Presumably most of us moved to this area—and many adjacent to the lake—because we liked what we saw. We liked the relative busyness of the area (or lack of). We liked the beauty, not just of the lake, but of the land and land use surrounding and approaching the lake. We liked the empty spaces and the neighboring farmlands. Over time, others have recognized the same, but are trying to exploit those items for personal gain. You can’t avoid noticing it—the randomness of new RV parks, short term rentals, storage places, etc. that are popping up everywhere. And there is nothing wrong with these. But many people would like some control over new businesses and uses of land around their area. It can affect traffic, safety, beauty, the environment, property values, and the general welfare of yourself and your neighbors.
It may seem there is little to do to manage these proposed new entities other than stand around and watch things happen around us and wonder ‘why was that allowed’? Or ‘that seems pretty out of synch with the neighbors or the neighboring properties. Or ‘I wish that wasn’t in my area, that is not what I expected when I moved here’.
Lake Hartwell, and the surrounding towns, communities, and counties, is one of the hottest demand areas in the country. What can be done to better manage the growth generated by all the things that drew us to this area and are now drawing many more? What can be done to manage the ‘pressure’ put on Lake Hartwell by everything being put up around the lake? You can’t stop it. But can it be managed better to allow new businesses, etc. and yet preserve many of the reasons people moved here from the start?
ZONING is the next step towards taking some control over what could be brought to your area, and/or keeping what is currently there, in its existing use. Zoning allows residents a say in what they would like their neighborhood to be regarding land use. Zoning puts some legal ‘teeth’ into what otherwise seems to be a random, sometimes unstructured, process of approving how a particular property or piece of land is used. I’ve seen land sales advertisements that state something like—-’unzoned, do what you want’…… Is this what you want for your area as we continue to be pressured by growth? Consider zoning. That is the next step.
The laws to implement zoning vary from county-to-county. Anderson County zoning is initiated by voting precinct. Oconee County zoning is initiated by parcel or group of parcels, minimum 200 acres total. On the South Carolina side of Lake Hartwell, zoning is initiated by citizen action. I expect this citizen-driven process is similar for other lake-adjacent counties. Don’t count on your county to do this. Take the initiative yourself.
Contrary to what is commonly heard…zoning is NOT government telling you what you can do with your land. It’s actually the opposite of that…. It’s a process of letting government enforce what you, the voters have voted that you want in place in your area regarding future land use. In the absence of voting there is…. nothing…. other than watching things evolve around you without any logic or control of the decision being made. The attached pictures are examples of what could have possibly been prevented if zoning were in place.
If you are interested in taking better control of the land use and developments around your area, contact your County Planning Department about the process of implementing zoning.
