LANCASTER, S.C. — Lancaster County Council opposed a final reading that would have rezoned property off MacMillian Park Drive in Indian Land from light industrial to institutional for a Christian school at their meeting March 11.
In a 7-0 vote, council rejected plans for Marvin Academy Christian School to move into a vacant, 23,000-square-foot building in the park that would’ve replaced its existing school in Waxhaw.
Greybridge MacMillian LLC and its applicant, Brian Cillian, owned the property the school was seeking to move to.
Marvin Academy has about 150 students and 30 staff members.
“We are very disappointed and truly heartbroken. There is an urgent need for more school options in Lancaster County,” said Jarrika Coutchure, head of school for Marvin Academy, in a statement to The Lancaster News.
With support from students, parents and teachers on hand from the school, Coutchure addressed councilors during citizens’ comments, saying Marvin Academy is currently overcrowded and that there aren’t enough educational opportunities for parents throughout the region, with only two private schools serving students in Lancaster County.
“We are presented with a unique chance to demonstrate our genuine concern for the education of our children and our commitment to being a part of the solution,” Coutchure said. “By giving us the opportunity to showcase our ability to coordinate with local businesses, we can prove to the residents of Lancaster County that perseverance, determination, compromise, and compassion still exist.”
But councilors were not persuaded by Coutchure’s efforts.
“We talked at length about having documentation that all of these other partners [at the business park] agreed to have the school there and I haven’t seen that documentation,” said Councilor Terry Graham.
Continental, a longtime anchor at the park, had expressed its dissatisfaction with the proposed rezoning for the school. While the company isn’t against education, it felt it wasn’t in the best interest for all involved.
“Continental wants to retain the ability to fully develop the institutional use of the existing industrial park. Continental is concerned about the adverse impact of mixing allowable uses within the park that would result in the commingling and congestion of school traffic and potential safety issues of traffic within the park. We are also concerned about the ability of Continental or any other future owner to fully develop the Continental parcel as currently allowed,” the company said in a statement to The Lancaster News.
Some councilors expressed a similar theme in their reasoning for opposing the rezoning.
“As a council member, we have to look at the best interests of the county and the existing industries. Continental has been there years before this came about. At least in my own commitment, it is going to be with the existing industries that bring into this county tax dollars and jobs,” said Councilor Charlene McGriff.
The Lancaster News reached out to Cillian for comment, but he did not respond.
