Fort Mill council extends rezoning moratorium, approves easement and $8.3M budget amendment

FORT MILL, S.C. — The Fort Mill Town Council wrapped up its last formal meeting of 2025 by approving three measures intended to steer development and planning work into 2026.

On second reading the council approved an amendment to ordinance 2025-16 that extends a temporary moratorium on accepting and processing applications for rezoning and annexation while staff completes a new comprehensive plan, downtown master plan and parks-and-recreation study. Council members said the extension will give the town time to complete due diligence before resuming new land-use applications.

“...with the new comp plan and the downtown master plan and the parks and rec plan coming through so we can due diligencely get work through that, get those all completed,” Unidentified Speaker 3 said in support of the measure. The council approved the item by voice vote on second reading.

Council also approved on first reading an ordinance authorizing the town manager to negotiate and execute a perpetual easement across town-owned property at the recreation complex to connect to a school site behind the complex. Chris Pettit described the proposal as an easement across recreation-complex property to a school located behind it and said the town is coordinating with the school district.

“This easement goes across what, we all know as the recreation complex property to a school site that’s located, behind that,” Chris Pettit said. The council moved and approved the first-reading ordinance by voice vote.

A budget amendment (No. 2604) was presented and approved on first reading to appropriate $8,315,000 from general-fund balance to support the comprehensive-plan process and related efforts. Debbie, a town staff presenter, described the amendment as coming out of ongoing plan work; councilors raised a formatting question about the staff report but expressed no substantive opposition.

“This is the first reading of a budget amendment as a result of the ongoing comprehensive plan and for future efforts. It is budget amendment 2604 and it is for $8,315,000 of general fund fund balance,” Debbie said.

The meeting also included ceremonial recognitions: Mitzi Blackmon (23 years of service) and Charles “JJ” Bennett (26 years of service) were honored for long service to the town, and Procurement Manager Philip Aycock was recognized as the South Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing Officials’ Manager of the Year and will represent the state at the NIGP national conference.

The council briefly entered an executive session to discuss negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements; the presiding official later noted that no votes were taken in executive session. Staff said the 2026 meeting schedule will be posted on the town website to satisfy the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act; the schedule generally sets regular meetings for the second and fourth Mondays with holiday exceptions.

The council concluded the meeting with seasonal remarks from members and a birthday call-out for Mayor Gwen, then adjourned for the year.

What happens next: The moratorium ordinance was adopted on second reading; the easement and budget amendment passed on first reading and will return for subsequent readings or administrative steps as required by town procedures.