The biggest US homebuilder planned a first Fort Mill community, but the town said no
The largest by volume homebuilder in the country, and in the Charlotte market, didn’t get the annexation it needed for its first planned community in Fort Mill.
Fort Mill Town Council voted down an annexation Monday night that could’ve allowed a DR Horton plan for almost 195 acres at 2601 South Dobys Bridge Road. Council members say the homes, layout and presentation showed quality aside from one determining factor — roads.
“For the last five years I have not voted for a single development in which the road system that it would use, was close to 100% capacity,” said Mayor Guynn Savage.
That area of South Dobys Bridge already has a failing grade. There are numerous subdivisions there already — Massey, Riverchase, Enclave — some with hundreds or more homes still planned.
Several on council said past town decisions to allow so many homes created the traffic situation that exists now.
“We should’ve said no a lot of times before now,” Savage said. “And I think it has taken quite a bit of time for us to come to that realization, and get the courage to do so.”
Growth paying for growth
Dan Ballou with Rock Hill law firm Morton & Gettys represented the homebuilder. He acknowledged the growth and traffic issues, but said the current plan could help.
“Of course Dobys Bridge corridor has experienced some tremendous growth over the past years,” Ballou said. “We believe this project presents something of a departure from previous developments.”
The pitch Monday was for 267 homes, down from initial plans for 385 homes and townhomes. It included more than 100 acres, more than half the total property, of open space. Ballou described lower density and larger lots, plus trails and amenities.
He also talked road improvements.
“Those are substantial,” Ballou said.
More than $2 million in road improvements would include a half mile widening from two to three lanes in front of the property, and multiple turn lanes. It included bike lanes. Some improvements were offsite to aid in traffic flow at key points like the South Dobys intersection at Fort Mill Parkway.
Ballou said the town often talks of growth paying for growth, a common refrain for more than a decade now in high-growth spots like Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Lake Wylie and Indian Land.
“This particular application is an example of that,” Ballou said.
Driver experience
Several council members say it isn’t just their elected seat that steers their judgment on the property. It’s their experience driving that area.
Councilwoman Lisa Cook lives in Massey, near the property that was up for vote Monday, which stretches from South Dobys to the Catawba River.
“It is my teenage driver that is pulling out onto Dryden Street (onto Dobys Bridge),” Cook said. “It’s myself that is doing this.”
Cook said 90% of her concern with the proposal involves traffic. There’s a sharp curve and blind spot turning out of Massey, and adding more homes and cars to that area wouldn’t help, she said.
“It’s really scary,” Cook said. “I will admit, it’s scary pulling out of there. Especially if you’re turning left, going toward Indian Land.”
Savage said the DR Horton plan otherwise seems strong, but the driver experience and her commitment not to approve new development on failing roads trump that plan.
“Traveling that road on a day-to-day basis, it is not in a situation where I think...I can support additional cars and homes,” Savage said.
More homes coming
Councilman Jamie Shirey sees the traffic now, but also a coming Harris Teeter and middle school, among other growth in that area.
“They’re not stopping,” Shirey said. “The building is not going to stop. I mean, we dropped the ball 30 years ago on Dobys Bridge.”
Shirey took issue with the traffic analysis, which didn’t include an entrance not far from the DR Horton property, into and out of Massey. Home and traffic counts plugged into the traffic study determine what road improvements the developer will have to make.
“But you’re not even going to look at the additional 500-plus (homes) that haven’t been built yet on the Massey side, that are going to be added into there?” Shirey said. “We’re looking at another 1,500 homes on that one road.”
As did others, Shirey saw value in parts of the plan apart from traffic. Despite detailed presentations Monday about the new community, the decision in front of council wasn’t to approve a subdivision itself. The decision was whether to annex and rezone the property.
“I’m all about annexing,” Shirey said. “I think the bigger footprint we can make Fort Mill, the bigger chair we get at the table.”
Possible path forward
When it appeared the traffic issue would stall the annexation Monday, Ballou asked if council would consider putting off a decision until a future meeting to give the applicant time to address concerns.
“If there’s a path forward, we sure want an opportunity to try to get there,” Ballou said.
Instead council voted against the annexation.
For at least the past two decades, various subdivision plans have come up for annexation in Fort Mill with a strong card in their hand. This plan didn’t.
If a developer can put a subdivision down, in town or in unincorporated York County, the equation changes. Properties like the Elizabeth and Waterside subdivisions, among many others, were annexed and approved despite town growth management concerns at least in part because zoning at the time allowed more dense development.
Town officials stated during debates on many such neighborhoods that annexation allowed negotiation. Town rules often would mean less dense development. Plus, the reasoning often went, new homes would use local roads, parks and other town services with or without inclusion in town limits. But being in town means they contribute to the tax base.
The question arose Monday on the DR Horton property. Councilman Chris Moody said he spoke personally with York County (and former town) manager David Hudspeth and learned the site wouldn’t have access to needed county utilities for development outside the town.
“It would be virtually impossible for them to get water and sewer,” Savage said, “because the county can’t provide it.”
Despite often strong public opinion when new subdivisions come up for decision in a town already teeming with them, Savage said there are laws and rules that determine action. Council can’t just stop development without a reason.
In this instance, though, the road creates one, she said.
“We can’t stop growth without foundation,” Savage said. “This is a particular project in a particular location, that there are grave concerns.”
This story was originally published April 15, 2021 at 2:20 PM.
