Letter: Council should do business in public

As a citizen of Lancaster County and Indian Land, district 7, I am troubled and concerned about the Nov. 23 reconsideration decision by the Lancaster County Council. There are quite a few things to be concerned about but let me mention just a few:

The same 511 Nov. 23 reconsideration approval to defer the matter to the Planning Commission was denied 3 – 4 on Nov. 9. What has changed? What new information did the applicant, Mr. Willis, provide? It should be noted that Councilman Carnes, district 7, voted against sending the matter back to the Planning Commission just 14 days before he voted in favor of sending the matter back to the Planning Commission on the 23rd. I am troubled by his inconsistency, especially when the property value of his constituents is concerned.

Mr. Reid Wilkerson is not the applicant for this rezoning request. He has not signed a Joiner Agreement with Mr. Willis (who is the applicant) nor has he submitted any detailed plans to the Planning Department. He is a businessman, trustworthy, but the Council has refused to do business on verbal promises in the past. I am concerned that this Council is reconsidering this case without having any plans in hand.

I am really concerned about what I am reading in the Fort Mill Times about “A company attorney contacting the county with a proposal to accept a business zoning (B-3) rather than industrial, IF allowed to expand as a manufacturing site (I-1) when the UDO rewrite is completed”. Sounds like the acceptance of B-3 zoning by Mr. Wilkerson is contingent upon the county delivering a manufacturing site (I-1) post UDO rewrite. If this is equivocation then this is troublesome.

Based on several recent news articles it is clear that things are out of order and out of control with the Lancaster County Council. The question that needs to be asked in this case is: did Mr. Willis amend his zoning application from I-1 to B-3? If not, I think it is out of order for Council to reconsider this matter because there is no new information.

Some have said the reconsideration was necessary because Mr. Wilkerson cannot wait for the rezoning moratorium which expires in the spring of 2016. Everyone knows that County Council could grant Mr. Wilkerson an exemption from the moratorium due to special circumstances. It is troubling as to why no one is discussing this option?

What is solution then? Let the decision of Nov. 9 stand which is a denial of Mr. Willis’s request for I-1 rezoning. This would then give Mr. Wilkerson the opportunity to file his own application for B-3 along with his plans and fees. He then has standing to go before the Council as the applicant and request in a Public Hearing venue any variance he thinks is necessary. This is a transparent solution and removes any behind the scenes negotiations and deals.

Indian Land

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 9:44 AM with the headline "Letter: Council should do business in public."