Kershaw County Council adopts temporary moratorium, approves impact fees and zoning changes amid debate over rural event venues

Kershaw County Council on July 22 enacted a temporary countywide moratorium on new residential subdivisions that would create more than five lots, approved a new impact-fee ordinance and advanced related zoning changes after lengthy discussion about enforcement, rural property rights and timing.

Council members said the package aims to give staff time to finish a comprehensive plan and a Zoning and Land Development Regulations (ZLDR) rewrite while creating tools to address the strain of new development on county services. Council amended the moratorium to extend the period from 180 days to 255 days and to match the recently proposed change that treats projects of more than five lots as “major subdivisions.”

Supporters said the combination of a moratorium and new impact fees will let the county better plan and fund small capital projects tied to growth. Councilman Shoemake said lowering the threshold for a major subdivision to more than five lots “allows us more flexibility” and better matches how development is occurring. Councilman Tomlinson introduced and the council adopted an amendment reallocating the earliest target year for a group of parks-and-recreation projects so the county would not have to reopen the current fiscal-year budget.

Opponents, led by Councilman Jones and Councilman Tucker, argued the rules risk overreach in rural areas and warned the county lacks staff to enforce new venue rules and subdivision restrictions. Jones said existing laws such as disturbing-the-peace statutes and current enforcement tools could address many…