Lancaster County Council denies conditional‑use permit for proposed place of assembly at 10935 Harrisburg Road

Lancaster County Council on May 21 held a quasi‑judicial public hearing and voted unanimously to deny a conditional‑use permit application (CU2026‑0168 / Resolution 13‑24‑R‑2026) for a proposed place of assembly at 10935 Harrisburg Road in Indian Land.

Planner Shannon Cato summarized the planning record and UDO criteria, noting staff had attached conditions but the Planning Commission had recommended denial. Applicant Arafat Mohammed described the proposal as a “very small assembly” that would reuse an existing single‑family structure with 28 parking spaces and an estimated standing capacity of about 100 people; he told the council the project team would comply with site‑plan, SCDOT and fire‑marshal requirements if the conditional‑use permit were granted. “We will work with the county’s site plan approval, SCDOT, stormwater and the fire marshal,” Mohammed said during his presentation.

Public comment ran long and sharply divided the room. Supporters said the center would serve local families, youth programming and charity work. “This space simply gives us the ability to organize, contribute, and engage more effectively as members of this community,” said Salman Mahmood, who identified himself as an Indian Land resident. Opponents focused on traffic, infrastructure and compatibility with the surrounding low‑density residential neighborhood. “Congestion is the issue here,” Donna McRory told the council, citing long EMS response times to her address and warning that additional institutional traffic would worsen safety risks.

Several speakers raised technical concerns the council must consider in a quasi‑judicial proceeding: Elizabeth Howie cited a South Carolina Department of Transportation count and warned that Harrisburg Road is already heavily used; others said there is no public sewer service to the site and that a family cemetery on the parcel must be preserved under state law. Council members framed their questions and deliberations tightly around those UDO standards. Councilmember Graham said he did not support approval because of inadequate infrastructure near Harrisburg Road; another member reiterated worries about fire/EMS capacity and future growth.

After council discussion and a motion to deny based on UDO compatibility, traffic and infrastructure criteria, the motion passed unanimously. The denial preserves the planning commission recommendation and means the applicant would need to pursue other sites or additional technical work and mitigation before returning to council.