The headline
County advances plan to limit residential growth. Council members voted to move forward with a suite of nine new ordinances designed to manage the county’s rapid population growth and infrastructure strain. The most significant measure is a proposed two-year building permit allocation system, which aims to cap the number of residential permits issued every six months.
Building Permit Allocation System (1st Reading):
Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance capping residential building permits over two years.
Development
Unanimous · 7-0
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detailsless
How they voted - unanimous
✓ Ben Connell✓ Russell Brazell✓ Sammie Tucker Jr.✓ Derek Shoemake✓ Jimmy Jones✓ Brant Tomlinson✓ Danny CatoeWhat this was about
Kershaw County Council voted unanimously on first reading to establish a temporary building permit allocation system designed to curb rapid population growth and infrastructure strain across unincorporated areas. Formulated by the ad hoc Smart Growth Rewrite Committee, the ordinance responds to census data showing Kershaw County grew by nearly 12 percent between 2020 and 2025, making it the state's fastest-growing inland county. County building permits averaged roughly 500 units annually in recent years, placing severe pressure on emergency services, public utilities, and local roads. As amended on first reading by Councilman Derek Shoemake, the ordinance sets a placeholder 30 percent permit reduction, capping total permits at approximately 350 per year released in semi-annual cycles. Permits will be allocated first come, first served across four categories: subdivision lots, non-subdivision single-family and mobile homes, accessory dwelling units, and multi-family housing. Individual subdivisions cannot claim more than 25 percent of available single-family permits per cycle, while renovations and Planned Development Districts remain exempt. The ordinance now moves to the Planning Commission for detailed review prior to second reading.
PASSED (Unanimous). The ordinance was amended to include a 30% reduction cap on permits as a placeholder while the Planning Commission reviews the data
Who said what
» Derek Shoemake Council Member: Derek Shoemake argued that implementing a permit allocation system is the only direct method to control the county's rapid population growth. ▶︎» Sammie Tucker Jr. Council Member: Sammie Tucker Jr. asked staff to model a 20 percent permit reduction option alongside the proposed 30 percent cap. ▶︎» Danny Catoe Council Member: Danny Catoe expressed support for evaluating a 20 percent permit reduction option to avoid overly restricting residential development. ▶︎» Jimmy Jones Council Member: Jimmy Jones urged council to explicitly clarify that non-dwelling accessory buildings like pool houses and storage sheds are exempt from permit caps. ▶︎» Brant Tomlinson Council Member: Brant Tomlinson praised the allocation proposal and highlighted the value of reviewing permit caps every six months. ▶︎» Ben Connell Chairman: Ben Connell supported the first reading as a way to manage growth without raising taxes or taking on major debt. ▶︎Votes at a glance ▸ tap to showtap to hide
Building Permit Allocation System (1st Reading):
Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance capping residential building permits over two years.
Development
Unanimous · 7-0
▸
detailsless
How they voted - unanimous
✓ Ben Connell✓ Russell Brazell✓ Sammie Tucker Jr.✓ Derek Shoemake✓ Jimmy Jones✓ Brant Tomlinson✓ Danny CatoeWhat this was about
Kershaw County Council voted unanimously on first reading to establish a temporary building permit allocation system designed to curb rapid population growth and infrastructure strain across unincorporated areas. Formulated by the ad hoc Smart Growth Rewrite Committee, the ordinance responds to census data showing Kershaw County grew by nearly 12 percent between 2020 and 2025, making it the state's fastest-growing inland county. County building permits averaged roughly 500 units annually in recent years, placing severe pressure on emergency services, public utilities, and local roads. As amended on first reading by Councilman Derek Shoemake, the ordinance sets a placeholder 30 percent permit reduction, capping total permits at approximately 350 per year released in semi-annual cycles. Permits will be allocated first come, first served across four categories: subdivision lots, non-subdivision single-family and mobile homes, accessory dwelling units, and multi-family housing. Individual subdivisions cannot claim more than 25 percent of available single-family permits per cycle, while renovations and Planned Development Districts remain exempt. The ordinance now moves to the Planning Commission for detailed review prior to second reading.
