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Subcommittee approves aeronautics grant policy tying funding to compatible land‑use protections
Summary
The panel approved a regulation formalizing aeronautics grant eligibility criteria that tie state funding to airports having compatible land‑use ordinances, citing existing state law and a Legislative Audit Council recommendation; the rule provides airports three years to meet requirements.
The subcommittee approved a regulation from the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission that formalizes grant eligibility by tying state aeronautics funding to airports demonstrating compatible land‑use protections.
Gary Siegfried, executive director of the Aeronautics Commission, said the regulation does not create new zoning authority but links grant eligibility to whether localities have compatible land‑use ordinances and protections in place. He cited existing state law requiring local planning to consider airports under the South Carolina Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994 and referenced Title 55 provisions that authorize zoning in airport hazard areas.
Siegfried said the policy is intended to protect taxpayer investments across 57 public‑use airports and noted that the Legislative Audit Council and a recent legislative audit recommended formalizing the regulations. When a committee member asked whether failing to show how an airport will be protected would mean losing funding, Siegfried said local partners would have three years to adopt protections and that lack of a plan could affect eligibility for state funding.
Members discussed outreach to Greenville, which the presenter said has been engaged but that a memorandum of understanding delegating review authorities has not been finalized. The subcommittee approved Document 5406 and forwarded it to the full committee.
The regulation sets expectations for airports and local partners to coordinate on compatible land use as a condition of receiving state grants, while providing a multi‑year compliance period, according to the Aeronautics Commission director.
