Rock Hill planning commission recommends rezoning 92.51 acres to allow large municipal park

The Rock Hill City Planning Commission on an evening vote recommended that city council rezone roughly 92.51 acres of property along Florence Street, Hagen Street and Freedom Road from a mix of single‑family (SF‑4, SF‑5, SF‑8) and master plan commercial (MPC) districts to Office Institutional (OI) zoning to allow development of a large city park and related facilities.

Staff recommended approval, saying, “Rezoning the properties would allow the city to add to a strong system of public parks, strengthening both the surrounding community and the city as a whole,” and commissioners voted to forward the recommendation to city council for its Feb. 24, 2025 meeting. The planning commission’s action was limited to the zoning recommendation; it did not approve any site plans or civil engineering designs.

Why this matters: The rezoning would let the city combine five parcels (totaling about 92.51 acres) with other parcels the city owns or controls to create a park the staff described as part of a future 105‑acre‑plus park system. The concept includes ballfields, football fields, tennis and pickleball courts, walking trails, playgrounds, concession areas and on‑site parking. Commissioners and residents said the project’s scale means detailed traffic, stormwater and lighting plans will be critical before construction.

Staff presentation and scope

A staff member summarized the request and map, describing five parcels in the rezoning area: a roughly 43‑acre parcel used as a public works laydown yard, an unaddressed parcel just under 7 acres, an 8‑acre parcel recently acquired from the American Legion, a roughly 21‑acre…