PASSED (Unanimous). The ordinance was amended to include a 30% reduction cap on permits as a placeholder while the Planning Commission reviews the data
Who said what
» Derek Shoemake Council Member: Derek Shoemake argued that implementing a permit allocation system is the only direct method to control the county's rapid population growth. ▶︎» Sammie Tucker Jr. Council Member: Sammie Tucker Jr. asked staff to model a 20 percent permit reduction option alongside the proposed 30 percent cap. ▶︎» Danny Catoe Council Member: Danny Catoe expressed support for evaluating a 20 percent permit reduction option to avoid overly restricting residential development. ▶︎» Jimmy Jones Council Member: Jimmy Jones urged council to explicitly clarify that non-dwelling accessory buildings like pool houses and storage sheds are exempt from permit caps. ▶︎» Brant Tomlinson Council Member: Brant Tomlinson praised the allocation proposal and highlighted the value of reviewing permit caps every six months. ▶︎» Ben Connell Chairman: Ben Connell supported the first reading as a way to manage growth without raising taxes or taking on major debt. ▶︎
Slate of Eight Smart Growth Ordinances (1st Reading):
Council unanimously approved first reading of eight ordinances establishing new subdivision and infrastructure standards.
Development
Unanimous · 7-0
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detailsless
How they voted - unanimous
✓ Ben Connell✓ Russell Brazell✓ Sammie Tucker Jr.✓ Derek Shoemake✓ Jimmy Jones✓ Brant Tomlinson✓ Danny CatoeWhat this was about
Kershaw County Council voted unanimously on first reading to advance a package of eight smart growth ordinances recommended by the ad hoc Smart Growth Rewrite Committee to update the Unified Code of Zoning and Land Development Regulations. The slate establishes major subdivision design standards requiring architectural variety and masonry foundation cladding while limiting façade materials. To ensure usable recreational space, developments must reserve 10 to 15 percent open space based on site acreage, explicitly excluding wetlands and flood hazard areas from open space calculations. Additional infrastructure mandates require sidewalks on both sides of subdivision streets, designated off-street parking areas every 500 feet, and mandatory HOA covenants restricting on-street parking to one side of the road to ensure emergency vehicle access. The package also requires formal 911 street naming for private drives exceeding 2,000 feet or serving more than three lots. To protect county infrastructure investments, developer financial performance guarantees increase to 25 percent in year one and 15 percent in year two, while staff review deadlines extend by five business days to ensure thorough evaluations. Finally, the ordinances empower the Planning Commission to consider school district and utility impact assessments when evaluating major subdivision proposals. The entire package moves to the Planning Commission for review before returning to Council for second reading.
PASSED (Unanimous). This package includes new design standards, open space requirements, sidewalk mandates, and revised developer performance guarantees
Who said what
» Derek Shoemake Council Member: Derek Shoemake explained that the impact assessment ordinance gives the Planning Commission explicit authority to consider school capacity when reviewing major subdivision plans. ▶︎» Sammie Tucker Jr. Council Member: Sammie Tucker Jr. praised the Smart Growth Committee members for their painstaking effort and thorough work in drafting the smart growth ordinances. ▶︎» Danny Catoe Council Member: Danny Catoe inquired whether county regulations mandate multiple subdivision access points to alleviate neighborhood traffic congestion. ▶︎» Danny Templar Presenter: Danny Templar commended the Smart Growth Committee for delivering a comprehensive and impressive set of development recommendations. ▶︎Discussed, no vote ▸ tap to showtap to hide
Council members held a formal discussion on the work of the ad hoc Smart Growth Committee. Councilman Derek Shoemake presented the committee’s findings, highlighting that Kershaw County is the fastest-growing inland county in South Carolina. The council discussed the permit allocation process, clarifying that "accessory dwelling units" like pool houses or storage sheds without living quarters would generally fall under exemptions, while the council and planning staff prepare more precise language for the next reading.
Public comment ▸ tap to showtap to hide
There were no members of the public who spoke during the public comment portion of this special called meeting.
Coming up ▸ tap to showtap to hide
- The next steps for the nine ordinances include further review by the Planning Commission and continued refinement of the permit allocation numbers.
- Council expects to have more information on implementation procedures from the Planning Director prior to the second reading of these ordinances.
Independent summary, generated from the county's public video, not an official county communication.