Road work: York County examines growth’s effect on roads

York County officials are of two minds when it comes to long-term growth in the county. They are glad so many people want to move into the county, but they don’t like traffic and increased road maintenance that comes with more people.

As the county starts its 2017 budget process, and prepares for the next round of Pennies for Progress road projects, officials want to consider the effects of new housing developments on already-stressed roads, especially in Fort Mill and Lake Wylie, the fastest developing areas in the county.

“We need to tie development to road improvement,” said York County Councilman Michael Johnson, who represents much of the Fort Mill area. “If a road is failing, if a bridge is failing, and we know it’s failing, we have to balance that with how we can allow more people onto it.”

Johnson wants to “phase” new neighborhoods with pre-planned infrastructure improvements, so traffic doesn’t outstrip road capacity.

York County Planning Director Audra Miller is scheduled to present suggestions to York County Council at its Feb. 15 meeting.

One suggestion is a “public facilities” or “public safety” ordinance, which would tie approval of new developments to the state of the surrounding infrastructure. Currently, Miller says the closest equivalent is the requirement for developers to submit a “capacity letter” attesting the water and sewer system can serve the new homes, and an analysis on how a new development will affect existing traffic patterns.

“If they can’t get a capacity letter, or a septic permit from DHEC, they’re not going to go any further,” Miller said.

A traffic analysis is usually limited to the existing roads a new subdivision feeds into but not a major intersection three miles away.

Councilman Bruce Henderson, whose district includes fast-developing Lake Wylie, said the county should take a more “aggressive” approach toward growth, making developers pay more of the cost of maintaining or expanding roads.

“If we don’t slow growth, we could have a traffic jam during an evacuation that would cause mass confusion, if not unnecessary death,” Henderson said.

Currently, developers can only be charged for the most immediate impacts of their development such as requiring them to put in a new turn lane to accommodate traffic. Planners may find other ways to shift impact costs onto developers.

“You could have them pay for a proportionate impact, but what mechanism do you use for that?” Miller said. “If a road project moves concurrently, and if the developer has an impact, they could be responsible for paying a share. Or if it’s funded, but the project’s not started yet, you could say, ‘you’ll have to wait three years.’ ”

Johnson said he does not want to assess impact fees directly on developers. He said impact fees would drive out commercial and industrial development more than residential housing, harming the tax base while increasing the number of residential developments in the county.

“I don’t want to stop growth, but we need to have the capacity for it,” Johnson said. “We can’t put 500 more cars onto a failing road.”

Whose roads?

Miller is considering ways to have privately-built roads in housing developments remain in private hands.

Since 2012, York County has accepted about two road miles per year into the county system from private developers. The public works department estimates it cost the county $325,000 per mile in expected maintenance.

There’s no requirement the county accept privately-built subdivision roads into its system. Most developers ask the county take on the maintenance responsibility.

“Usually, the county has accepted those roads, as long as they’re built to county standards,” Miller said. “I think the sense of council now is whether we should continue to do that.”

County Councilwoman Christi Cox, whose district includes portions of Fort Mill, said she would support an ordinance giving homeowners’ associations responsibility for roads built primarily for neighborhood residents.

“Safety is a concern in the most congested areas of Fort Mill,” Cox said. “It’s not in our interest to take on even more roads when we can’t take care of the ones we have now.”

The county must ensure private roads are maintained to a usable standard so that emergency vehicles can have access. Cox has proposed developers be required to set aside funds for road maintenance.

As York County considers its own road plan responsibility, state legislators are debating their own roads plan that could end up sending more funding – and maybe more roads – in the counties’ direction.

“The state has got to make up its mind on roads,” Henderson said. “You can’t just take on more during hard times. That’s like trying to feed your own family, then take on 20 more children.”

This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 9:08 PM with the headline "Road work: York County examines growth’s effect on roads."