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Kershaw County Council amends airport overlay ordinance, approves second reading as amended
Summary
Council approved a set of targeted amendments to the Airport Overlay District ordinance after public input and council debate; amendments add conditional uses, clarify review rules, and preserve existing equestrian uses. The measure passed on second reading as amended.
Kershaw County Council approved amendments to the county's Airport Overlay District (AOD) ordinance and passed second reading as amended on Feb. 11, 2025.
The amendments, introduced by Councilman Mark Tomlinson and seconded by Councilman Derek Shoemake, change how certain uses are treated inside the AOD. They make a range of higher-intensity uses conditional in sensitive zones, clarify review authority for uses not listed in the table, and add findings recognizing the historic and continuing role of equestrian and agricultural land uses around Louisville Field Airport.
Councilman Tomlinson outlined line-by-line changes, including lowering density limits for heavy industrial uses in Zone C, making light industrial, warehousing and aeronautical businesses conditional uses in Zone A, and adding clarity that the AOD use table cannot be read as more permissive than existing base zoning. Tomlinson said the amendments aim to protect life, safety and airport operations while allowing lower-intensity commercial uses in appropriate locations.
Supporters said the amendments reflect extensive local input and strike a balance between airport safety and preserving the county's equine heritage. Vice Chair Russell Brazel and others noted staff and community outreach during the ordinance drafting process. Opponents cautioned about additional regulation of property rights and signaled plans to propose further changes before third reading.
The council voted to adopt Tomlinson’s amendment (motion carried) and then approved second reading of the AOD ordinance as amended. The amendment passed 5–2 (Yes: Shoemake, Connell, Tomlinson, Cato, Tucker; No: Brazel, Jones). The second-reading approval as amended recorded the same split.
Councilmembers said the ordinance remains a work in progress and that staff will host a public meeting Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the same room to review the changes ahead of third reading.
For now the AOD preserves existing equine uses as continuing rights — nonconforming uses generally remain effective provided they are not abandoned for three years — and requires conditional review of many higher-intensity commercial and industrial activities near the airport.
The council signaled willingness to refine the ordinance again at third reading based on community feedback and any issues uncovered in implementation.
