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Conservation groups warn Jasper County zoning could open Broad River lands to thousands of homes
Summary
Grant McClure of the Coastal Conservation Leagues told Beaufort County planners that two pending Jasper County developments along the Broad River—Chelsea South and Ticton Hall—could yield up to 5,000 new homes if annexed, and urged adoption of RP‑10 rural zoning and buffer standards to protect high-priority ecological lands.
Grant McClure, a staff member at the Coastal Conservation Leagues, told the Beaufort County Northern Regional Plan Implementation Committee that development pressure on the Broad River could transform large tracks of ecologically important land unless Jasper County adopts stronger rural zoning.
"Combined, those two projects...they could bring up to 5,000 new residential units along the Broad River," McClure said, referring to the Chelsea and Ticton Hall proposals. He said the 2019 sale of roughly 5,000 acres known as Chelsea prompted developers to shop and subdivide formerly family‑held parcels, and that some parcels now lack conservation easements.
McClure outlined measures Jasper County is considering to slow large‑scale subdivision, including a proposed RP‑10 rural zoning district that would limit development to one unit per 10 acres in targeted rural areas and the possible adoption of a regional stormwater manual and stronger river buffer standards. He said the moratorium the county adopted on large residential subdivisions — which expired in July 2024 — provided time to draft those changes and that the ordinance received a first reading in July.
He said the RP‑10 approach would exempt parcels under 10 acres from the new density limit; McClure estimated that exemption would apply to roughly 4,000 properties inside the district that would remain at their current 1‑unit‑per‑acre standard. He also described a proposed family‑estate exemption (applying to parcels with long continuous ownership) and a separate Village Commercial designation meant to preserve small businesses and churches near Highway 462.
McClure showed conservation maps and cited the South Carolina State Conservation Bank and Lowcountry Sentinel landscape layers to explain why the Chelsea area is a high ecological priority, including nearby protected parcels such as Gregory Neck and easements held by Ducks Unlimited. He described the area’s cultural resources as well, including family cemeteries and the Honey Hill battlefield, and said a locally formed Broad River Task Force helped draw the Yoo Haw District moratorium boundaries.
McClure asked the committee to consider regional effects of annexation and growth, noting traffic and watershed concerns if Ridgeland or other municipalities extended boundaries toward Highway 170. "We want to encourage them to do it through infill development and smart growth strategies," he said, urging municipalities to avoid stretching municipal limits into sensitive corridors.
On next steps, McClure said Jasper County still needs a second public hearing and is taking public feedback; he also said the county faces pushback from the development community but appeared poised to move the ordinance forward. He also discussed related local planning efforts — Jasper County’s first Parks and Recreation Master Plan — and a local sales‑tax referendum on the November ballot to fund transportation, greenbelt and conservation projects (he described the package as involving "20% or $94,000,000 over 15 years" as stated in his remarks).
The committee did not take a formal vote on the zoning proposal during the meeting. The discussion closed with questions about local council races and acknowledgment that political changes may affect annexation outcomes. The committee listed the item for continued attention pending Jasper County hearings and potential formal actions there.
