Fort Mill Council Rejects Arden Mill Annexation After Hours Of Public Comment

Fort Mill Town Council voted 4 to 0 on Monday, June 22, 2026 to deny four measures tied to the proposed Arden Mill annexation and rezoning, following more than an hour of public comment both for and against the project during the June 22 meeting at Town Hall. Mayor Savage recused herself from the four votes. The council’s decision follows public hearings held earlier in the meeting on annexing roughly 68.10 acres and 19.15 acres of York County land for the proposed Arden Mill mixed use development, rezoning an additional 3.28 acre parcel for the project, and amending the existing concept plan and development conditions for the Fort Mill Reserve, also known as Arden Mill, to fold in the newly proposed acreage. While the Arden Mill items failed, council voted 5 to 0 to approve two other items tied to the town’s fiscal year 2025 to 2026 budget. The first, Ordinance 2026 26, adopts a FEMA review fee schedule and a downtown sanitation services fee. The second, Ordinance 2026 27, authorizes the town to issue debt to fund a new public works operations center and Fire Station No. 3. YMCA Project And Parks Plan Move Forward Council also approved four new business items by a vote of 5 to 0. Council adopted the town’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, presented by Gordon Burnette. Council approved a reimbursement resolution tied to an installment purchase revenue bond for YMCA facility improvements, along with a companion budget amendment, both presented by Eric Davis, the town’s finance director. Town officials said the YMCA project is valued at approximately $7 million and will be financed over 20 years, with the budget amendment structured to cover the project across multiple fiscal years rather than a single budget cycle. Council also approved a utility service agreement and annexation covenant for water and sewer service extension to a York County parcel identified as tax map number 708 00 00 007, presented by Chris Pettit. Town officials said the parcel cannot be annexed immediately because of an existing annexation moratorium, but the covenant commits the property owner to annexation once the moratorium is lifted. Rates for utility service to land outside Fort Mill town limits are double those charged inside the town, officials said.