County Can Grow and Preserve Community Character

S.C. Rep. Blake Sanders, Dist. 9

Anderson County is growing and the numbers prove it. Our population has increased by 6.4 percent in just five years, and SmartAsset recently ranked us #2 in South Carolina and #39 in the nation as one of the best places to raise a family. We also rank 7th in the state for Gross Domestic Product from private goods-producing industries, totaling $2.7 billion. This growth reflects a thriving economy, strong community, and the kind of place people want to call home.

But the story of Anderson isn’t just about rooftops, roads, and industry. Agriculture has always been the backbone of this county and it still is. The market value of agricultural products has risen 12 percent since 2017, reaching $84.3 million, and we hold the largest cattle inventory in South Carolina at 32,033 head. Our farms feed families, support local businesses, and define the rural landscape that gives Anderson its identity.

At the same time, growth brings undeniable pressure. Development is stretching farther into once-rural areas, converting working farmland into subdivisions, distribution centers, and parking lots. The character of entire communities can shift when land that’s been farmed for generations turns into pavement. Growth can be a blessing, but unmanaged growth can permanently alter the fabric of a place.

That’s why I’ve made planning and growth management a priority. At the state level, I support S.C. House Bill 4050, which would give local governments the ability to use concurrency programs. This means new development would move forward when adequate infrastructure like roads, water, sewer, and schools is already in place or planned. It’s a common-sense way to ensure that growth doesn’t outpace the services communities depend on.

I also support S.C. Senate Bill 288, which would allow the use of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR). This tool lets landowners in designated “sending areas” sell their development rights to developers who want to build more densely in “receiving areas.” The result: preserved farmland and focused growth in areas better equipped to handle it. This approach has worked well in other growing regions, and it can work here too.

Locally, we’re encouraging smarter planning tools like investing in infill development, targeting growth corridors, and creating policies that protect agricultural zones from unnecessary sprawl. It’s not about stopping growth. It’s about shaping it in a way that strengthens our economy without erasing our rural heritage.

Anderson County can continue to attract new families and businesses while preserving the fields and farms that make this place special. Growth is inevitable, but sprawl is a choice. If we plan wisely now, we can ensure that future generations inherit a county that’s both prosperous and rooted in the land that built it.

The challenge before us isn’t whether Anderson will grow, it’s how. And that answer is up to all of us.

Blake Sanders represents District 9 in the South Carolina House of Representatives and is a licensed Landscape Architect with 20 years of experience in planning and community development.