Save Lexington SC

Congaree Riverkeeper has filed a federal citizen lawsuit against Alpek Polyester and Eastman Chemical Company, alleging the companies have unlawfully discharged microplastic pellets and toxic chemicals into the Congaree River for years, contaminating areas as far downstream as Congaree National Park. We appreciate their efforts to take action and protect our waterways for future generations. 💙

Attend and provide your feedback for the Town's Vision Plan. It's your future. 🔽

Drop-in and leave your ideas on what the Town of Lexington should look like 10 years from now!

The Town is updating it's Vision Plan and we're looking for your input.

These public meetings are designed so you can be interactive and share your ideas with us as we shape the future.

Join us at one of the following:
June 24 - Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
June 24 - Rosenwald Community Learning Center 5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Can't make it in-person? There will be another public meeting mid-August.

Meeting in-person not your thing? We'll have an online survey posted on lexsc.gov soon where you will be able to give input there.

*Edit - The Mount Horeb session has been cancelled*
Public input sessions for the Vision Plan 🔽
June 23 - Mount Horeb Church 5:45 p.m. - 7 p.m.
June 24 - Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
June 24 - Rosenwald Community Learning Center 5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

The Vision Plan provides a guide for Lexington over the next decade.

📣We want to hear from YOU!📣

The Town of Lexington is hosting three public input sessions to get your feedback on our next Vision Plan.

Please join us for a drop-in at one of the following:
June 24 - Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
June 24 - Rosenwald Community Learning Center 5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

The Vision Plan provides a guide for Lexington over the next decade and we want your feedback on what you want Lexington to look like in the future.

There will also be an online survey posted on lexsc.gov soon where you will be able to give input through July 31.

📢 Planning Commission Meeting
🗓 Wednesday, June 17, 2026
📍 Council Chambers, 111 Maiden Lane
🕟 7:30 AM - Breakfast
🕟 8:00 AM - Meeting

Agenda includes:

Sign Ordinance Workshop - Stakeholder Feedback and Discussion. See the attached photos for more information and reccomendations.

Stream on Town's YouTube

Meeting materials, including the stakeholder feedback results:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19XUlvUim22sjFUQISoYccLCFIIa7xYIu/view?usp=drivesdk

📢 Town Council Work Session

🗓 Monday, June 15, 2026
📍 Council Chambers, 111 Maiden Lane
🕟 4:30 PM - Executive Session
🕟 6:00 PM - Work Session

Executive Session Agenda:
1. Discuss two potential property acquisitions
2. Legal briefing regarding zoning matter
3. Discuss West Columbia water litigation

Presentation:
1. Lexington Artwork

Business, for discussion and recommendation for the July 6 Council Meeting:

1. Scenic Corridor, Commercial Developments. A new proposed commercial development has raised questions about the 2025 zoning updates.

2. Annex 72 acres on Zenker Rd, from an employment/light industrial area to protected residential zoning and a local road. Planning Commission denied this request, citing inconsistent use with the Comprehensive Plan.

3. Updates to Cross Connection Control Program to update langauge. See pages 13-26 in the link below for more information.

4. Pilgrim Point Street Lights. Annual HOA request for $2,671 for 8 lights.

5. Information Technology services, contract agreement with Bradshaw Consulting Services for GIS services, at $200/hr for no more than 20 hours/month. See pages 29-33 for the proposed Statement of Work.

6. Fiberoptic Cable Franchise Agreement with Windstream/Kinetic. See pages 34-53 at the link below for the proposed agreement.

Stream on town's YouTube

Meeting materials:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dh0K4BDS_tDrBQsL5qaa9s_Bclz63EZG/view?usp=drivesdk

Today is ELECTION DAY for contested COUNTY COUNCIL seats. Keep in mind, the Town of Lexington sets zoning standards and approvals for development INSIDE town limits. County Council sets zoning standards and approvals OUTSIDE the town limits.

Polls close at 7pm today, Tuesday, June 9.

Develop Lexington County Responsibly (DLCR) believes Lexington County should grow responsibly—and that voting records matter MORE than campaign promises, flashy billboards, mailers, and digital ads.

