State gives more time to comment on beach boundary lines

Coastal property owners will have until April 6, 2018 to comment on proposed beachfront jurisdictional lines, which could dictate what you can and cannot build on your property.

The proposed building restriction lines are set for approval by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control on Dec. 27. If they are approved, property owners within the setback line would need state approval to rebuild if they lost their home to a storm.

With the extension, the department will begin to adopt final revised beachfront jurisdictional lines in May 2018 with all lines published by December 31, 2018. A tentative adoption schedule for each beach will be available on DHEC's website on November 13, 2017, a news release states.

Existing jurisdictional lines will remain in place until the final revised lines are adopted.

“Based on feedback received during the original 30-day comment period, DHEC feels it is appropriate to give property owners and other interested parties more time to meet with department staff, understand the methodology used to set the jurisdictional lines and bring the department any additional information for consideration,” the release says.

The decision to adopt revised lines after December 31, 2017 affects landowners who own property where the baseline was proposed to move seaward of the existing baseline under the department's current proposal.

In the baseline, the more seaward line, wooden walkways, small wooden decks, fishing piers, golf courses, normal landscaping, groins and structures must be authorized by a special permit.

Between the setback line and the baseline, houses as well as “associated infrastructure” including decks, gazebos and other public access structures can be built, according to the DHEC website.

The point of the lines is to “implement laws and regulations that support the state’s beachfront management goals and to guide development away from unstable beachfront shorelines,” DHEC says.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 4:31 PM with the headline "State gives more time to comment on beach boundary lines."