YORK, S.C. York County Council on Monday, Oct. 19, refused to let Dream Finders Homes extend county sewer beyond the Urban Services Boundary for a proposed 250-home neighborhood off Paraham and Harper roads, and gave first reading approval to incentive packages for two corporate headquarters projects, one in Fort Mill and one in Clover.
Council also passed second reading of a rezoning at Highway 557 and Ridge Road near Clover, approved a 20-item consent agenda and, after executive session, voted 6-1 to authorize condemnation of a tract needed for the Sutton Road, Fort Mill Parkway and U.S. 21 widening project.
The meeting opened with a public forum dominated by residents opposed to the Silfab Solar plant in Fort Mill. Speakers accused the county of stalling enforcement of a court ruling against the plant’s light industrial zoning and criticized the county’s decision to seek a declaratory judgment in court. Chairwoman Christi Cox told the crowd she “will not stop fighting for the community” on the Silfab issue. The council took no public action on Silfab, though litigation updates were on the executive session agenda.
Silfab opponents press council to enforce ruling
Most of the 15 public forum slots went to Fort Mill residents who live near the Silfab facility and Flint Hill area schools. Speakers said the county should act on the circuit court ruling that upheld the Board of Zoning Appeals’ unanimous 5-0 decision that solar cell manufacturing is not permitted in light industrial zoning.
Several speakers objected to lawsuits filed Oct. 16 in the Court of Common Pleas, saying the county and Silfab filed declaratory judgment actions within minutes of each other and that residents who won the zoning appeal are not parties to the new cases. Others pointed to county emails and a records request document they said show planning staff changed the company’s self-reported industry classification in early 2023, before any zoning review of the chemical processes. One speaker called for the firing of responsible staff.
Parents described chemical leaks, emergency calls and a two-day school closure, and said Oct. 19 was the date Silfab had indicated chemicals could return to the site. A homeowner in the Bailey neighborhood said property values have dropped and sellers must now disclose the plant’s hazardous chemicals.
Interim County Manager Jim Baker, attending one of his first meetings since returning to the county, thanked residents for coming and said, drawing on his four decades in public service, that treating each other with dignity and respect has been the most productive way through contentious issues.
Other speakers urged council to deny the Dream Finders request, and one county employee of 15 years asked council to audit a 2023 compensation study and investigate how human resources handles pay and harassment complaints.
Sewer extension beyond growth boundary denied
The Dream Finders request covered two parcels totaling about 265 acres on the west side of South Paraham Road at Harper Road, west of Lake Wylie. The land is already zoned RMX-20, so no rezoning was before council. Approval would only have allowed a future subdivision plan to include county utility extensions.
Planning staff told council the developer’s concept shows about 250 lots in a cluster layout with at least 50% open space, a density of 0.94 homes per acre. By right, a cluster subdivision under RMX-20 could reach about 660 units if the developer can provide water and sewer, staff said, though doing so with engineered septic systems and community wells would be difficult.
Ryan Blank, interim utilities director, said a county water line already runs along Harper Road beside the property and that capacity is not an issue for water or sewer. Sewer would run along Allison Creek to the Little Allison pump station, with an easement along QTS data center property. The developer would build the line at its own cost, which Blank estimated would take six months to a year.
Four residents spoke against the request during the public forum, citing traffic on Paraham and Harper roads, development already approved nearby and the QTS data center. A landowner whose family’s conservation easement borders the property for about a mile asked council to “just say no.”
Councilman Andy Litten argued for approval. He said the developer can build roughly 250 homes either way, and public water and sewer would bring fire hydrants and avoid hundreds of septic tanks. Without utilities, he said, one-acre lots would likely mean clearing the entire site.
Councilman William “Bump” Roddey said the nearby water line made the request harder to refuse. Councilman Watts Huckabee said he would vote to deny and renewed his call for the county to budget money for traffic studies, noting roads in several districts already grade at D, E and F levels of service.
Cox said she has favored extending the boundary only when a project brings a direct public benefit, and with the boundary set for review in the upcoming comprehensive plan update, she supported denial. A council member noted the boundary has not been reviewed since 2016.
The motion to deny carried on a voice vote with at least one member opposed. Because no rezoning was involved, the developer is not barred from returning with a new request.
Highway 557 rezoning passes second reading
Council unanimously approved second reading of Case 26-26, rezoning property at Highway 557 and Ridge Road near Clover from Industrial Development to General Commercial. The agenda lists the parcel at 9.63 acres, though applicant attorney John Floyd said about 2 acres were taken for the Ridge Road extension, leaving roughly 7.6 acres.
