South Carolina State Senator Michael Johnson has filed legislation aimed at reinforcing the authority of local zoning boards following ongoing controversy surrounding the Silfab Solar facility located in Fort Mill, York County.
Approximately two weeks ago, Johnson introduced Senate Bill 530 (S.530). The bill would mandate
“THAT IF CERTAIN COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL ZONING OFFICIALS DETERMINE THAT THE USE OF A PROPERTY IS NOT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS, THEN ANY RELATED PERMITS ARE NO LONGER VALID AND ANY DEVELOPMENT OR CONSTRUCTION ON THE PROPERTY MUST CEASE.”
A companion measure, House Bill 4293 (H.4293), was filed in the House by Representatives David Martin and Jackie Terribile.
“I do not believe that the work being performed by Silfab is light industrial,” Johnson said in a statement. “The property is zoned light industrial, and the BZA has ruled that the work being done is heavy industrial, not light.”
Johnson hopes the new legislation will give “greater teeth” to BZA rulings and prevent projects from advancing in defiance of such decisions.
Last week, Johnson met with the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to request that S.530 be set for a subcommittee hearing. While no commitment was made, Johnson said the chairman promised to review the bill and continue the discussion.
“While I have no promises that S.530 will get a hearing, I do have some confidence,” Johnson said, adding that hundreds of residents have emailed members of the Judiciary Committee in support of the bill.
The senator also acknowledged the likelihood of opposition from developers and manufacturers, noting that some of his colleagues have questioned his motivations for filing the legislation.
“Based on some of those comments, I can tell you that there will be opposition to this bill—especially from the builder/developer community and manufacturers,” he said. “Again, I am going to push for a subcommittee hearing and for this bill to become law.”
If passed, S.530 and H.4293 would strengthen the enforceability of local zoning decisions statewide, marking a potentially significant shift in how zoning disputes are handled in South Carolina.
Senator Johnson represents District 16, which includes portions of York and Lancaster counties.
