Greenville County Council adopts 12-month moratorium on new cluster developments

Greenville County Council on a voice vote approved an amendment to a proposed ordinance deleting Article 11 of the county Land Development Regulations and imposed a temporary 12-month moratorium on acceptance, processing or approval of new cluster-development applications in unincorporated Greenville County.

The action, advanced by Councilor Bradley on behalf of the committee and amended from the floor, directs staff and the Planning Commission to pause new cluster plans while the county reviews and develops legally defensible revisions. Councilors voted to hold a public hearing on the amended ordinance on Sept. 2, 2025; notification to the public will occur 30 days before the hearing, which triggers the pending-ordinance protections described during the meeting.

Councilor Bradley moved the ordinance to delete Article 11 at second reading. A council member proposing the amendment said, “I move to amend the proposed ordinance in order to impose a temporary 12 month moratorium on the acceptance, processing, or approval of any new preliminary plans or development applications that propose cluster development as defined in article 11 of the Greenville County Land Development Regulations.” The council then debated the length of the moratorium, the relationship of the change to the countywide Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) efforts and the ability to terminate the moratorium early if a replacement ordinance is adopted.

Attorney and commenter Audrey Pazen addressed council during the public-appearances portion, urging careful drafting and tying any land-development regulation to the South Carolina Enabling Act, saying the county “needs a constitutionally sustainable justification” and citing Section 6-29-720(a) and (b) of the state code as the statutory standard she recommends be referenced in legislative findings.

Council members discussed procedural issues: one member asked whether the moratorium would begin immediately; county legal staff advised that the pending-ordinance doctrine would take effect once notice of the public hearing is posted (a 30-day notice period was discussed). Councilors also confirmed the amendment includes an early-termination clause allowing the moratorium to be ended sooner if the replacement regulations are adopted.

The council announced that a public version of the amendment would be posted on the online agenda so residents could review the proposed language before the hearing.

The action shifts the regulation from committee consideration to a public hearing process with the pause on new cluster applications intended to prevent a surge of filings while the county finalizes new rules.