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York County approves $25 million infrastructure credit for proposed Costco distribution facility
Summary
After hours of public comment and debate over traffic, school revenue and local contributions, York County Council approved a $25 million off-site infrastructure credit to Costco Wholesale for a proposed distribution site; council also adopted an amendment reallocating how the credit will be borne among the city, county and school district.
York County Council on Dec. 1 approved a $25,000,000 infrastructure credit agreement to support a proposed Costco Wholesale warehouse and distribution facility near the I‑77/Porter Road interchange.
The vote followed more than three hours of public hearings and council debate over traffic impacts, the share of public funding that would come from school-district revenue and next-step deadlines for the developer. Costco’s representative, Seth Katz, assistant vice president of real estate, told council the company would reduce its original $30 million request to $25 million for off‑site public infrastructure improvements.
Opponents at the hearing warned of heavy truck traffic near Mount Holly Elementary and other nearby facilities and questioned whether the county should subsidize off‑site infrastructure for a multinational retailer. “We know that Costco truly desires this location. Dollars 30,000,000 to them is insignificant in comparison to what they will be getting,” one resident told the council, urging reconsideration of the incentive.
Proponents and several council members said the project creates jobs, brings a reliable corporate tenant and unlocks additional development on the adjoining 293 acres that could generate future tax revenue. Supporters also noted traffic and design work the company has performed and said traffic mitigation and state involvement could address longer‑term corridor improvements.
Councilman Roddy offered and won an amendment that reallocated the share of the credit across local taxing entities to reduce the burden on the school district; the chair summarized the approved package as a $25,000,000 infrastructure credit for off‑site improvements with the modified allocation agreed in the amendment. The council debated and briefly entered executive session for legal advice before returning and putting the amended main motion to a public vote. The chair announced the motion carried.
Council members said they had sought additional material during the meeting, including the traffic impact analysis (TIA) maintained by SCDOT; the chair noted the county requested the TIA and that the developer’s due‑diligence window included an upcoming deadline. The council also approved a motion that allows for a special-called meeting prior to Dec. 12 to receive additional information if needed.
No formal roll-call tally for the Costco motion was read into the record; the meeting minutes record that the council voted in favor and the chair declared the motion carried.
