LANCASTER, S.C. — Lancaster County officials have dropped one of the most contentious issues from its 2040 Comprehensive Plan — the suggestion that the Indian Land area incorporate itself into a town.
At the final community meeting on the plan Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the Del Webb Library in Indian Land, Lancaster County Administrator Dennis Marstall said that while the incorporation suggestion was part of the county’s initial draft, it was taken out following reviews by the county’s Planning Commission.
Marstall said the county will take a neutral stand on the matter and that Panhandle residents will decide if incorporation is an option in their future.
“The county will be a neutral party in that, as they’ve been in the past. When council sees the final plan, there will not be a recommendation (to incorporate) in there,” Marstall said.
If Indian Land were to incorporate, that would ease some of the county’s burden of providing services to the most populous area in the county.
The meeting was one of three the county held recently to gather feedback on the initial draft of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and suggestions from residents in the three specific areas the plan addresses — southern Lancaster, greater Lancaster and the Panhandle.
Other meetings were held at the Kershaw Branch Library on Jan. 23 and the Historic Lancaster County Courthouse on Monday, Jan. 29.
Lancaster County’s 2040 Plan focuses on a variety of areas, such as growth management, resources, recreation and economic development to help plan for the county’s future. A Steering Committee of 12 community members across the county helped develop the initial draft.
Benchmark Planning representatives Jason Epley and Vagn Hansen presented the county’s future plan, which has been in development for the last two years, to residents at all three public meetings.
According to the presentation, the county has seen consistent growth since 1960, with exponential growth occurring since the mid 2000s, based on studies from the S.C. Department of Revenue.
The population growth has mostly been generated from the Charlotte metropolitan area, with 31,000 residents commuting outside the county to work and 20,000 people commuting in for work.
The Panhandle
The Panhandle region has experienced the strongest growth in the county, due to its proximity to the North Carolina state line.
Part of the solution to address problems in the Panhandle includes limiting growth in areas without proper infrastructure, a funding stream to enhance public safety and working with the Lancaster County School District to address overcrowding.
Public accessibility and transportation were also addressed, with proposed solutions to add more public areas along the Catawba River, requiring future developments to be pedestrian-oriented along the U.S. 521 corridor and the possibility of the Charlotte Area Transportation System providing public bus transportation to the region.
While many appreciated the work that went into the plan and its presentation, some residents thought that the solutions were too little, too late. Many expressed dissatisfaction with county leaders for not taking stronger steps earlier on to address growth and congestion.
Jose Luis, who represents the Indian Land area on Lancaster County Council, suggested that the audience read the entire plan online in order to understand more of the county’s potential solutions.
He also defended his stance on backing away from future development until the Panhandle has enough resources in place to address growth.
“I have voted down every single development that has come in,” Luis said. “I ran against development until we had the infrastructure in place.”
Melvin Stroble, a school board member who represents the Indian Land area, told the packed house that the issue of overcrowding has been present throughout the district, not just in the Panhandle.
He highlighted that the only way to address growth in schools is through a bond referendum, since new schools could range from $55 million to $100 million.
“It’s not only to manage the growth in Indian Land, but to look at how we are managing our school facilities across the county. While we do have overcrowding in the Indian Land area, we have the issue of age,” Stoble said, pointing out that some school buildings south of S.C. 5 are 50 years old.
“We’re going to be looking at major infrastructure improvements and then when the board decides what that will be, we’ll be bringing that question to you to make a decision,” Stroble said. “We can’t build any new schools without a bond referendum.”
Stroble, who also serves on the plan’s Steering Committee, emphasized that all residents in the county utilize the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft, since it will provide better information on how to make the future of Lancaster County successful.
“It’s great for them to hear from you because you’re only validating the concerns,” he said.
Greater Lancaster
Home to the county’s seat of Lancaster, the greater Lancaster region has also seen its population shifting and growing over the past few years, with a steady growth in jobs.
Part of greater Lancaster’s solutions in the plan include a downtown Lancaster revival through a partnership with the city, renovations of existing neighborhoods, and coordinating with groups such as the I-77 Alliance to address growth, with a continued focus on job growth.
Transportation is also addressed, with plans to have better pedestrian access to areas such as USC Lancaster and downtown, prioritizing the Lindsay Pettus Greenway and Carolina Thread Trail and a corridor plan for S.C. 5 and S.C. 9.
Residents in the greater Lancaster region expressed concern over the issue of lack of access to emergency units and the lack of road repairs near the Edgewater community, which is expected to grow in the near future.
Allison Hardin, county development services director, told residents the county has been looking carefully at the Edgewater area and that developers are willing to provide support on improving the roads near the area.
“We’re looking at the overall health and public safety issues and how we can help,” Hardin said.
Southern Lancaster
Compared to areas such as Indian Land and Lancaster, municipalities such as Kershaw and Heath Springs have seen their populations decrease. The southern area of the county has fewer jobs and more large parcels of land, due to its agricultural history.
The plan suggests all future development should be focused around the municipalities of Heath Springs and Kershaw, where public infrastructure and services are available. Access to health care, employment and commercial goods in this area are limited, compared to the northern end of the county.
The plan also suggested increasing agricultural production, educating people on the benefits of land conservation, improving water systems and regular check-in meetings between Kershaw and Heath Springs to help set up potential growth down the road.
The Steering Committee and Planning Commission will have their final review and make further plan recommendations this month. Lancaster County Council will consider its adoption in March or April.
To provide feedback on the county’s plan, residents are encouraged to visit www.Lancaster2040.com and offer written comments. More information, including the presentation from the meetings, are also available on the website.
