Lancaster County wants to spend $900k on road project to help 17 homes. Is it worth it?
Seventeen houses on a dead-end street in Indian Land will soon benefit from a nearly $1 million road investment — despite push back from some county leaders who say the benefit doesn’t justify the expense.
The estimated $900,000 project will widen Rise Lane by at least 5 feet and could add a fire hydrant that residents have been asking for.
That cost has skyrocketed more than 500% since Lancaster County Council first approved it in 2021. Earlier this month, council members split on whether to renege or honor their promise despite its ballooning price tag.
They voted 5-2 to move the project forward. Stuart Graham and Jose Luis, who represents the district that includes Rise Lane, dissented.
“We have talked to these constituents and said, ‘Your road is on the list to get paid.’ Now how do you go back and say, ‘Sorry, we’ve got the money, but we can’t do it’?” said councilwoman Charlene McGriff. “I think we made a promise.”
Why is Indian Land’s $900,000 road project so expensive?
Rise Lane is nestled in a wooded enclave not far from the North Carolina border. Large single-family homes spread along the twisting street, which dead ends into a gate at the bottom of a slope. Neighbors have ample space between their yards. It’s a stark contrast to the bustling subdivisions a couple minutes away.
But the road does not meet county standards. It lacks a consistent width from beginning to end, and at no point can two cars pass each other unless one pulls onto the grass.
That’s been a point of frustration for residents who said they were promised a wider road before their homes even broke ground.
“We’re anxious about it because we’ve had more homes that have been built, so it gets a little weird trying to get through, and you’ve got kids riding bikes,” said Kellye Cathcart, one of the first homeowners who moved onto Rise Lane.
The county earmarked $9 million in local sales tax revenue to pay for capital projects, including 21 road improvements. Rise Lane is one of two remaining in that fund. The developer who built most of the street’s homes, including his own, contributed $42,000 with the understanding his money would help pay for a wider road.
Council approved the project four years ago at an estimated $146,000. A number of discoveries later expanded the project’s scope and cost.
Staff learned Lancaster County owned a wider strip of land than initially thought, which allowed them to make the road several feet wider. New plans also emerged to relocate the water line and add a fire hydrant. And the county discovered the South Carolina Department of Transportation maintained a portion of the road, leading to stricter paving requirements and new permits that all came at a cost.
County Administrator Dennis Marstall said there’s still money leftover from the capital projects sales tax fund to pay for the road, but the nearly million-dollar estimate could change once contractors start bidding.
Lancaster County Council divided
Councilmen Graham and Luis said they wanted to explore more options before committing so many dollars to a dead-end road.
“I know these folks,” Luis said. “I hear their concerns. I understand. I just think we need to take another look at this.”
Luis said the county would spend about $53,000 per lot on this project. In an op-ed he published with The Lancaster News on Friday, Luis criticized that spending as “indefensible.” He compared it to a much larger project on Possum Hollow Road that served hundreds of homes, a fire station and two small business areas. That project stretched 3 miles and cost $2 million, according to Luis.
County officials did not respond to The Herald’s request to confirm that figure.
Graham said he thinks something needs to be done to improve Rise Lane, but there are major needs on other roads that see more traffic.
“I just hate to spend this type of money here when we could be spending it somewhere else,” Graham said.
Residents said they’ve been frustrated by the long delay and ever-changing plans for the road.
Matthew Nichols’ family has lived on Rise Lane for just over a year now. They had to invest in a sprinkler system because the street didn’t have fire hydrants, he said. And they’ve waited to finish their driveway in anticipation of the road widening that hasn’t started yet.
Several residents who spoke to The Herald said they were unaware the cost had grown so much and thought $900,000 was “excessive” for what they wanted.
Nichols said he understands that the county must weigh the impact of potential projects before spending money.
“But they approved it back then,” Nichols said. “I don’t know how they could backtrack after giving approval.”
Councilman Steve Harper said it would be unfair to make staff tell constituents that council walked back a project it already approved, especially since they have the money to pay for it.
Any money leftover once all of the projects have completed will go toward a queue of other capital projects that are being financed by a new sales tax initiative, according to Marstall. The county detention center is next in line for the money.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 11:32 AM.