The voting records of Beth Carrigg, Larry Brigham, and Glen Conwell reflect consistent support for the responsible growth changes that have been made since 2020, including requiring adequate levels of service for public safety and schools before new developments can move forward (concurrency), reducing housing density and increasing open space and tree protections in developments, and supporting better planning for our county to grow in a more responsible manner moving forward.

Please take a moment to review the voting records below.

An informed community starts with informed voters.

These important County Council seats WILL BE DECIDED on June 9—make your plan to vote. 🗳️ 🇺🇸

Polls will be open from 7am - 7pm this TUESDAY, June 9th at precinct locations with some combined precincts.

If needed, check your “sample ballot” at scvotes.gov for your precinct location.

Please SHARE this post.

📢 Town Council Meeting
🗓 Monday, June 1, 2026
📍 Council Chambers, 111 Maiden Lane
🕟 4:30 PM - Executive Session
🕟 6:00 PM - Work Session

Executive Session Agenda:
1. Discuss pending litigation

Old Business - Public Hearing & Final Reading:
1. Mid-Year Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Adjustment Ordinance
2. Adopt the Fiscal Year '26-'27 Budget Ordinance (pages 25-151 at the link below for more info)
3. Fiscal Year '26-'27 Tax Levy Ordinance
4. Development Impact Fee Updates, Phase 2 Ordinance (pages 154-176 at the link below for more info)
5. Property Transfer Authorization for Lands End HOA Ordinance, foe utilities (pages 177-191 at the link below for more info)

New Business:
1. Approve road resurfacing project change order - Council previously approved $4 million for the project; the awarded contract totaled $3.4 million. Council is considering adding $150,000 to resurface additional roadways and allocating $60,000 in county C-Funds for targeted concrete repairs.

2. SCDOT Signal maintenance agreement modification - Town has an agreement with SCDOT for maintenance, construction, and inspection of traffic signals. (pages 194-202 at the link below for the modification agreement and intersections)

3. Consideration of services agreement with Off Duty Management, Inc - This is the police department's off-duty employment program. (pages 203-211 at the link below for more info)

4. Accomodations Tax applicants - $213k is available, the Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center is designated to receive $98k. (See image for information on who will be awarded how much money)

5. Facility Fee Ordinance for Icehouse Amphitheatre - $2 fee per ticket sold for maintenance

Stream on town's YouTube

Meeting materials:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pQ4IM6HGR-TIFgT1YNDfWnqOxNJiI3Hp/view?usp=drivesdk

👀 Check out the chart, or read the post for the information. 🔽

📊 LEXINGTON COUNTY COUNCIL VOTING RECORDS REFLECT RESIDENTIAL ZONING CHANGES AND INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT

📢 Lexington County Council records show June Primary incumbent candidates Beth Carrigg,
Larry Brigham, and Glen Conwell, along with Darrell Hudson, Charli Wessinger, and former councilmembers Scott Whetstone and Bimbo Jones (who were unseated in June 2024), worked together to pass some of the BIGGEST ZONING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT REFORMS Lexington County has seen in DECADES.

Incumbent Candidate Voting Records are important for voters to review ahead of the June 9 primary.

Please see the VOTING RECORD chart provided with this post by clicking on it and zooming in to read the information.

——-

📋 KEY ZONING & GROWTH POLICY CHANGES THEY MADE SINCE 2020 INCLUDE:

✅ 🏡 Decreased Allowable Residential Density in Developments:

• Single-family homes: changed from up to 12 homes per acre ➜ to maximum of 4 homes per acre while some street classifications only allow 3, 2 ,or even 1 homes per acre

• Townhomes/duplexes/patio homes : changed from 12 homes per acre ➜ to maximum of 6 homes per acre and only allowed on certain street classifications to handle the car traffic for higher densities

• Apartments: changed from 20 per acre ➜ to maximum of 12 per acre and only allowed on 4 lane roads to handle the car traffic for higher densities with complex spacing of 3 miles between complexes and a cap of 250 units per complex

✅ Concurrency requirements to ensure adequate levels of services for EMS, fire, law enforcement, waste management, and schools are available before new developments can be permitted

✅ Increased setbacks to space houses farther apart and from the road and established minimum lot sizes

✅ Lake Murray/Saluda River Watershed and agricultural protections such as increased buffers and lower density

✅ Trophy tree protection and tree inventory requirements to save 25 percent of trophy trees, limits clear cutting

✅ Updated Comprehensive Plan

✅ Stormwater regulation updates

✅ Countywide Traffic Improvement Plan (TIP) funding with shovel ready projects being studied now and can also be used to require developers to help with nearby road improvements

✅ Coordination with SCDOT and COG on road projects

✅ Funding increases for law enforcement and emergency services

✅ Upgraded fire trucks and EMS units.

