Moratorium a sensible approach to York County growth
The question many fast-developing communities confront is: When does good growth become too much growth? That’s the question facing an area of explosive growth in northern York County, and the County Council soon might try to find an answer.
The council announced last week that it plans to draw up an ordinance that would freeze new housing for any unincorporated property within “the Fort Mill or Bethel townships.” That area comprises the Lake Wylie area and the area between the Catawba River and the North Carolina line – one of the fastest growing sectors in South Carolina.
The ordinance won’t be ready for the council to consider until the April 4 meeting. That provides ample time for all sides to weigh in on the issue.
Residents concerned about the surging growth have been urging the council to find a way to restrict development for months. But contractors and some property owners balk at the idea of a moratorium that essentially would halt residential development, at least for several months.
We think a moratorium – with a clearly specified length – is a legitimate response by the council to the extreme pressure residential growth has put on schools, infrastructure, government services and resources in this area. A moratorium would give the council, the school districts and other groups the breathing space to assess the potential effects of further booming growth and consider ways to accommodate it – or not.
Schools are a particular concern. Enrollment in the Fort Mill school district has doubled in the past decade, from 6,185 students at the end of the 2004-05 school year to the current total of 13,217.
The district can barely build schools fast enough to keep up with the influx of students. And district officials worry that, when land for new schools is needed, it will be prohibitively expensive or unavailable because of high demand for development.
Increased traffic already is clogging existing roads. More people means more strain on water and sewer services, garbage collection, emergency services and law enforcement.
The desirability of lakeside homes eats up available land around the lake. Eventually, heavy population growth could tax the water supply.
Moratoriums such as this are nothing new. Rock Hill is nearing the end of a year-long freeze on new apartments. Lancaster County last year approved a nine-month moratorium on rezonings in Indian Land, which also has experienced explosive growth in recent years.
But while we support the concept of a moratorium to assess ways to approach growth, we acknowledge that governments must perform a careful balancing act. Officials can’t simply put a halt to all growth and freeze the status quo.
These communities will need businesses and industries as a significant part of their tax base, especially with the restrictions the state has put on residential property taxes. The county will have to find ways to limit residential growth while sustaining a business-friendly environment for potential investors.
While some residents no doubt would like to see an end to any more development, that isn’t practical. The council needs to strike a happy medium, including inducing developers to help pay for new infrastructure and set aside land in their projects for schools, parks and other green spaces.
Clearly, though, residents in this high-growth area feel besieged, overwhelmed and helpless in slowing what they see as a rate of development that ultimately will ruin the character of their communities. We think calling a time-out to study the issue makes sense.
This story was originally published February 21, 2016 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Moratorium a sensible approach to York County growth."