Charleston Reporter

Today, Mayor William Cogswell has shown his support for a bipartisan piece of legislation, identified as H. 4050, which is currently under review at the South Carolina Statehouse. This bill aims to furnish municipalities with the means to align growth with infrastructure capabilities, marking the introduction of concurrency regulations in the state if enacted.

Logan McVey, Chief Policy Officer, represented Mayor Cogswell before the House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee in Columbia. He advocated for the potential positive impact of the bill, especially for rapidly expanding cities such as Charleston, in strategic future planning.

Concurrency laws, which require infrastructure—like roads and stormwater systems—to be in place prior to the approval of new developments, are not new planning tools in many parts of the United States. However, they have not been utilized in South Carolina to date. H. 4050 seeks to amend this by granting authority to cities and towns to prevent development from outstripping the infrastructure essential to support it.

Mayor Cogswell stated, “This bill is about giving local communities the ability to grow smarter. It’s a chance to build a better future—one where development, infrastructure, and quality of life move forward together. We have a real opportunity to work together across all levels of government to make sure growth works for everyone.”

The mayor underlined that H. 4050 does not aim to halt development but to manage it with responsibility. It advocates for cooperation among municipalities, developers, counties, and state agencies like the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), ensuring infrastructure is prioritized and shared responsibility is recognized.

Mayor Cogswell calls on legislators from both parties to endorse H. 4050 to promote an era of responsible, infrastructure-first development for communities across the state.