Hundreds more homes on tap for Lancaster County, but not where you’d probably expect
Hundreds of new homes could come to Lancaster, in one of the city’s bigger projects planned in recent years.
The largest item on a planned city council workshop agenda Tuesday involves annexation of 130 acres off University Drive. The property, between West Shiloh Unity Road and Havenwood Drive, would allow 250-300 homes if annexed and rezoned.
A city staff write-up ahead of the council meeting uses 275 homes at an average of $220,000 to estimate a new $425,000 in generated property tax.
Three owners bought the land in 2007 for $1.3 million. The site isn’t far from the Fowler Road and Hubbard Drive area where part of the Lancer Commons development, part of USC Lancaster, sold in March for $1.8 million.
The University Drive annexation site could be significant for the city. U.S. Census Bureau estimates show the city’s population with 593 more residents now than were there during the 2010 census. That’s a 5% growth rate. At 2.6 residents per household (another census figure for the city), another 300 homes would add 780 city residents — 132% of its growth total for an entire decade.
Today, 300 homes in Lancaster would represent about 12% of all households.
The decision Tuesday would be the first of multiple approvals needed by city council for annexation and rezoning.
Lancaster County growth
While the city of Lancaster hasn’t had a steady stream of residential growth, Lancaster County has. There’s been a constant flow of Indian Land development. There are large projects between the panhandle and Lancaster. In the past decade, the census bureau estimates county residential growth at almost 28%. More than 98,000 people now live in Lancaster County.
Later this month, plans will come to the county planning commission for more than 600 homes and 200 apartments.
York County homes
The picture is similar in York County, where hot spots along I-77 and within easy commute to Charlotte paced a 24% residential growth rate the past decade. Like Lancaster County, York County sees some spillover residential growth outside the typical development-heavy areas.
On Monday night, the York County planning commission meets. Plans there include Lexie Brooke Farms and Filbert Farms.
Lexie Brooke Farms would add 11 homes on almost 76 acres at Blacks Highway and Burns Road. Filbert Farms would bring six homes on 30 acres at Filbert Highway and Holly Road. Both projects are in the Kings Mountain area.
This story was originally published May 10, 2021 at 11:56 AM.
