BridgeMill residents win rezoning fight – again

It took a little longer than expected, but the Lancaster County Council finally made a decision about whether or not to correct a zoning error that has allowed McClancy Seasoning to operate in a residential area.

A motion that began as a request by County Manager Steve Willis and triggered a backlash by McClancy’s neighbors in the BridgeMill community is now “deader than a doornail,” according to Councilman Larry McCullough (Dist. 7) following a lengthy debate and series of votes at a Dec. 14 council meeting.

The final vote, in front of a packed audience that included dozens of BridgeMill residents – most clad in red to show solidarity like they did at an earlier meeting – was 7-0 against rezoning the company’s property off Spice Road near U.S. 521 to light residential. McClancy wants the change so it can begin applying for permits to expand the operation. Residents say they don’t oppose the expansion, but worry that having an industrial zoning so close to their neighborhood will negatively impact property values.

Council had denied a zoning change for the company at what appeared to be third and final reading Nov. 9. On Nov. 23, Council voted to reconsider even though the issue was not on the meeting agenda and no attempt was made to notify the public it would be discussed. Council voted 5-1 to bring the zoning change back up Dec. 14. McCullough wasn’t at that meeting, but Councilman Brian Carnes (Dist. 1) voted with the majority.

McCullough and Carnes are the Panhandle’s two representatives on Council.

In nearly two hours of discussion and debate, Council considered a possible amendment to give the property a B-3 commercial rezoning, but that ultimately failed. McCullough made a motion early to deny the ordinance and it failed 4-3. One of the dissenting Council members, Larry Honeycutt, asked if the ordinance could be discussed at a later date so he and others can learn more about B-3 zoning. Councilwoman Charlene McGriff agreed.

“We have to look at what’s best for the entire community, what compromises and what sort of proposals we can make,” she said. “It’s not that we want to do one against the other.”

About half the meeting time went to residents having their say. Some were upset over the action that overturned the earlier third reading.

“This vote represented you protecting the property rights of over 20,000 voters residing in Indian Land and sadly, without notice or media present at the last meeting, you reconsidered it,” Richard Dole said.

“McClancy Seasoning is not above the law and doesn’t deserve any special consideration.”

Resident Gary Holland said to Council, “So please, once again, deny Mr. Wilson’s application and allow (McClancy CEO Reid) Wilkerson the right to file for rezoning, pay the fees, go through the proper procedure and be fully transparent with his plans and his desires of what he wishes to do in that area.”

McCullough told fellow Council members he was concerned about the precedent they could be setting.

“The mechanics that we’re going through here is going down a dangerous path,” he said.

“For us to go ahead and have no processes and do things on an ad hoc manner and not to follow what the rules are is not mature.”

The initial rezoning request cannot be brought back up for an entire calendar year – Dec. 14, 2016 – but that won’t prevent McClancy from applying for B-3 or another type of zoning change before then.

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 11:56 AM with the headline "BridgeMill residents win rezoning fight – again."