Here’s where Rock Hill may grow by more than 200 acres, and what’s there now

Rock Hill may soon grow by more than 200 acres, including industrial sites, utility property, a church, vacant land and more.

The city planning commission will hear two annexation cases Oct. 9. Both cases come with an initial nod from the Rock Hill City Council, although they will have to go back for final approval.

One move involves almost 127 acres along Cel-River Road and Eden Terrace. The 26 properties are a mix of residential-, business- and industrial-zoned properties. The site, beside Elevation Church, is between Riverwalk, Cherry Road and I-77.

Some of the property is undeveloped. The 15 property owners there include industrial companies, utilities, private landowners and a church.

Bill Meyer, city planning and development director, told the City Council last month that three-quarters of the property owners, who own 83 percent of the assessed value of the entire property, signed a petition in favor of annexation.

After the planning commission handles which zonings should come with the potential annexation, City Council will hold a public hearing and decide on the annexation itself.

There are 307 property owners within 300 feet of the area, most of them already within the city.

The second potential annexation involves more than 82 acres on Commerce Drive, between Riverwalk Industrial Park and Galleria Boulevard and just off Red River Road. It has less of a mix of current uses among its nine parcels. Eight of them have industrial buildings, with two more under development.

That proposal has petition signatures from 78 percent of the property owners controlling 84 percent of the assessed property value. State law requires 75 percent of each for the type of petition annexation requested.

Meyer told the council that property owners at both locations largely have been on board with annexation.

“We’ve run into relatively little resistance,” he said.

The second, in particular, has been smooth.

“This one actually was the least amount of resistance we’ve run into on any of these, historically,” Meyer said.

The city has been working to answer questions on what new zoning properties would have once annexed.

A feasibility study will come back with the planning commission recommendations, before council has final say. The city always is looking for opportunities to annex, Meyer said, where it makes sense.

“Often these are areas where city utilities or other services were provided, but at the time they were provided, the areas were not contiguous to the city limits,” he said.

Both current cases are pockets of unincorporated property beside or even surrounded by city property.

“This is a great opportunity here to provide much more efficient public services and actually increase the level of service available to these property owners,” Meyer said.

The ongoing annexation questions aren’t the only city business to be decided.

In a separate decision, Mid-Atlantic Commercial Properties is looking to rezone almost two acres at 1705 Ebenezer Road for a retail and restaurant building. The current building there, across from a Hardee’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Food Lion, would be torn down to make way for it.

The planning commission also will review a site plan for Legion Collegiate Academy, the charter school along Mount Holly Road.

Several city council items on its Oct. 8 agenda include an annexation and rezoning of more than 10 acres on Heckle Boulevard, near Rawlinson Road.