District 6 families know what happens when hard surfaces replace trees and wetlands faster than drainage systems can keep up. Standing water, flooded yards, and overwhelmed ditches are the quiet cost of unplanned growth — and once the land is cleared, there is no undo button.
Once the trees are gone, they don’t grow back
Leroy said it plainly to the Planning Commission: “Once the trees are gone, they don’t grow back. It cannot be undone once it’s approved.” Every acre of forest and wetland in Berkeley County is doing free drainage work for the neighborhoods around it. Clearing that land without a serious stormwater plan sends the water somewhere — usually into someone’s yard.
Utilities that keep pace with growth
Water pressure, sewer capacity, and power reliability are basic promises a county makes to its residents. Leroy will demand that utility capacity is verified — not assumed — before new large-scale development is approved, and that existing neighborhoods are not pushed to the back of the line for upgrades.