Lancaster County Newsletter
August 2025
Focus: Growth + Roads
This month’s update focuses on two big topics that directly affect your daily life: development and roads. There’s a lot happening, and your voice matters more than ever.
💭 Reflections from Month 8 on County Council
As I round out my 8th month serving on Lancaster County Council, I’ve taken time to reflect on where we are—and where we’re headed:
- 🏗️ We can’t fix 20 years of growth in Indian Land in 8 months, but I’m encouraged by the direction we’re moving. The traffic and infrastructure challenges are real—and frustrating—but progress is starting to happen.
- 📈 Growth is challenging, but it’s better than decline. At least with growth, we have options and opportunities.
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🚫 I remain committed to holding off on new residential development approvals until we:
- Complete the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) update
- Address emergency service coverage gaps
- Secure a long-term funding strategy for roads
- ⛔ We must stop repeating past mistakes, especially as growth shifts to the southern parts of the county.
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🔄 Too often, our county feels divided:
- Indian Land residents feel like the “cash cow,” burdened with growth but short on services
- Rural communities feel overlooked while more attention goes north
➡️ The truth is: the future of Lancaster County depends on the strength of the entire county—from Indian Land to Kershaw to the City of Lancaster. A strong City of Lancaster benefits all of us and relieves pressure on other fast-growing areas.
- 💵 Our day-to-day operations are financially stable, but our capital needs—roads, ambulances, fire stations—are not. We must find responsible ways to meet those demands.
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💡 One priority must be to relieve pressure on property owners by aggressively exploring:
- Impact fees (Expansion and increasing current fees in place)
- Revenue from non-residents using our infrastructure
- Other creative and fair funding solutions
💬 I’m working hard for the county I grew up in and love. Your ideas, concerns, and encouragement are always welcome—let’s keep the conversation going.
☕ Mugs & Matters – Friday, Sept 12 | 4–6 PM
Join Jose Luis and I for an informal drop-in at Sweetwaters (Redstone). Ask questions, share concerns, or just chat one-on-one with your Indian Land Council reps—no speeches, just conversation.
If you missed earlier newsletter editions, click here to see all the previous months. Great way to share it with your friends and neighbors via email or social media.
👥 If you're part of a group that would be interested in having me attend a meeting to discuss county matters, don’t hesitate to reach out—I’m always happy to connect.
If you have any questions or concerns about the county, feel free to reach out: 803-804-6017 or simply reply to this email. You can also follow me on Facebook for more updates.
🚧 Building a Long-Term Road Strategy for Lancaster County
Lancaster County is taking major steps to improve transportation and road infrastructure with a long-term strategy built around two major funding efforts:
1️⃣ State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) Grant – $43 Million
The County has applied for a $43 million grant from the South Carolina State Infrastructure Bank to fund widening of Highway 521 from the North Carolina state line to approximately Marvin Road.
- 🏗️ Local Match Requirement: $10 million from Lancaster County
- ⏳ Timing: We hope to hear soon if the grant is approved
- 📍 Impact: This would significantly relieve congestion on Indian Land’s busiest corridor
2️⃣ Transportation Sales Tax – On the Ballot Nov. 4
Council has approved a 1% transportation sales tax referendum, which will be on the November 4, 2025 ballot. If passed, it would raise $253 million over 10 years to fund specific road and intersection projects countywide.
🔍 What it Means for Indian Land:
- Highway 521 improvements (enhanced by SIB grant if awarded)
- Harrisburg Road Improvements
- Henry Harris Road Improvements
- Barberville Road Improvements
Combined with the state grant, this could allow Highway 521 widening and improvements to stretch nearly 8 miles, while also upgrading secondary roads. The total allocation is 98 million dollars for Hwy 521, Henry Harris, Barberville and Harrisburg with the strong prospects of matching funds from the state for these projects.
🛣️ Other Areas of the County Benefit Too:
- City of Lancaster road resurfacing
- Van Wyck, Heath Springs, and Kershaw road improvements
- Safer intersections and new connectors throughout rural areas
💵 Why This Matters:
- 🏛️ No property tax dollars go to roads in South Carolina
- 📉 State funding is extremely limited, especially for secondary roads
- ✅ These two funding mechanisms—the sales tax + SIB grant—are critical to addressing Lancaster County’s infrastructure needs
📬 Coming in September:
We’ll break down the full project list and present key arguments for and against the sales tax so you can make an informed decision at the polls on November 4th.
📑 Development Items for Lancaster County
Planning Commission – August 19, 2025
Check out agenda for full details of each item including staff reports and project details.