✅ Added a new West Region Service Center in District 2 (Larry Brigham) area providing fire, EMS, and sheriff services, as well as a new fire department on N. Lake Dr./Hwy 6 near the Lake Murray Dam in District 7 (Beth Carrigg) area.

✅ Votes for ONE millage increase in the past 8 years for first responder pay due to Covid.

——-

⚠️ IF THESE ZONING CHANGES WERE PASSED, WHY AREN’T WE SEEING THESE CHANGES IN EVERY DEVELOPMENT BEING BUILT TODAY?

Many subdivisions and residential developments recently and currently being built today were approved under older zoning rules before these zoning changes took effect. Because some development projects were already in the pipeline when the zoning changes were passed, they are allowed to be grandfathered in under prior regulations.

The state allows developers up to 5 years from the date of permitting to break ground with a possible two year extension.

As time goes on we will begin to see these zoning changes reflected in the residential developments being built more consistently moving forward.

——-

🚦 ROADS AND JURISDICTION CONTEXT

• SCDOT maintains ~1,500 miles of state roads in Lexington County

• The county maintains ~600 miles of paved roads many of them being subdivision roads and ~600 miles of dirt roads

Most of the roads citizens drive on are state-maintained, while the county is responsible primarily for local and subdivision roads.

So, the county council does not have justification/control over most of our roads and traffic issues due to those roads falling within the state/SCDOT jurisdiction and NOT County Council.

——-

📊 PUBLIC RECORDS

A review of council voting records of incumbent candidates for the June Primary reflects:

⭐ Beth Carrigg
⭐ Larry Brigham
⭐ Glen Conwell

Consistently have supported these residential development zoning changes, infrastructure funding, and public safety-related actions since 2020.

——-

🗳 ELECTION INFORMATION

County Council District races for Council Districts 2, 7, and 8 will be decided in the June 9 primary as the winner of the primary will advance and be the only name listed on the Nov ballot. Early voting is May 26–June 5.

Voters are encouraged to review public voting records and candidate information as part of their decision-making process.

Stay informed and share this information so others are aware.

Together, we can and do make a difference for the communities of Lexington County! 🇺🇸

👀

📢 Planning Commission Meeting
🗓 Wednesday, May 20, 2026
📍 Council Chambers, 111 Maiden Lane
🕟 7:30 AM - Breakfast
🕟 8:00 AM - Meeting

Agenda Includes:
1. Annex 72 acres at 186 Zenker Rd. Currently this property is zoned for industrial. The applicant would like to change this to residential. Requested zoning: Protected Residential with Zenker Rd classified as a Local Road
✅ Motion to deny the annexation recommendation to council, Vote 5-1 to deny

2. Expansion for a sports, gym, and classroom complex at American Leadership Academy on Innovation Place - this expansion will increase student capacity from 1,700 to 2,600 students and provide an additional 10k linear feet of vehicle stacking on campus. Traffic improvements are recommended and include accommodating turns and a right turn lane to get into campus. Traffic improvements are expected to be completed before students occupy the expansion. See pages 14-162 at the materials link below for more information, including traffic numbers. 🔽
✅ Motion to recommend approval to council and come back to Planning Commission if there are future modifications, Vote 6-0 to approve

3. Traffic Mitigation Plan amendment at Preserves at Cherokee Trail - In 2024, this development was approved with 62 residential lots and two right turn lanes from Cherokee Trail. SC DOT has denied the lanes. Instead, a northbound right-turn lane at Old Cherokee Rd and Cherokee Trail has been suggested. See pages 163-164 at the materials link for more info, including an image of the proposal.
✅ Motion to approve reccomendation to council, Vote 6-0 to approve

🎥 Stream https://youtu.be/0CISRcwURn0?si=t6aMw080tsMZ4ApA

Meeting materials
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l1gnSj52EGtu_p65NiFBGXuoC0PYVITF/view?usp=drivesdk