Greenwood County Council approves five-year moratorium on accepting new subdivision roads

Greenwood County Council voted to place a five-year moratorium on accepting new subdivision roads into the county road maintenance system in order to buy time for fiscal planning and to develop a long-term strategy for road funding.

Staff presented data showing the county maintains roughly 1,200 miles of roadway and is not currently on a resurfacing cycle staff considers adequate; the proposed pause is intended to give the county time to align funding with a target 25-year resurfacing cycle. Public Works Director Rob told council the moratorium would let staff “get fiscally in order” and provide clearer guidance to developers.

The moratorium drew extended public comment and council debate. Resident speaker Bubba Harvin urged council to preserve the county’s existing road-acceptance ordinance and warned that a moratorium could shift maintenance costs to homeowners, increase HOA assessments and depress property values. “Accepting [roads] ensures these neighborhoods are treated fairly and avoid shifting maintenance uncertainty onto residents,” Harvin said.

Calhoun Mays, who manages many local homeowners associations, echoed Harvin’s call to grandfather recently completed subdivisions and offered to work with staff on funding options. David Trent, speaking as a citizen, urged more study and pointed to neighboring Greenville County’s inventory and assessment approach as a model for long-term planning.

Some council members argued the pause is necessary because the county lacks a sustainable funding stream for road maintenance; others said a five-year moratorium could deter ongoing development and penalize projects already in process. Several members suggested shorter timeframes or tying a pause to the county’s upcoming strategic plan and next budget cycle. Councilmember Bishop noted the resolution allows council to rescind the moratorium earlier if circumstances change.

The motion to adopt the resolution was made and seconded; council approved the moratorium by a recorded vote of 4–3. The resolution calls for staff, the county attorney and the applicant community to meet and for staff to return with more precise fiscal analysis and recommendations. The council and staff said they would also pursue focused citizen engagement and consider alternate funding options, including changes to the road user fee and capital projects funding.

What happens next: staff will review the ordinance and funding options and report back to council at a future meeting. The resolution language gives council the discretion to rescind the moratorium prior to the five-year period if it chooses.