As the Colleton County Planning Commission moves forward with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan Update, we must examine the data used to justify industrial expansion. The county claims a 39% plurality mandate for economic development; however, a closer look reveals that 61% of constituents did not list this as their top priority. Instead, 50% prioritized natural resources and strategic land use. The community’s “Vision for the Future” word cloud is filled with pleas to “Stay Rural,” yet the proposed map favors industrial zones that bring heavy manufacturing and traffic.
The most glaring contradiction is the placement of industrial tracts adjacent to the Edisto River and Colleton State Park. The Edisto is a vital tributary to the ACE Basin, an ecosystem the plan explicitly claims to protect. These areas sit within critical wetlands—nearly 46% of our county—which act as a natural filtration system. Because of this geography, environmental damage from heavy industry cannot be contained; any runoff flows directly into the water table, threatening the diverse wildlife that makes our county unique.
Most troubling is the strategy under “Intergovernmental Coordination” (Goal 6) to amend the Zoning Map to ensure future industrial sites are “protected.” This is a complete “protection flip.” By seeking zoning amendments to create a legal shield for industry, the commission is pursuing an objective that 0% of survey respondents requested. This strategy effectively uses coordination as a tool to bypass the primary concerns of the public.
We do not want to become another Summerville or Charleston. I urge the Planning Commission to realign the 2030 Update with the actual values of its constituents and remove industrial designations from these sensitive corridors. Our community has been clear: we value our health, our wildlife, and our heritage. We will not accept the poisoning of our environment for the sake of incompatible industrial expansion. We must protect our natural resources before they are lost for good.
Respectfully,
Stephanie H. Gruber
Round O, SC
