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 parcel developed with two ball fields (RK Park/Arcade Park), and a 13‑acre parcel with the Winston‑Sears Trail and a stormwater pond serving the Arcade Mill neighborhood. The staff presentation said the rezoning area fronts 12 roads (two city‑maintained local roads and 10 South Carolina Department of Transportation routes) and that the proposal is intended to allow a larger‑scale park than typical neighborhood parks.

The staff presentation noted that a traffic impact analysis (TIA) will be required and that any improvements identified on SCDOT‑maintained roads would need coordination with SCDOT. Staff also described public outreach that included a public input session last August, postcards to properties within 300 feet, postings on the city website and social media, and more than 300 mailed notices for the current public hearing.

Public comment: traffic, drainage, lighting and notice

More than a dozen residents spoke during the public comment period. Common concerns were vehicle traffic and street condition on narrow, older neighborhood streets (Morgan, Florence and Sydney), flooding and stormwater runoff from the park site onto adjacent properties, late‑night lighting and noise from athletic fields, and adequacy of public notice and neighborhood engagement.

Patricia Samuelson, who lives on Sydney Street, said her primary concern was traffic and that the neighborhood roads are in poor condition. Vernon Samuelson asked whether specific streets would be repaved; staff responded that the required TIA would identify needed improvements and that the city and SCDOT would review any recommended SCDOT road work. Kimberly Stokes and other residents questioned whether the parcel markers and outreach had reached older residents in the immediate neighborhood; staff said the required 300‑foot postcard radius was used for this public hearing and that earlier community meetings were publicized more broadly.

John Singletary and other residents raised existing localized flooding in the area and asked how additional runoff would be handled; staff and commissioners said the final civil engineering and stormwater plans will be developed later and must meet state and city stormwater requirements. A parks official, Mark Sexton of the City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) division, told the commission, “At least from a city standpoint… we want to be a good neighbor,” and said a parks advisory committee has been formed and will continue public engagement as design advances.

Commission discussion and next steps

Commissioners said the rezoning decision before them was only the first step. Several commissioners asked that, because of the project’s size and the number of neighborhoods it touches, the final design and civil plans — including traffic routing, light placement and stormwater management — be subject to further review. One commissioner said the project may qualify for a major site‑plan review even if it falls below the standard square‑foot threshold, because of its scale and number of anticipated users.

Staff reiterated that the rezoning does not approve a site plan and that more detailed plans (civil engineering, lighting, parking layouts and any major site plan) and the TIA would come later. The packet and public discussion noted the city hopes to locate primary vehicle access toward Heckle Boulevard and Freedom Road where feasible to reduce neighborhood impact, but the conceptual sketch includes several neighborhood access points that residents said raised concern.

Vote and formal action

A commissioner moved to recommend the rezoning to city council; another commissioner seconded. The planning commission voted by voice to forward the recommendation to city council. The transcript records a voice vote and the chair announced, “Motion carries.” A numerical roll‑call tally was not recorded in the public transcript provided.

What remains unresolved

The commission’s recommendation sends the zoning change to city council, but multiple substantive details remain to be determined: the final park layout, the results of the TIA and any required street or SCDOT coordination, the civil‑engineering stormwater plan, lighting specifications to limit spillover, and precise parking and circulation plans. Residents were told that the parks advisory committee and PRT will continue outreach and that submitted civil plans must meet the city’s stormwater and permitting requirements before construction.

The planning commission’s recommendation will be considered by Rock Hill City Council at its Feb. 24, 2025 meeting; final approvals for construction will require subsequent plan reviews and permits.

Ending

Commissioners closed the public hearing after forwarding the rezoning recommendation to council. Staff and PRT officials encouraged residents to attend parks advisory and commission meetings as the design and engineering work proceeds.