York County Council gathers Monday evening for its regular April meeting with a full agenda — one that takes on added weight given the ongoing community crisis surrounding the Silfab Solar facility in Fort Mill. From a federal hazmat planning grant to a slate of rezoning requests reshaping the Highway 160 corridor, council members will tackle the business of a fast-growing county still grappling with one of the most contentious industrial controversies in its recent history.
HAZMAT GRANT TAKES ON NEW MEANING AFTER FORT MILL CHEMICAL SPILLS
Perhaps the most pointed item on tonight’s agenda, set against the backdrop of Silfab, is a motion authorizing county staff to apply for up to $25,000 from the federal government’s Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant for fiscal year 2026-27.
The grant, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, would fund part-time staff dedicated to hazmat response planning through the county’s Local Emergency Planning Committee. Under the proposal, 75% of the funds would go toward a part-time hazmat planner focused on compliance with the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act — the very statute that governs chemical disclosure and community safety planning around facilities like Silfab. The remaining 25% would fund hazmat training courses open to all first responders across the county.
FORT MILL REZONING: HIGHWAY 160 CORRIDOR CONTINUES TO TRANSFORM
Away from the Silfab controversy, council will hold public hearings on three rezoning requests in the Highway 160 and Fort Mill area — each reflecting the ongoing tension between growth, infrastructure, and land use planning in one of South Carolina’s fastest-developing corridors.
Case 26-06 — Highway 160 West, Fort Mill: A request by TWP Ft Mill Retail, LLC to rezone 1.776 acres from Planned Development to General Commercial would clear the way for two drive-through businesses along Highway 160. Planning staff note the request is not consistent with the county’s York Forward 2035 Future Land Use Map, which designates the area as Neighborhood Residential. However, staff recommends approval, noting the parcel’s frontage on a major commercial artery, its adjacency to existing GC-zoned land, and the compatibility of the proposed uses with those already permitted under the site’s older 2008 Planned Development. The Planning Commission approved the request unanimously at its March 9 meeting.
Case 26-07 — Gold Hill Road and Highway 21, Fort Mill: A much larger request — 50.803 acres — would rezone land owned by the Eubanks Family Limited Partnership from Light Industrial to General Commercial. The applicant, Stephen McCrae, is seeking to enable future commercial development at a site along the I-77 Corridor. Unlike Case 26-06, this request is consistent with the York Forward 2035 Future Land Use Map. Staff and the Planning Commission both recommend approval, noting the site’s scale offers the opportunity for a cohesive commercial center or business park befitting the county’s growth vision for the interstate corridor. Permitted uses in the GC zone would include hotels, offices, and restaurants. The Planning Commission voted 7-0 in favor.
Case 26-08 — Highway 160, Fort Mill: This request does not involve a full rezoning, but rather an amendment to conditions applied during an earlier rezoning (Case 25-09) involving eight parcels totaling 14.06 acres along Highway 160. The original rezoning restricted the site to age-restricted townhomes. The applicant, Lawrence Shaheen, now wants to build condominiums in multifamily buildings of four to five units each rather than attached townhomes, citing spacing requirements that make the original design impractical. Staff emphasizes the overall layout, appearance, and function of the development would remain unchanged — only the unit type shifts from townhomes to condos. Staff and the Planning Commission both recommend approval.
All three cases are first readings and would require a second reading at a future meeting before any zoning changes are finalized.
OTHER BUSINESS
Tonight’s agenda also includes a motion authorizing contract negotiations for a new parks and recreation management software system, routine committee reports, and a citizen comment period. Scott Couchenour is listed to speak during citizen concerns regarding positive developments in District 7 and the Town of Fort Mill.
The meeting takes place at the York County Government Center. The Silfab situation is not listed as a standalone agenda item, but given the grant request, the executive session, and the community’s sustained attention to county governance since the March spills, it is unlikely to stay out of the conversation.
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