Fort Mill East recycling center to close
The York County Public Works Department was blindsided Tuesday when officials learned the county’s lease for property where it operates one of two Fort Mill recycling centers will not be renewed when it expires next month.
Public Works Director Eric Rekitt said he called property owner Michael Chase, president of Kanawha Properties, on May 31 to discuss renewing the county’s lease for the site on S.C. 160 East near Springfield Parkway, but Chase was away on vacation. Chase returned the call Tuesday and told Rekitt the bad news.
“The lease expires July 31 and that can be honored, and possibly two months after that, but it looks like toward the end of September we will have to vacate that property because of the sale of that property,” Rekitt said.
Rekitt said he doesn’t know if the property “is in contract” but was left with the impression that a sale is imminent.
Earlier in the day, Chase told the Fort Mill Times he often gets inquiries about the property but said he wasn’t aware of any possible sale or other transaction that would affect the county’s use.
“I get hundreds of calls,” Chase said about the parcel and referred to ongoing residential and commercial development in the area. “Obviously, it’s an attractive piece of property for development,” he said.
Chase said the property hasn’t been marketed for sale.
Chase said the land has been in his family for years and is managed by his company.
Other than acknowledging the lease arrangement with the county is on “a year-to-year basis,” he declined to answer any questions about the terms.
York County has leased the Fort Mill East site since 1983, Rekitt said. The current lease is for $21,000.
The news came at a time when the county was looking into the possibility of opening a third recy cling center in Fort Mill, where the centers are the nearest option for many residents who live outside town limits. Those who live inside the municipality get recycling containers and pick-up service every other week, but the centers are available to all county residents five days a week and accept some recyclables the town does not, such as electronics, bulky metal and cooking oil.
A second Fort Mill recycling center was opened in 2000 on S.C. 160 West and is referred to as the Baxter site because of its proximity to Baxter Village. Both sites attract heavy use.
According to a traffic survey conducted by Public Works May 10 to June 6, Fort Mill East had 10,952 cars come through, or an average of 52 an hour. Baxter was more than twice as busy during that span with 22,078 – 95 cars an hour.
It’s not clear if and how losing Fort Mill East complicates the search for a third site somewhere in the Fort Mill area, but Rekitt said his department is focused on finding property for at least a temporary facility in that part of town.
“(Chase) offered up some other places that he has and now obviously we have to look into them and, one, see if they are suitable and, two, whether or not we want to lease or buy,” Rekitt said.
“We were already thinking we had to purchase a third property in the Fort Mill area in the next couple of years,” Rekitt said.
County Councilwoman Christi Cox, whose 5th District includes the part of Fort Mill losing the recycling facility, said the county is committed to finding a new site.
“This obviously came as a complete surprise, as we were under the impression that a lease extension would not be a problem,” Cox wrote in an email to the Times.
“The county has a responsibility to ensure proper waste disposal for our citizens. I have communicated with county staff and understand they are making this issue a priority and I support efforts to find the most cost-effective way to deal with this unanticipated situation. I ask the residents to be patient and cooperative as we work towards finding the best solution.”
Michael Harrison: 803-547-2353, @MikeHarrisonFMT
This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Fort Mill East recycling center to close."