neighborhoods.

Councilman Agee moved to approve the prioritized needs list as amended by the night's discussion; the motion passed by voice vote.

Bray said spring and fall CDBG application windows differ by activity (infrastructure typically in the fall) and reminded the council that projects must meet national objectives (benefit to LMI persons or elimination of slums/blight) and be ready to proceed if selected. Staff will finalize and file the county's formal prioritized needs list for the application cycle.","Council reviewed a presentation from Catawba Regional Council of Governments on CDBG eligibility and approved a prioritized needs list that includes water/sewer upgrades, sidewalk projects and senior services, with staff to finalize the adopted list.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Chester County council, planning staff debate new subdivision code rules for gravel roads, lot thresholds and conservation options

Votes at a glance: Chester County Council approves readings, minutes, priority list and committee appointments

Chester County officials praise multi-county response after fatal bus crash; developer withdraws 114‑home rezoning application

Chester County council adopts 2025 Community Development Block Grant priority needs list; senior services and sidewalks among items added