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Residents urge moratorium on large Indian Land development, cite traffic and service concerns
Summary
Multiple Indian Land residents told Lancaster County Council they oppose a proposed 868-acre development and urged a moratorium until infrastructure and public services can keep pace. An electronic public comment also asked the council to regulate short‑term rentals.
Lancaster County residents urged the County Council on Feb. 1 to postpone approval of a proposed 868‑acre development in Indian Land until roads, emergency services and other infrastructure can be expanded.
At the public‑comment portion of the meeting, Sam Beagle, who gave his address as 5140 Millrace Lane in Lancaster, said he opposes the project between Charlotte Highway and Van Wyck Road and warned of more congestion: “It used to take 12 minutes to get there, and now it takes almost an hour ... with all the additional traffic and stoplights and congestion.”
Bruce Cohen, of Walnut Creek, said the developer’s own estimate of “approximately 2,400 to 2,500 cars per day” would effectively bring parts of Highway 521 to a standstill. “It becomes a parking lot,” Cohen said. Several speakers said recent and planned commercial development — including a Costco and Target — will add traffic and strain local roads.
Renee Chandler, an Indian Land resident who said she lives in Sun City, urged a moratorium on further large‑scale development until infrastructure “can keep up,” and said increased development is worsening access to primary care for older residents.
Other speakers raised related concerns: Anne Dyckman asked why Van Wyck Road was being widened before major projects were built and pressed for clarification about police, fire and EMS funding for growth. Kathy Storm urged council members to consider a moratorium and said the “smell” in the Indy area has become a recurring public‑health concern.
An electronic comment read into the record by Ms. Simpson came from Tommy Rainey of Indian Land, who asked the council to regulate short‑term rentals. Rainey wrote that three houses on his street were converted to short‑term rentals in the past year, “drastically impact[ing] the quality of life and sense of safety,” and urged licensing, occupancy limits, noise and parking rules and a complaints process.
Council members did not take action on the development during the meeting. Several speakers asked the council to delay final decisions until traffic studies and infrastructure plans are updated.
