Sumter County council defers rezoning vote on 78.6‑acre Gibbs Rail Site after residents object

Sumter County Council unanimously voted on Nov. 28 to defer a second reading on RZ‑23‑23, a county‑led request to rezone about 78.60 acres on Race Track Road (the Gibbs Rail Site) from Agricultural Conservation to Heavy Industrial, after more than a half‑dozen neighbors urged the council to pause the effort until due‑diligence reports and community meetings are complete.

Planning staff told council the county acquired the parcel in August 2023, that it has roughly 0.75 miles of frontage on the CSX rail line and that wetlands delineation, geotechnical testing, a Phase‑I environmental review, a cultural resources survey and an endangered‑species review are under way. Planning Director Helen Roodman said the parcel is identified in the Sumter 2040 Comprehensive Plan as a Priority Economic Development area and that rezoning to HI would align the site with surrounding industrial uses; she noted the site is “commonly referenced as the ‘Gibbs Rail Site.’”

Residents who live adjacent to the property urged council not to approve the rezoning at this time. Lou Newman told the council the land has been a family farm for generations and said conversion to industrial use would erode agricultural jobs and the neighborhood’s rural character. Marie Thompson presented a petition she said contained 424 signatures (351 from Sumter residents and 73 from agricultural business partners) and said due‑diligence reports had not been completed or shared with neighbors. Other speakers raised concerns about potential impacts to a spring branch, stormwater and long‑term loss of farmland.

Jay Schwedler, chief executive of the Sumter County Development Board, said the site is the county’s only publicly owned, rail‑served greenfield that could support heavy industrial uses and that the due‑diligence work is a public record. Schwedler estimated certification could take about 60–90 days and said staff are willing to meet informally with neighbors to discuss questions.

After discussion about outreach and technical studies, Councilman Carlton Washington moved to defer second reading until staff report back on the due‑diligence findings; the motion, seconded by Councilman Artie Baker, passed unanimously.

What happens next: staff will complete and publish the due‑diligence reports and hold further community meetings before the council takes up second reading again. No site‑specific development approvals were granted at this meeting.