Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lancaster council approves rezones clearing way for 900-home subdivision and commercial parcels along Airport Road
Summary
Council voted to approve a series of second-reading ordinances (25-10 and 25-11 through 25-14) that rezone parcels — including a 304.63-acre tract and a 38.5-acre tract owned by Leroy Springs and Company and a 48.2-acre commercial parcel — enabling a clustered subdivision of roughly 900 homes and related commercial development; the traffic impact analysis (TIA) was presented as having been run to a larger scenario (1,600 units) and reviewed by SCDOT.
The Lancaster City Council on Oct. 12 approved a package of rezoning ordinances that together clear the way for annexation and development of a large residential subdivision and associated commercial parcels along the Airport Road corridor.
Staff explained that the ordinances (second readings) reassign zoning for multiple recently annexed parcels: Ordinance 25-10 rezones a 1.041-acre parcel near 217 Nichols Road (tax book number 0068K-0C-001) to R-6; ordinances 25-11 through 25-14 rezone parcels tied to a developer’s proposal that would build about 900 clustered homes on two residential tracts (approximately 38.5 acres and 304.63 acres) and reserve roughly 48.2 acres for commercial development along Airport Road.
"So this 25-11 is how we actually make connections in the city… these properties were recently annexed," staff said while walking council members through a large map showing the Iglesia property, the 38-acre and 304-acre tracts and a commercial corridor near Airport/Highway 200.
Council members pressed staff and the developer’s representative on traffic and safety for Airport Road. A traffic engineer/developer representative explained the technical review and mitigation plans: "The TIA was run for 1,600 units. This one right here, 900," and described planned left-turn lanes and signal modifications. The engineer said the Department of Transportation reviewed the technical report and that the TIA model determines necessary road improvements to keep level-of-service from worsening.
Several council members raised safety and service-capacity concerns. One council member said, "I think the turning lanes are gonna be very important... we're already providing services... we had a car accident out there a couple of weeks, and the city had to respond to that," and urged attention to police and fire capacity as rooftops increase.
Staff and the traffic representative told council that the project’s infrastructure — stormwater, sewer and road adjustments — will be designed and approved in subsequent steps and that on-site development was unlikely to appear for at least a year as design and approvals proceed. Staff also noted the planning commission recommended approval following public hearings.
Council moved and approved each ordinance individually on second reading: 25-11 (connector parcel, approximately 5.776 acres at 1414 Linwood Drive), 25-12 (304.63-acre parcel owned by Leroy Springs and Company), 25-13 (38.5-acre parcel owned by Leroy Springs and Company) and 25-14 (48.2-acre parcel owned by Elliot White Springs Foundation). The votes carried on roll call.
Council members said the rezones assign zoning consistent with surrounding properties and that further design review and traffic mitigation requirements will be addressed during platting, site-plan review and permitting steps.
The council adjourned after approving the ordinances; staff will return for design and implementation steps as developers advance infrastructure plans.
