Residents press council to enforce Indian Land moratorium and explain impact-fee forgiveness
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Summary
At the Lancaster County Council meeting, multiple residents backed a nine-month moratorium on new residential development in Indian Land, urged completion of the Unified Development Ordinance and raised alarms about a 2021 ordinance that they say forgave most development impact fees.
Dozens of residents told the Lancaster County Council at its meeting that the nine-month moratorium on new residential development in Indian Land should be enforced strictly and that the council should finish updates to the Unified Development Ordinance before lifting the pause.
The comments placed particular emphasis on a 2021 council ordinance that one resident said forgave development impact fees levied prior to Oct. 1, 2021. "That amounts to 34,000,000 of the 36,000,000 impact fees," said Tony McCammon, a resident, calling the forgiveness "shocking" and urging council not to repeat that decision as it considers a proposed 1% sales tax to fund infrastructure.
Why it matters: Residents said unchecked development and waived fees have strained roads, schools and local services and that the moratorium is an opportunity to align growth with infrastructure. Jean Doyle, a resident, thanked the council for passing the nine-month moratorium and urged staff and council to complete the UDO within the pause so rules are clear when development resumes.
Several speakers urged clarity about the UDO timeline and impact-fee policy. "I was so lost" at prior UDO forums, Jean Doyle said, asking how much of the rewrite is complete and whether it could be finished within the moratorium. Kathy Storm, another resident, reminded those listening that the moratorium still requires additional readings and encouraged turnout to maintain support.
Some commenters linked the policy debate to school capacity. Libby Sweat Lambert, a resident, said two proposed Charlotte Highway projects could bring roughly 1,400 homes and noted those homes were zoned for Buford Schools; she urged careful consideration of school impacts and of contractual language she said limited the county's ability to collect full impact fees.
What council did: The meeting record for this session shows only public comment on the moratorium; no council action to change the pause or the UDO was taken at this meeting.
Ending: Residents left the meeting urging firm enforcement of the moratorium and faster completion of the UDO so future development will be governed by clearer, more predictable rules.