Approximately 40 people attended a community planning meeting for Anderson County Council District 7 held recently at Cedar Grove Elementary School.
Information was presented on growth and other changes that have occurred in Anderson County from 2016 to present, future planning and zoning.
Anderson County is in the process of updating their ten year Comprehensive Plan which will be finalized in 2026. Information presented by County officials included Land Use, Population, Natural Resources, Transportation, Housing, Resilience, Economic Development, Priority Investment, Community Services and Facilities.
At the end of the meeting, residents had the opportunity for input on the future by making their wishes known regarding each of the ten elements included in the Comprehensive Plan. Input received from residents at the information meetings will be used in the new Comprehensive Plan.
County Planner Joan Holliday talked about the Comprehensive Plan and growth in the county.
She said the Plan is to inventory existing conditions, provide a statement of needs and goals and a guide for implementation strategies with time frames. Once completed it will be presented to County Council for final approval. “We need your input on what to do with that information,” she said.
Population, economic development and land use were three areas she focused on.
Holliday said Anderson County has a population, as of 2020, of 220,036 people. Anderson County has grown every decade except the period 1820 to 1830.
According to Holliday, data shows the County is experiencing a decrease in the 0-29 age group and seeing an increase in the over 60 age group.
Economic Development in Anderson County is providing jobs for new residents. “Work force demand keeps going up,” Holliday said. “Anderson County is attractive because of available workforce, low cost of living, low cost of land, quality of life and the Fee in Lieu of tax incentives offered by the County.”
Regarding transportation, Holliday said the County airport, proximity to GSP airport and Inland Port, good highways and rail systems “help us attract industry with good paying jobs.”
The County has attractive natural resources including the most prime farmland in the upstate. Anderson County has 1587 farms and 174,454 acres of agricultural farmland, she said.
Cultural resources include historic sites, history, scenic highways, agricultural heritage, visual and performing arts, libraries and museums.
Holliday said Anderson County offers livability and is an attractive and interesting place to live, it attracts visitors and has a number of festivals.
“Most housing is single family,” she said and a majority is moderate income households, including police, fire, teachers.
“Land Development is where everything comes together”, Holliday said.
Future landuse is an important issue for many residents. This includes how to keep agricultural property in the county and deal with development.
According to Holliday, zoning by precinct is extremely important in dealing with future landuse including new subdivisions and where they are going. “We need to do it right,” she said.
Anderson County Zoning Administrator Henry Youmans said three fourths of Anderson County is unzoned and anything can be put there, residential or commercial. “There are no restrictions on what you can put in unzoned areas,” he said.
There are currently three precincts in Anderson County that are in the process of having zoning placed on a referendum for voters to decide in November. They are Toney Creek, Rock Springs and Shirley Store. Prior to 1999, Anderson County had no zoning. The Cedar Grove precinct was one of the first to approve zoning when Anderson County began looking at ways to deal with growth and related problems.
Youmans explained the zoning process which includes obtaining a petition from the Anderson County Planning and Community Development office and getting signatures of fifteen percent of registered votes in the precinct. Once that is done there will be public hearings and community meetings, Planning Commission review, a public hearing by the Planning Commission and a recommendation made to County Council. If County Council approves all three readings on the ordinance and a public hearing is held, the zoning referendum will be placed on the ballot and must be approved by 51 percent of the voters.
Youmans stated, “Zoning does not stop development. It limits what can be in that district.”
District 7 Planning Commissioner Dan Harvell said “zoning is what you want your property to look like. To have teeth, you have got to be zoned.”
Still there is the possibility of a rezoning request for property in zoned areas.
He explained that the Planning Commission looks at all rezoning requests. “I tend to honor the zoning,” he said.
Development, and over development, in Anderson County is drawing a lot of attention.
Harvell said that where historically a family looked at property as heritage, but now grandchildren, who do not have the attachment for the property, are seeing dollar signs, especially for property that might be valuable to developers.
“The way it develops depends on the people in that community,” he said. “If you have concerns, you need to show up at the Planning Commission meeting. If it meets the conuty codes ordinaces, and if people do not show up, it most likely will go right through.”
Information was also presented on Anderson County Solid Waste and a proposed Anderson Regional Landfill expansion. (See separate story)
