Fort Mill’s Future: 400 New Residences on the Horizon
Exciting changes are coming to Fort Mill! Plans for a new development are underway that could see over 400 new residences popping up around town. The Crossroads Development Partners are pushing the final stages of approval for their project on Williams Road, North Dobys Bridge Road, and Fort Mill Parkway. According to Phil Hayes from Crossroads, the development is facing a somewhat sticky situation regarding garage placements, but that won’t stop them from moving forward.
A Little Background
The project started as a large-scale plan encompassing 115 acres of land. Initially, it was designed to include a mixture of homes, a senior living facility, a grocery store, and commercial spaces. However, Fort Mill Town Council raised concerns about traffic and issued several time extensions for the developers to secure the necessary properties. Last fall, the council decided not to extend the timeline any further, which has now propelled the project into its final approvals.
The most recent plans suggest the development will include up to 408 residences, featuring a mixture of traditional homes, townhomes, senior housing, and assisted living apartments. The residential area will cover around 78 acres, spread across both town and unincorporated York County. Hayes emphasized the importance of building under the existing zoning rules, also known as by-right development. This means they want to develop the area without needing to go through extensive town council votes that often come with annexations and rezoning applications.
The Garage Dilemma
However, a showdown between the developers and town planners has emerged regarding where garage entrances should be located in the townhomes. Town planners have specified that garages cannot be positioned at the front of the homes in the zoning area designated for Crossroads. In contrast, Hayes and his team believe front-facing garages are acceptable, so long as they don’t protrude from the front of the homes.
This seemingly trivial disagreement could throw a wrench in the development’s plans. If Crossroads is required to move garages to the back of up to 110 townhomes, it would necessitate creating alleys, significantly increasing construction costs and reducing the developers’ room to build effectively. Hayes argues that these restrictions could ultimately lead to higher home prices and additional environmental consequences from over-paving the land.
Next Steps for Approval
On Monday evening, Hayes will present his case before the Fort Mill Zoning Board of Appeals regarding the garage issue. The Zoning Board serves as an oversight body and has the power to either uphold or overturn the decision made by town planners. Interestingly, Crossroads had prepared to address a dozen comments on its sketch plan but felt the comments regarding garage placements were particularly lacking in understanding.
With the planning commission meeting once a month, they typically handle various stages of project approvals. However, since the garage issue couldn’t be resolved at the last meeting, the developers have been granted time to gather more information about an access point that crosses unincorporated York County.
Looking to the Future
As Fort Mill continues to grow, the addition of hundreds of new residences could bring new opportunities and challenges to the community. With a significant mix of living spaces planned, there are hopes that the project will cater to a variety of residents, from families to seniors. Residents are anxiously waiting to see how the town and developers will navigate the garage situation to bring this project to fruition.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be keeping an eye on how things unfold in Fort Mill. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting development that could reshape the community!
