Kershaw County adopts airport overlay ordinance after months of revisions and public debate

Kershaw County Council voted 4–2 on Feb. 25 to adopt an amended Airport Overlay District (AOD) ordinance that revises zoning near Woodward Field.

Supporters at multiple public comments said the overlay will protect the county airport and its role in medical evacuations, law‑enforcement flights and economic activity. "When a community loses an airport, it's similar to losing an interstate, an exit off of an interstate," Woodward Airfield advocate Scott Chambers told the council.

The ordinance will add airport land‑use zones to the county Unified Code of Zoning and Land Development Regulations and includes an amendment inserted on third reading that extends grandfathering protections for existing single‑family residences. Councilman Brent Tomlinson moved a package of three amendments, including a requirement that new submissions "to the extent practical locate structures in the least restrictive zone and as far as possible from the airport runway surface and aircraft flight paths," and language saying abandonment time limits do not apply to existing bona‑fide residences that become nonconforming under the AOD.

The AOD was the product of repeated public meetings and technical review. Speakers who identified as pilots and as staff with the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission argued that compatible land‑use protections reduce safety risks and prevent future closure. "The overlay process benefits everyone," David Smith, who said he serves as a project manager for the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, told the council.

Residents and members of the county's equine community urged stronger protections for existing farms and homes. Richard Osworth, a Red Fox Road resident, argued that some proposed features in the airport layout plan — notably a planned sequenced approach lighting system described in FAA documents and specific property acquisitions shown on a conditional airport layout plan — could have serious local impacts. "The proposed amendments, if passed, will cause unnecessary hardship to the owners of existing horse farms on Red Fox Road," Osworth said, and he requested written assurances that identified properties would not be purchased and that the lighting scheme would be revised and resubmitted to the FAA.

Council debate centered on balancing aviation safety, the county's economic interest in keeping Woodward Field open and longtime property rights in Hunt Country. Council members who supported the ordinance emphasized that the AOD does not itself trigger eminent‑domain acquisitions and that any property purchase would require separate processes and county funding. Opponents raised constituent concerns that the overlay could, over time, lead to restrictions on use or pressure for property acquisitions.

Votes at third reading followed an amendment process. Councilman Thomason moved the three amendments; after a roll call, the Thomason amendment passed by a 4–2 vote. The full AOD, as amended, then passed third reading 4–2 (Yeas: Shoemake, Connell, Cato, Tomlinson; Nays: Bridal, Jones). The ordinance text and the supporting materials presented to the council include references to FAA guidance and to the county Unified Code; the final adopted ordinance will be codified in the Unified Code of Zoning and Land Development Regulations.

The council instructed staff to publish the ordinance and to continue outreach to affected property owners. Several council members said they would continue to work with nearby residents and the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission as any FAA or airport layout updates proceed.

The ordinance will now be administered by county planning staff under the Unified Code; it includes procedures for conditional uses, required consultations with the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission for certain accessory structures, and clarified treatment of nonconforming residences.

The council's action followed a public comment period that featured pilots, aeronautics staff, horse‑industry stakeholders and multiple Red Fox Road residents who asked for written guarantees and clarity about lighting and property‑acquisition plans.

A copy of the final ordinance and the staff report will be posted to the county website and available in the planning office. Council members said they expect additional technical conversations with the airport and property owners as FAA approvals or capital improvements move forward.