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Residents urge Greenville County Council to slow cluster-housing approvals near Fork Shoals Road
Summary
Residents from District 25 told county council they are being ‘inundated’ by new subdivisions along Fork Shoals Road, pressing for higher developer impact fees, traffic mitigation, and limits on annexation and rezonings to protect roads, schools and emergency response times.
Greenville County residents — many identifying themselves as longtime Harrington and District 25 neighbors — urged county council on Tuesday to halt or slow approvals of cluster housing and rezoning near Fork Shoals Road, saying rapid development is straining roads, emergency services and schools.
"We are being inundated with developments on Fork Shoals Road," Darlene Pace told the council, thanking members for the recent decision to pause cluster-housing construction and asking them to "study the pros and cons" of that development type. Pace said projects near the new Publix and other planned subdivisions risk overwhelming local infrastructure and complained of annexation plans that shift oversight from residents to other jurisdictions.
Theodore Turriano, who described Chestnut Ridge Reserve as a 350-home development, estimated vehicle impacts from new subdivisions and urged the county to increase developer impact fees so residents do not shoulder the costs of road upgrades. "350 times 2 for every car — that's 700 cars coming out on Fork Shoals Road," Turriano said, adding that developments are being placed "like sardines."
David Kraft, a Harrington resident, asked the council to deny a rezoning request by the City of Malden that would convert a commercial parcel at Fork Shoals Road and Ashmore Bridge to residential use. Kraft cited potential strain on sewage, electrical infrastructure, EMS and police response as reasons to preserve commercial zoning to support jobs and services.
Mata Crawford, also from District 25, said traffic on Fork Shoals and nearby arteries has increased "tenfold" in recent years. She pressed the council to require developers to contribute to transportation improvements and school capacity, arguing the county has been too permissive of construction outside of downtown. "We keep wanting the shiny things, but we're not taking care of our older things," Crawford said.
Gladys Duvall urged better coordination among Greenville County and nearby incorporated towns — Malden, Simpsonville and Travelers Rest — calling for regionwide traffic studies that account for cumulative impacts. Duvall noted new retail openings and multiple subdivisions that, taken together, will add significant peak-hour traffic.
Council did not take formal action on the speakers' requests at the meeting; several related items were already on the agenda for committee referral or first reading, including a first-reading ordinance to amend land development regulations to add cluster-housing provisions and multiple rezoning dockets referred to the Planning and Development Committee. Chair remarks and committee references indicated the matter will remain under review.
The next procedural steps on zoning and land-development changes will depend on the Planning and Development Committee's review and any subsequent second readings on the council floor.
