Lake Wylie land use concerns aren’t new. But the answer hasn’t arrived — yet.

Allison Love spent years dealing with Lake Wylie’s most talked about concern before she ever joined York County Council. She still is.

Yet she and other county leaders continue searching for answers and incoming development reshapes the Lake Wylie area.

“We’re kind of a sitting duck for developers,” Love told residents at a recent community roundtable. “I see the same things you see. I sit in the same traffic.”

Residents brought up the usual concerns, and some of the usual ideas for fixing them — moratorium, impact fees, overlay, incorporation. They also brought up past efforts toward some of those ends that fell unsuccessful. Particularly an overlay in recent years that would have limited residential construction near the lake but wasn’t put in place.

Plenty of new residential developments have come to Lake Wylie since.

“Imagine what would have happened if that overlay had taken root,” said resident Ellen Goff.

Bill Shanahan, county manager, said work continues to find the best ways of planning for growth not only in Lake Wylie, but in all high-growth areas of the county. He expects a York County Council workshop on the issue soon.

“I can’t fix what was done years ago,” he told residents at the roundtable. “This is what we’ve got to do to make it better.”

One issue, incorporation, isn’t something Love would like to see. She said she doesn’t have any control over incorporation in her county role but, as a citizen, thinks there are better options.

“I am against it because it should have happened a long time ago if it was going to happen,” Love said. “It could have been a great thing.”

The idea of Lake Wylie becoming its own town is decades old, though seldom has there been an organized effort. About a year ago the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce began looking into the issue and a study group formed. There hasn’t been as much talk in recent months.

Love said incorporation wouldn’t fix traffic concerns, since Lake Wylie mostly has state roads.

“Incorporation is not going to fix what you’re frustrated about,” she said.

A building moratorium, another option proposed at the county level in recent years but never approved, isn’t by itself a fix either, Love said.

“A moratorium is basically a delay,” she said. “It can’t go on forever. You can’t have a moratorium for 10 years.”

Impact fees haven’t been as much a part of the conversation as they were in other high-growth spots nearby, like Fort Mill and Indian Land. In Fort Mill, impact fees from new construction are helping to pay for a new town hall location, parks and recreation space and more.

Goff sees opportunity in Lake Wylie with impact fees.

“That could go a long way,” she said.

Shanahan said impact fees couldn’t be used for road funding since the county already has Pennies for Progress, a one-cent sales tax used to fund projects. Impact fees for roads are controversial anyway since they, by state law, put the biggest bill to commercial rather than residential construction. Impact fees in Fort Mill were argued against by the business community before they began.

In recent county comprehensive planning, impact fees were part of the toolbox planners looked at for managing community growth.

“One of the tools that was identified in there was impact fees,” Shanahan said.

Love spent more than a year on the citizen committee helping with that comprehensive plan. She still believes the county can plan for what type of community Lake Wylie wants to be, then stick with that plan when rezonings or development projects arise. What she and other community leaders don’t foresee is a lack of interest on the horizon for builders.

State Rep. Tommy Pope, also a candidate for U.S. House Dist. 5, serves the Lake Wylie area and works in Columbia on the tax setup in South Carolina. The difference between taxes on either side of the state line is another reason places like Lake Wylie and Fort Mill will see continued development.

“You can’t blame them for moving here when the houses are cheaper and you don’t have to pay taxes on your house,” he said.

Commercial growth in Lake Wylie, which the county wants for its impact to the tax base, has been consistent in recent months. It’s the residential growth that more concerns residents and leaders. Particularly high density apartment developments.

Ongoing residential projects include new homes on Bonum Road, at Paddlers Cove along Crowders Creek and elsewhere. A Lake Wylie developer recently announced plans for 842 homes just south of Five Points, on 432 acres.

This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Lake Wylie land use concerns aren’t new. But the answer hasn’t arrived — yet.."