More business on Fort Mill Parkway - again near Doby’s Bridge Elementary - planned.
A new church and commercial space are on the way in Fort Mill.
The town planning commission meets Dec. 17 to talk zoning and appearance for several coming projects. They include more development near Doby’s Bridge Elementary School along the fast-growing Fort Mill Parkway.
Here are the projects facing county planners:
▪ Another retail building could come to a controversial development site on Fort Mill Parkway. Robert Johnson Architects applied for commercial appearance review for the second phase of a commercial shell building at 1500 Fort Mill Parkway.
The almost three-acre area up for review now is part of the same 13-acre property where a 7-Eleven gas station concerned parents of students at nearby Doby’s Bridge Elementary School. The town approved the gas station plan earlier this year despite considerable community protest. The site already had a zoning allowing for the gas station, tying the hands of town planners and officials.
In those earlier approvals from January, there was discussion of an adjacent 8,500-square-foot building just east of the gas station. The proposal now is a more than 8,600-square-foot addition to an existing 9,900-square-foot commercial building.
The site is surrounded by vacant land, the school, the 7-Eleven and a proposed mini-storage facility. It also is across the parkway from where Harris Teeter plans to put a new grocery store.
▪ Eternal Church continues work toward a new church site at the end of O’Henry Road. The church has plans up for appearance review with the town for the more than eight-acre site. The vacant site is west of I-77, east of Sutton Road and south of Harris Road.
Appearance review typically is one of the later steps in the development process, after rezoning, annexation and similar checklist items. Eternal plans include a 25,000-square-foot church facing north, with parking to either side.
▪ Former town attorney Bayless Mack applied to rezone two properties at more than three combined acres at the intersection of Fort Mill Parkway and Banks Road. The undeveloped land allows for industrial use now. Rezoning would list the property as highway commercial.
The new zoning would allow for commercial and retail, office, personal services. Lots have to be 10,000 square feet or more. Residential development wouldn’t be allowed.
The site sits between U.S. Foods and Banks Trail Middle School. The zoning change application doesn’t mention what type of development may come there. It notes the plan to down zone for commercial use due to the property size after a road was built through it.
