A new 700-acre manufacturing project in Chester County is taking shape - quickly
Details continue to take shape, quickly, on a new Chester County manufacturing project spanning 700 acres.
Chester County Council passed the first of three votes needed to rezone the property, on Wednesday night. The county planning commission had narrowly voted to approve the zoning changes. With two special called meetings, county council could finalize the zoning changes by March 13.
“This thing is time sensitive,” Council Chairman Joe Branham.
Richburg Magnolias of Chester applied to rezone two properties. The larger is 470 acres at 4375 Lancaster Highway, near Richburg Road. The smaller is 218 acres of unaddressed property off Lancaster Highway (S.C. 9). Advanced Chester of Sumter applied to rezone 22 acres at 510 Juniors Place.
The total property is east of I-77, between Richburg and Fort Lawn. County land records show the properties were involved in a 2018 sale for $4.5 million.
The new company hasn’t been named.
Kris Phillips with Chester County Economic Development updated county council last week on changes proposed by the company based on the planning commission meeting.
A rail line would be moved from the northeastern corner of the site near Bryant Corner Road, to the northwestern side to be farther away from homes on Bryant Corner. Only an administration building on a slab for a former spec facility, and not any manufacturing, would be within a 1,000-foot setback of nearby properties. There would be no road access off Bryant Corner to the adminstrative building.
“There’s no manufacturing, no processing there,” Phillips said.
All truck access would come off Lancaster Highway. The company would build a bridge over the highway for a rail line. Chemicals brought in wouldn’t be flammable or designated as high-risk to the environment by federal regulations, Phillips said.
Matt Gedney with L&C Railroad owner Gulf & Ohio Railways said the local line tries to steer clear of hazardous material transport and the new company would be no different.
“Nothing that is outside the mix of what we currently bring in,” Gedney said.
L&C serves some chemical and polymer facilities in the area. There’s a propane terminal in Lancaster County. But not sites with federally designated hazardous chemicals. The growing number of manufacturing facilities in Chester County also helps with safety concerns, Gedney said, as rail travels at a relatively low speed.
Phillips said the company is looking at sound walls and structures to avoid sound or light issues. The company intends to rely mostly on rail, but will evaluate what truck traffic the site will create. The company has spent tens of millions, Phillips said, at other sites to make sure environmental damage or air quality won’t be an issue.
Phillips said there will be significant activity on site.
“It’ll be a 24-7 operation,” Phillips said.
The planning commission voted 3-2 to recommend two of the zoning changes. The other, the largest property farthest from neighboring homes, got a 4-1 vote for recommendation.
Councilwoman Erin Mosley cast the only council vote against the zoning changes. Mosley said it wasn’t a slight to the company, but instead she felt more time is needed to study plans.
Plans would include a new 20-foot high by 40-foot wide berm to further insulate the site. Another part of the decision states if the property is rezoned and the company doesn’t bring the planned business, the zoning would revert to what it is now by November.