🏛 Policy / Rezoning Items
(Require Planning Commission recommendation → Council action)
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TA-2025-1306 (Text Amendment – MUSC / Lowe’s Signage)
- Expands wall sign size for large grocery stores and regional hospitals (up to 400 sq ft per wall).
- Impact: Sets countywide precedent; increases visibility for large facilities, especially in MX, RMX, INS, IMX districts.
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DA-2025-1506 (Development Agreement – Arbor Meadows, 92 lots) South of Lancaster
- Formalizes terms for previously approved MDR subdivision.
- Impact: Legal certainty; no change in unit count.
🏘 Subdivision Plats (“By Right”)
(UDO compliance review only – no rezoning needed; Council does not re-vote land use policy)
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MXU-2023-1492 (Stock Lane – 240 units) Hwy 160 and Barberville Rd
- 96 townhomes + 144 apartments, 54 acres.
- Key Issues: Only 1 access for >100 units, pond fill stability, traffic impact analysis.
- ✅ By Right: Already MXU-zoned. Must meet UDO standards.
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SD-2024-1350 (Riverside Manor – 133 lots / 251 acres, RN)Riverside RD
- Large-lot rural subdivision.
- Key Issues: School capacity, stream crossing permits, turn lanes.
- ✅ By Right: RN zoning allows 1-acre lots. Compliance-driven.
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SD-2023-0677 (Edgewater Phase 9 – 155 townhomes, PDD)South of Lancaster
- New phase in approved PDD.
- Key Issues: Parking adequacy, traffic study consistency.
- ✅ By Right: Within PDD standards. Technical compliance only.
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SD-2025-0771 (Howard Properties – 32 lots / 50 acres, RN)Henry Harris Rd
- 1-acre rural lots, septic system.
- Key Issues: Fire access, traffic review, septic approvals.
- ✅ By Right: RN zoning permits; depends on meeting health/safety standards.
⚖️ By Right vs. Policy Decisions
- By Right Subdivisions (Stock Lane, Riverside Manor, Edgewater, Howard Properties) do not change land use policy. Developers already have the zoning; Planning Commission ensures technical compliance with the UDO (access, septic, TIA, school review).
- Policy Items (rezonings, text amendments, development agreements) are where Council and PC shape land use rules and precedents.
- After many developments since 2021 have been denied north of Hwy #5, developers are starting to develop projects that avoid rezoning and County Council decisions.
📌 Note: As expected, seeing significant development interest/pressure on Riverside Rd, Old Hickory Rd and 521 from City of Lancaster to Hwy 5. Stayed tuned. The next few months will be important!
How to Share Your Input
Thanks to quite a few people over the last 8 months that have either contacted me directly about issues that were important to them. Several have spoken at a public meeting or submitted citizen comments. It is really important and I appreciate it.
Want to voice your opinion on county issues? Here’s how:
1️⃣ Speak at a County Meeting
- Arrive early and sign up to speak at the door.
- You’ll have 3 minutes to address a topic on the agenda.
- Note: Council members can listen but cannot engage in discussion during public comments.
2️⃣ Submit a Public Comment Electronically
3️⃣ Email County Council Members Directly
📩 Contact Council Members:
📍 District 1 – Stuart Graham:smgraham@lancastercountysc.gov
📍 District 2 – Charlene McGriff:cmcgriff@comporium.net
📍 District 3 – Billy Mosteller:bmosteller@lancastercountysc.gov
📍 District 4 – Jose Luis:jluis@lancastercountysc.gov
📍 District 5 – Steve Harper:steveharper@lancastercountysc.gov
📍 District 6 – Bryant Neal:bneal@lancastercountysc.gov
📍 District 7 – Bryan Carnes:briancarnes@lancastercountysc.gov
📌 Tips for Effective Public Commenting:
✔️ Be respectful and concise. Avoid personal attacks.
✔️ State your position clearly (support/oppose) and provide facts.
✔️ Keep it under 3 minutes. You don’t need to be a great speaker—just be direct.
Stay Informed on County Meetings
📬 Want meeting updates in your inbox? Sign up here to receive agendas and documents before each meeting.
📺 Missed a meeting? Watch past sessions here.
Thank you for staying engaged in our community!
Best,
Stuart
P.S.
Here are two experimental ways to catch up on August 11th County Council Meeting. Let me know what you think. You will be prompted to sign into google after you click the link. Full disclosure: these are AI generated based on the You Tube video of the meeting.
Audio Version
Video Version