Editorial: York County plan to control growth a good first step

The mantra chanted by residents fed up with the effects of runaway residential growth – “we need a building moratorium” – has gotten louder the past few years and finally registered within hearing range of the York County Council.

An ordinance proposed last week by Dist. 1 Councilman Michael Johnson (R-Tega Cay) and now under consideration by Council would temporarily halt the issue of new housing plats for any property within “the Fort Mill or Bethel townships.” It would cover the property in Fort Mill that’s outside town limits as well as the Lake Wylie area. Property inside town limits and in Tega Cay city limits would not be included.

The county council does not expect to see details of the ordinance before its April 4 meeting.

It’s a welcome step. The effects of uncontrolled growth haven’t been ignored, especially by residents who complain about the impact on their quality of life, but little has been done to address it. It’s a substantial list that includes inadequate roads that can’t handle the additional traffic generated by a continuous flow of new residents, a lack of recreational facilities and the need for taxpayers to finance new schools to accommodate the swelling student population.

However, even if the county comes up with a manageable plan to slow growth and compel builders to pay for the infrastructure needs their new developments create, the results will be less meaningful than they can potentially be if the town of Fort Mill and city of Tega Cay don’t buy-in as well.

Those fast-growing municipalities – both served by the Fort Mill School District – have taken steps to manage the scope of new developments the past couple of years, but on a case-by-case basis. Both municipalities have negotiated concessions from developers on density, open space for parks and schools and some infrastructure, and those efforts should be applauded – but it’s not enough. A county ordinance aimed at slowing growth can’t reach its full potential unless Tega Cay and Fort Mill, which both seek to continue growing their footprints through annexing in property from the county, enact similar measures.

There appears to be interest among some council members in both municipalities to at least exploring the idea. That’s a start. Those who are reticent have said they fear any action to deny developers will open their town or city to legal action. That may be, but it’s clearly not getting in the way of York County’s desire to take a stand. Rock Hill placed a moratorium on new apartments while it studied needs and related issues and no lawsuits materialized. The same thing can be said for Lancaster County after it enacted a rezoning moratorium last year in its quest to slow growth.

Slowing growth will give officials time to come up with a workable long-range plan for future development, identify viable space for new schools, and hopefully work with the Nation Ford Land Trust or any other conservationist organizations to preserve the green space that’s disappearing before our eyes.

Going by the laws of supply and demand, applying the brakes to new residential building will also benefit existing home and land owners by raising property values. And if the cyclical history of our national economy is any guide, thinning the inventory of available homes and creating more space between new building projects could prove to be a firewall against the next inevitable recession.

Just as a new home needs time to settle into its foundation after it is built, this area needs time to settle and breathe after the long flurry of development. The county has taken the first, if not long overdue, step of what appears to be a sensible approach to controlling growth. We can only hope the town of Fort Mill and city of Tega Cay will see the wisdom of the county’s action and follow suit.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Editorial: York County plan to control growth a good first step."