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Council approves first reading to sell former City Hall after lengthy debate, 5-2
Summary
After extended debate about process, prior contract and appraisal timing, Simpsonville City Council approved on first reading Ordinance O-2025-03 to permit sale of the former City Hall property; vote was 5-2. Multiple council members said they expect further revisions and a development agreement prior to final approval.
Simpsonville City Council approved the first reading of Ordinance O-2025-03 on March 11, authorizing the sale process for the city-owned former City Hall property. The roll-call vote was 5 in favor and 2 opposed.
The ordinance is tied to a sales contract the city entered into in 2021 based on an appraisal from that time. Councilmembers debated procedural and substantive concerns during a 60‑minute discussion: some members said the prior council effectively entered a binding sales contract in 2021 and that presenting the ordinance now asks the current council to validate that earlier agreement; others said postponing would risk a breach of contract and potential legal exposure.
Councilmember Pinkerton said she could not support finalizing the sale because she was not part of the prior council vote and questioned whether the process had followed normal ordinance procedures. "It’s problematic for me to support this ordinance since I cannot offer opinion to the original proposal," Pinkerton said on the record and announced she would vote no. Councilmember O'Rear raised concerns about locking in a price negotiated in 2021 amid a strong market; O'Rear said the city might be foregoing higher current market value and urged caution.
Mayor Shoemaker and others said the developer has spent years assembling adjoining parcels necessary for the larger project and that failing to proceed could scuttle a multi-party development. Administrator Grace Lee explained council could have closed in 2021 but that the prior council deferred closing to avoid leaseback costs while the city was moving into the new building; she confirmed legal advice that rejecting the current ordinance could put the city at risk of breaching the existing contract. Several council members said they want a memorandum of understanding or development agreement from the developer before the second reading to capture commitments about the project and to limit the developer’s ability to resell the parcel undeveloped.
Action: motion to approve first reading of Ordinance O-2025-03 (sale of city-owned property) was made by Councilmember Williams and seconded by Councilmember Roche. Roll-call result: O'Rear — No; Root — Yes; Williams — Yes; Rosha/Roshe — Yes; Pinkerton — No; Hutchings — Yes; Mayor Shoemaker — Yes. Tally: 5 yes, 2 no. The first-reading vote advances the ordinance to the next stage; council members conditioned several votes on receiving a more refined development plan and a binding memorandum of understanding prior to second reading.
Councilmembers also discussed potential legal and fiscal risks if the city backs out of the 2021 sales contract; city staff advised they would seek to have a development agreement or memorandum of understanding completed before second reading and noted that if such steps are not completed, some council members intend to vote no on final passage.
No rezoning or final project approvals occurred at this meeting; the ordinance on first reading permits the city to move forward with the sale process and additional negotiations.
