Rock Hill planning commission recommends rezoning for Emmett Scott parking expansion after resident objections

The Rock Hill Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended that City Council rezone several parcels near the Emmett Scott Recreation Center to Office Institutional to allow expansion of parking to serve McGirt Auditorium and the Emmett Scott campus.

The recommendation, approved 6–1, applies to a set of parcels north of Crawford Road including 804 Crawford Road and parcels at 809 Taylor Street and 309–310 Tim Street and one parcel south of Crawford Road (illustrated in staff materials). Staff told the commission that the overall project will yield 388 parking spaces across the northern and southern sites; the auditorium’s fixed seating will exceed 800 seats and parking calculations use one space per three fixed seats.

City planning staff described a recent City Council action that rezoned the Emmett Scott campus to Office Institutional in November 2023 to resolve setback issues during renovation of the McGirt Auditorium and said the current request would make the adjacent support areas’ zoning consistent with the campus. “Back on November 28, 2023, the city council rezoned the entirety of the Emmett Scott campus to Office Institutional to resolve a setback issue ahead of major renovations to the McGirt Auditorium,” staff said. Staff also described the mechanics of a pending ordinance: council approved a pending ordinance at first reading so the commission could hold the public hearing before council’s second reading.

Resident concerns focused on notice, noise, and impacts to a long-term family property adjacent to the new parking. Raymond Massey, who identified himself as the owner of the house shown on the plans near the proposed parking, said he had not received clear notice of the full scope of the project before granting an easement for parking access and that construction noise and new parking on both sides of his property would harm his family’s longtime home. “I really don’t like it,” Massey said, describing construction jackhammer noise and people loitering near a new bus stop.

Commissioners pressed staff for detail about mitigation. Staff said the civil plans will show lighting locations and that a 10-foot landscaped buffer with a 6-foot solid fence will be provided on three sides of Mr. Massey’s parcel (the fence to be on the parking-lot side). Staff also said pedestrian crossing improvements along Crawford Road are proposed but would require approval from the South Carolina Department of Transportation and that any proposed connection into Rock Street requires an SCDOT encroachment permit. Staff said typical lighting rules require exterior fixtures near residences to be turned off between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., except safety lighting.

Commission discussion noted that some of the property acquisitions for the parking are already under contract and that construction activity had already begun on some parcels. Commissioners also considered whether to approve rezoning for all parcels in the package or only the parcels on the north side of Crawford Road. A motion to rezone all parcels failed; a subsequent motion to rezone a subset that excluded parcels directly adjacent to Mr. Massey passed 6–1.

The commission’s recommendation now goes to City Council, which is scheduled to consider second reading of the rezoning on Monday. City staff told the commission they will verify property-closing status and the city attorney said documents needed to start construction should be confirmed before final reading.

Background: staff said the project will use existing access points along Crawford and Carol streets, will retain one single-family home at 835 Crawford Road with a rear-easement for parking, and that Tim Street was abandoned by council so that its former right-of-way can be absorbed by the parking area; a gate and hammerhead turnaround are shown on plans to prevent through traffic except for emergency access.

The commission’s recommendation does not authorize construction; it only recommends the rezoning change to City Council for ordinance adoption.