Planning commission approves Riverside Manor preliminary plat 4–2 after court remand; commissioners record safety and school‑capacity concerns

The Lancaster County Planning Commission voted 4–2 on Jan. 20 to approve the Riverside Manor preliminary plat, a Colson Development proposal for 133 single‑family lots on approximately 251.51 acres.

Staff told the commission the technical review committee (TRC) completed its review and that the site, which is currently zoned rural neighborhood, meets local Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) requirements. The TRC report noted the school district’s comment that existing schools are at or near capacity; staff said that the county’s UDO has no concurrency standard and therefore school capacity is not a lawful basis for denial under current code.

The matter was returned to the planning commission by court order for reconsideration. County legal staff explained the commission’s charge: if the commission finds the preliminary plat meets all UDO requirements it must approve the plat, per the court’s remand. One commissioner explained that voting against the plat despite UDO compliance could risk contempt of court.

Residents and some commissioners pressed safety concerns, especially SCDOT sight‑distance and turning‑lane issues at entrances. Staff explained that SCDOT conditional or encroachment approvals and final civil drawings typically occur after preliminary plat approval and that some access design details are finalized in later civil review. The applicant, who said the project could complete by 2029, offered to consider turn lanes and landscaping buffers.

After a roll‑call vote the commission approved the preliminary plat 4–2. Commissioners asked that staff and council consider UDO updates (including concurrency and street buffer definitions) to address the operational impacts residents raised.