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Council approves rezoning to allow marine/dredging use; residents urge action on Lake Wylie invasive plants
Summary
Public speakers told the council about invasive aquatic plants and dredging needs on Lake Wylie; council approved a rezoning (case 24‑59) to allow a 1.47‑acre light industrial site for marine/dredging operations with a planned deed restriction, despite staff and Planning Commission recommendation to deny.
Speakers during the Jan. 21 public forum urged York County Council to act on two lake issues: expanding Lake Wylie’s invasive‑plant treatment program and permitting local dredging services. Ray Weber, chairman of the Lake Wylie Marine Commission, told the council a new invasive species, identified locally as "lingbia," was spreading and that treatment will likely require multiple years and repeated cost increases. He said partners including Charlotte Water, Duke Energy, North Carolina State University and state wildlife agencies participated in a recent symposium on the issue and that the Lake Wylie Marine Commission spent about $30,000 from reserves on treatments last year; staff estimates to treat current acreage are in the low tens of thousands per year.
Later in the meeting council considered a rezoning request, case 24‑59, to change a 1.47‑acre parcel from RMX‑20 to Light Industrial (LI) to allow a marine construction/dredging business to operate. Several council members voiced support for permitting locally based dredging and marine construction to help property owners maintain lakefront access and property values. Staff and the Planning Commission recommended denial citing the county’s future land‑use map designation of the area as neighborhood residential, but the full council approved second reading after adding a condition that a deed restriction be prepared and filed before third reading; the motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Supporters argued the rezoning would provide local service capacity for ongoing dredging and lakework that residents say they need to protect docks, navigation and property values. Opponents (including planning staff and the Planning Commission) cited comprehensive plan compatibility and neighborhood land‑use concerns. Council members who voted to approve emphasized the practical need for dredging services and requested deed restrictions to limit incompatible uses; several members noted that final language on permitted/forbidden uses would be provided before third reading.
What council approved: second reading to rezone tax map 56100 0022 from RMX‑20 to LI for a 1.47‑acre parcel, with direction that deed restriction language be drafted and presented before third reading. The council recorded the vote as unanimous. What remains: final deed‑restriction language to be drafted and reviewed by council before third reading; any future permit approvals will follow standard land‑use and environmental review processes.
