Rock Hill defers final approval of Riverside development

A new $70 million development along the Catawba River is on hold, at least for now.

The Rock Hill City Council voted Monday to defer final approval of the motion to annex the Riverside on the Catawba site into the city and rezone the property for a planned mix of retail shops and new apartments.

A city spokesperson said the deferral came at the request of city staff, who are continuing to negotiate with developer Premiere Design Solutions on issues raised before the council’s initial vote two weeks earlier.

Specifically, Rock Hill and the developer have yet to come to an agreement on two issues involving the river itself; the design of a walking trail along the riverbanks, and an access road to the Catawba that would cut through a neighboring property.

The two sides are close to agreeing to a design for a continuation of the Carolina Thread Trail along the 32-acre site off Cherry Road near the U.S. 21 bridge, but hadn’t been able to finalize the documents before Monday’s meeting, said Jimmy Jurado, the developer’s chief financial officer.

“I wish we could have had it done today,” Jurado said Monday.

Rock Hill and Premiere Design Solutions had already agreed to a perpetual access easement and daily clean-up and maintenance of the trail, which will extend 1,500 feet west of the bridge, where it connects with the Riverwalk section of the trail, and provide access to Riverside’s retail shops.

But concerns were raised about whether the trail would comply with the American with Disabilities Act, since the trail would cross a steep hill along the path. The developer says they plan to add a more handicapped accessible area along the trail.

“I agree we should delay the design” until that design receives final approval, Jurado said. “My eldest daughter is in a wheelchair.”

Premiere Design Solutions is negotiating with the Greens of Rock Hill on a future river access road on Dunkins Ferry Road that would cross a Greens-owned property. Jurado said the two sides have exchanged emails with hopes of having an agreement in place by the next City Council meeting May 23.

Prior to the vote on April 25, Premiere Design Solutions had already addressed city concerns about whether Riverside would include enough parking spaces (the site has the capacity to add spaces, the developer says), and agreed to pay for a new traffic signal to handle an expected 13,000 more car trips per day, if growth in nearby Riverwalk doesn’t trigger the need for one first.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 8:32 PM with the headline "Rock Hill defers final approval of Riverside development."