PICKENS, S.C. — Pickens County Council has put a proposed set of development limits around Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee on hold for now, voting to scope an environmental study of undeveloped lakefront land before taking a final vote on rules that developers say could land the county in court, according to South Carolina Public Radio.
The proposal would create an overlay district covering all property within a quarter mile of the two lakes, layered on top of the county’s Unified Development Standards Ordinance, SC Public Radio reported. Within that zone, the draft would prohibit light industrial and most heavy industrial uses, commercial development and single-family attached housing such as duplexes and townhomes. Opponents have described it as banning multifamily construction as well. It would also bar new manicured lawns and the use of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in the buffer area. The ordinance passed second reading in August, and a final reading had been expected as soon as October, FOX Carolina reported.
At an Oct. 19 public hearing, council voted 5-1 to direct staff to define the scope of a study of undeveloped land around the lakes, done jointly with Oconee County, which shares both reservoirs, according to SC Public Radio. Chairman Alex Saitta cast the lone no vote. He favored adopting the ordinance as written and noted the study would cost $25,000. Councilmember Chris Bowers said he wants GIS mapping and deed research to show how much lakefront land is still undeveloped, arguing that restricting property rights would be hard to justify if only a small share remains open.
Supporters framed the rules as protection for drinking water and the lakes’ long-term health. One resident cited the effects of the current drought on the lakes, and another argued that piecemeal development would reshape the lake over 10 to 20 years, saying, “Environmental degradation rarely happens all at once.” Developers pushed back hard. James Whitley, owner of The Reserve, a roughly 4,000-acre community the county approved in 2002, asked council to honor existing approvals. He said a planned lodge, spa and fitness center there would bring more than 500 jobs and about $450 million in added tax revenue over a decade, citing a study he commissioned. Greenville attorney Steve Buckingham warned that the ordinance as drafted leaves developers little choice but to go to court, SC Public Radio reported.
For the Upstate’s housing pipeline, the stakes go beyond two lakes. Lakefront land is among the most sought-after residential property in the western Upstate, and ruling out townhomes, duplexes and apartments near the water would leave detached single-family homes as the main residential option there. That could push lake-area prices higher and steer attached and multifamily projects to other parts of the county or into neighboring counties. Investors holding lakefront tracts face more uncertainty while the study scope is set, and builders with existing entitlements will be watching whether the county keeps its earlier approvals intact.
Council has not adopted the ordinance, and discussion of the measure, which dates back to February, is expected to continue, according to SC Public Radio.
Sources: South Carolina Public Radio, FOX Carolina
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