Floyd, who was not able to attend the earlier public hearing because of a scheduling mix-up, said the owner, Erjola 550 Kinderkamack LLC, plans a gas station and convenience store, with possible future retail. He said the nearest gas station is almost 3 miles away and the site sits next to two existing industrial plants.
Floyd said county engineering staff told him the Highway 557 widening to five lanes over about 2.1 miles should be finished by spring 2027, with two new traffic signals. He said a traffic impact analysis would be required at the construction plan stage once a specific use is proposed.
Members said general commercial zoning is a less intense use than industrial. Cox asked staff to provide information before third reading on any other parcels the owner may hold in the area.
Project Pear and Project Utopia clear first reading
Council voted unanimously on first reading, by title only, for two economic development ordinances. Economic Development Director Mr. Miller said both companies have agreed to reveal their names at second reading and send representatives to the next meeting, though state law does not require it.
Project Pear is a European discount retailer with no U.S. stores or offices that would put its first North American headquarters and distribution center in the former Stanley Black & Decker building at Pleasant Road and Carowinds Boulevard, across from Carowinds. The 345,000-square-foot building has been vacant about two years.
The company plans $25.5 million in investment and 215 jobs over five years, including about 80 headquarters jobs averaging more than $87,000 a year. Miller said the company weighed Atlanta and Huntersville, N.C. The county would assign the building’s existing fee in lieu of tax agreement to the company and extend the special source revenue credit five years, starting at 50% and dropping 10% a year. Miller said the site would see roughly 7 to 19 trucks.
Project Utopia is an existing Clover company that would build a $17 million North American corporate headquarters in Clover with 66 positions, including 56 new jobs, at an average salary near $145,000. Miller said the company also considered North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The proposal is a 20-year fee in lieu of tax agreement with a 40% special source revenue credit for 10 years. “These are few and far between for Clover, if ever,” Miller said.
Both ordinances require two more readings and a public hearing.
Consent agenda
Council approved the consent agenda without objection. It included second reading of two rezonings: Case 26-28, 5.7 acres at 4146 Overlook Road in Rock Hill from Light Industrial to Rural Development so the owners can build a home, and Case 26-29, 1.55 acres at 4607 Charlotte Highway in Clover from Office Institutional and RSF-40 to Neighborhood Commercial to allow personal services in an existing commercial complex.
The consent agenda also awarded a $2.97 million contract to King Asphalt Inc. for Pennies for Progress intersection improvements at Sutton and Harris roads, a $97,900 contract to Street Construction LLC of Fort Mill for a firing range tower, and a resolution supporting a “No Thru Truck” designation on Mathis Road between Highway 5 and Eastview Road. Other items covered technology purchases for county departments and the Sheriff’s Office, Solicitor’s Office case management software, copier services, utility billing and odor control contract renewals, and an estoppel certificate for an existing fee agreement at 335 E. Springdale Road in Rock Hill.
Appointments, recognition and committee report
Shelby Champion and Corey Tilley were sworn in to at-large seats on Keep York County Beautiful, Christopher Meredith to the Bethesda Fire Tax District Board and Richard Granger to the Bethel Fire Tax District Board.
Sheriff Breeden recognized retired Sgt. Sandra Darby, who was not present, for 25 years at the York County Detention Center. He said she ran inmate programs and that former inmates spoke at her retirement party about how she treated them.
Vice Chairman Tom Audette reported the Finance and Operations Committee recommended McKenzie Phillips for the Stormwater Appeals Board and Akira Blankley for a Catawba Regional workforce board seat. The committee also approved district allocations of $4,000 to the Men’s Club of York County and $1,000 to the First Thursday Club in District 3, and $1,200 to Safe Passage in District 6.
Council comments
One council member said the new school near Silfab has doubled the number of children next to the plant to about 2,000, and contrasted the six-figure salaries tied to the headquarters projects with the roughly $19 hourly wage Silfab pays.
Huckabee asked that the county act on the Catawba Regional Council of Governments workforce housing study, aimed at teachers, firefighters and EMS workers earning about $65,000 or less. Cox asked Baker to review the study and recommend next steps. Huckabee also suggested no-match grants not need council approval and said he will ask the legislative delegation to push for inpatient mental health beds at new hospitals, noting the county has 20 such beds.
Members reminded residents that early voting began Oct. 19 at six sites across the county. Cox praised the opening of the county’s 1,900-acre preserve and its new mountain bike trails.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
