New wetlands protections in effect

Georgetown County has adopted a new wetlands protection ordinance aimed at safeguarding the marshes, rivers and wetlands that surround much of the Lowcountry.   

County Council and the Planning Commission decided the issue was too urgent to wait on the county's broader update of its zoning rules, so the wetlands protection ordinance moved forward on its own track. It has since been adopted.   

County Planning Director Holly Richardson said the ordinance was more than a year in the making, beginning with a model ordinance from an environmental group and refined through input from foresters, environmental groups, engineers and other stakeholders, along with numerous workshops before the Planning Commission and County Council.   

The ordinance targets non-jurisdictional wetlands — those not already regulated by federal and state agencies — which Richardson said can otherwise "fall through the cracks" in a county full of wetlands.   

Previously, county rules required only a 15-foot setback from saltwater wetlands, with no protection for freshwater wetlands beyond state and federal requirements. The new ordinance adds an undisturbed buffer around all wetlands, plus an additional setback keeping structures even farther away.   

The ordinance includes exemptions for existing lots that weren't designed with the new buffer in mind, so property owners aren't prevented from using land they already own. The new standards apply going forward to new developments. Some projects already underway will be allowed to proceed under the previous rules.   

"I really think you're going to start seeing a difference in terms of what subdivisions look like," Richardson said. 

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