Lancaster County planners deny Project Magic rezoning after residents raise traffic, drainage and neighborhood concerns

The Lancaster County Planning Commission on March 17 voted unanimously not to recommend a rezoning request known as Project Magic (RZ 2026‑0152), after residents and commissioners raised concerns that the change from low‑density residential to Regional Business would invite traffic, grading and long‑term uses at odds with the surrounding neighborhood.

Staff presented Project Magic as a request to rezone a parcel near Pageland Highway and the new MUSC Health Indian Land facility from low‑density residential to Regional Business, saying the requested district is permissible under the site’s growth‑area future land‑use designation and that the application met UDO procedural requirements. The commission’s staff recommendation was for approval.

Neighbors and commissioners pushed back. Chad Boils, whose five‑house Lodge Road neighborhood relies on a privately maintained dirt road, told the commission he worried that grading and site clearing could increase stormwater flowing onto his lane and degrade access. Becky Dro, a Dogwood Acres resident, said the project’s documentation omitted single‑family homes adjacent to the site and warned, “We do not want to live in a business park.” Jeannie Ser, another Dogwood Acres resident, urged adaptive reuse of existing vacant industrial sites instead of converting residential land.

Applicant representative Jerry Gronky (Unique USA Inc., rugs.com) described the proposed use as a consolidation of three existing distribution/fulfillment locations into a single warehouse with two medical office outparcels facing the highway. He told the commission the operation would not be 24/7, that shifts are layered in the morning, and estimated “four to five trailers that come in a day and three that leave” in normal operations.

Commissioners said the issue was not only the applicant’s current operational description but the permanent list of uses the Regional Business district would allow “forever.” Several commissioners said the parcel is surrounded by low‑density residential and questioned skipping intermediate districts such as Neighborhood Business or General Business. One commissioner noted the rezoning could permit uses—including multifamily or certain residential care uses—that could conflict with a residential moratorium covering the area.

After discussion, the commission recorded a roll‑call vote on the recommendation: Commissioners Tinklinberg, Lynette Henson, Michelle Richards and Francis Lou all voted against forwarding the rezoning to county council for approval. The commission’s recommendation was therefore to deny; the record shows a 4–0 vote against recommending approval. The record states the item will be referred to Lancaster County Council for final decision and that the applicant will be notified of the council hearing date and time.

What happens next: Because rezoning recommendations go to county council for final action, the council will hold a public hearing on the request; the planning commission’s recorded recommendation will be part of the record sent to council. The commission’s denial does not itself change property zoning.