Lancaster County to pause development growth in Indian Land. What to know
A new building moratorium is in place for Indian Land, one of the fastest-growing areas in South Carolina.
“It’s simply out of control in the panhandle,” said David Basri, one of about a dozen residents who asked Lancaster County Council to set the moratorium on Monday night.
Lancaster County Council voted unanimously on Monday night to put a nine-month moratorium in place while the county works on new rules related to land use and development. The moratorium impacts homes and apartments in the Lancaster County panhandle.
The moratorium is in place after a first reading, though it will take two more readings to become official. That rule is in place to prevent an influx of submitted development projects between subsequent readings. Final approval is expected Nov. 10.
Residents react to Indian Land moratorium
Lancaster County resident Paul Koberg believes having a moratoium will help, citing emergency responders, sheriff’s office deputies and firefighters that already face challenges in Indian Land.
“Lancaster County’s first responder departments are already struggling to keep up with the current demand for services,” he said. “There are thousands more residential units already approved.”
Resident Toni McCammon also points to typical daily traffic. She’d like to see mandatory turn lanes as part of new road construction. Residents on Monday brought up impact fees, a new transportation sales tax referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot and other measures aimed to helping to offset growth.
“It’s just hard for the infrastructure to keep up, so that the citizens don’t suffer,” McCammon said.
McCammon and other residents brought up the traffic impact from a Target that just opened in Indian Land, and the Costco that will open this month.
“The new building is only going to exacerbate that further,” said resident Joe Kohler.
Lancaster County continues to grow
The county noted a 60% growth rate from 2000 to 2020 countywide, or a nearly 20,000-resident increase. Panhandle growth in that same span has been 476%, according to the county.
Allison Hardin, development services director, said it isn’t just growth numbers that led to the moratorium decision.
“You’ve heard from residents, many times over and in many meetings, that they are concerned about the growth in the area and would like a pause,” she said. “So this is Council reacting to and responding to input from the public.”
What the moratorium means for Indian Land
The moratorium will pause new home or apartment development plans, commercial permits for apartment developments, major subdivision plans, master plan plats, new road names for residential projects and zoning verification for residential projects.
The moratorium won’t impact residential projects already under development. Residential permits in established subdivisions, commercial permits unrelated to residential construction or residential plans outside the panhandle won’t be impacted.
The moratorium won’t impact properties with Van Wyck town limits. It also won’t apply to subdivided properties with fewer than three lots, a measure aimed to allowing families to build homes on their own properties.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Lancaster County to pause development growth in Indian Land. What to know."
