Lancaster County Newsletter
August County Council Update
UDO • Growth • Roads • Regional Park
There is a lot happening in Lancaster County right now, but the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is the most important item to understand.
The UDO establishes many of the rules that determine how and where future development occurs in unincorporated Lancaster County. After several years of work, the rewrite is now moving into the final adoption process.
📖 Review the Proposed UDO
Lancaster County has had its current UDO since 2016. The new UDO does not stop growth, but it does change many of the standards that future residential and commercial development will have to follow. The full draft UDO is a long document—nearly 700 pages—so I don’t expect most people to read it cover to cover. I do encourage you to click the link below and review the County’s summary of the major changes and FAQs, which provide a much easier way to understand what is being proposed. Checking out the table of contents on the draft UDO is a good approach to focus in on the items that are most important to you.
You can also comment directly on the draft online or share your thoughts at any of the upcoming Planning Commission or County Council meetings.
Check out FAQ for UDO
Review the Proposed UDO
Below is a simple breakdown of what is changing, what is not changing, and the timeline from here.
🌳 More Open Space in New Neighborhoods
Major residential subdivisions would be required to provide more open space for neighborhood residents. The new UDO creates a conservation subdivision option in Low Density Residential (LDR) and Rural Neighborhood (RN) zoning intended to preserve rural character and environmentally sensitive land while lowering residential density. Page 322 in draft UDO.
🌲 Stronger Buffers and Landscaping
Landscaping and buffer requirements would increase in several areas, particularly along major highway corridors (HWY 521 and Hwy 160). The goal is to create better separation between different land uses and reduce the visual impact of new commercial development. (Hwy Corridor Overlay District - Page 45)
🚗 Better Access Management Along Major Roads
The proposed UDO increases the required spacing between access points within the Highway Corridor Overlay. This is particularly important along Highway 521, where having too many driveways and entrances can negatively affect both traffic flow and safety.
🛣️ Better Connectivity Between Developments
New developments would have stronger requirements for connections to adjoining developments and roads. The idea is that residents should not always have to enter a major highway simply to travel between neighboring developments or businesses.
🏢 New Business & Technology Zoning
A new Business and Technology zoning district is proposed to encourage office, technology and similar economic-development uses that can be more compatible with nearby residential and commercial areas.
🏘️ A Better Approach to Mixed-Use Development
One of the biggest changes in the new UDO is moving away from the County’s existing Mixed-Use zoning districts.
In practice, those districts were rarely, used as intended. Developers generally chose either Regional Business zoning for commercial projects or a separate residential zoning district for housing. The result was that the County was not really getting the thoughtfully planned mixture of homes, businesses, open space and amenities that “mixed-use” zoning was supposed to encourage.
The new UDO replaces that approach with a Planned Development District (PDD) option.
A PDD allows a developer to bring forward a complete plan showing how residential, commercial, roads, open space, buffers and other features will work together. That gives the County a much better opportunity to evaluate the entire project rather than simply assigning a broad zoning category.
I believe this is a significant improvement. It creates the opportunity for smarter, better-planned development while giving the County and surrounding residents a clearer picture of what is actually being proposed before it is approved.
What the New UDO Does Not Do
There are a few important things to understand.
The UDO does not automatically rezone your property. The base zoning designation on existing property will generally remain the same.
The primary zoning-map change is an expansion of the Highway Corridor Overlay, including extending it farther south along Highway 521 toward the City of Lancaster and adding part of Highway 9. The overlay creates additional standards for commercial development and does not apply to single-family residential development.
The UDO also does not solve traffic by itself. It can require better road design, driveway spacing, connectivity, sidewalks and improvements associated with new development, but major highway improvements still require funding and coordination with SCDOT.
That distinction is important. The UDO gives Lancaster County better tools to manage future development, but roads, impact fees, Fire/EMS capacity and other infrastructure issues still have to be addressed separately. Stay tuned on impact fees.
📅 UDO Timeline — What Happens Next?
The current adoption schedule is:
- August 18 — Planning Commission
- September 14 — County Council First Reading
- September 28 — County Council Second Reading
- October 12 — County Council Third Reading
The Planning Commission will review the proposed UDO and make a recommendation to County Council. Council will then begin the formal three-reading adoption process. Public comment remains available throughout the process.
This is an important process. These rules will affect development decisions throughout unincorporated Lancaster County for years to come, so I encourage residents who are interested in growth and development to review the proposed UDO and stay involved.
🛑 Housing Moratorium Extended
County Council has approved a 90-day extension of the residential development moratorium in the northern portion of Lancaster County. The original moratorium was put in place to give the County time to complete the UDO rewrite and address growth-related planning issues.
I supported extending the moratorium because it makes little sense to allow the moratorium to expire before the new development rules are adopted. The current schedule should allow the moratorium and the UDO adoption process to line up much more closely. The County currently expects the new UDO to take effect around the same time the moratorium expires in November.
🏬 71-Acre Highway 521 / Laurel Hill Road Rezoning
County Council gave final approval to the approximately 71-acre rezoning near Highway 521 and Laurel Hill Road at the August 10 meeting. The property is located between Aldi and Parkstone and across Highway 521 from The Retreat.
This project has been discussed for several months and underwent changes during the process. I ultimately remained opposed to the rezoning. My concerns throughout the discussion have focused primarily on traffic, infrastructure and the cumulative impact of continued development along Highway 521.
I appreciate the additional commitments that were negotiated during the process. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was a great approach by the developer to ensure that the promises made will be kept.
Check out Page 5 to read the MOU
⚾ Regional Park — Construction Is Starting
After several years of planning, construction on the new Lancaster County Regional Park is moving forward.
The current design includes three turf baseball fields, three soccer fields, batting facilities, a splash pad, community space and approximately 750 parking spaces. Contractor mobilization is expected to begin in August, with a groundbreaking planned for August 25 at noon.
This is a major investment in recreation for the entire county. As Lancaster County continues to grow, having quality parks and recreational facilities for families, youth sports and tournaments is increasingly important. The Regional Park has been in development for several years. County Council first established the framework for the project in 2020, design work began in early 2022, and Council approved the current $34.7 million project budget in 2023.
Check out minute 2:45 for the most recent presentation on the regional park.
🚦 Highway 5 / Riverside Road / Rebound Road
SCDOT is considering improvements at the intersection of Highway 5, Riverside Road and Rebound Road. This intersection has been a significant safety concern, and SCDOT is evaluating an intersection improvement that includes a roundabout concept. Please try to attend if this is an important route for you.
Public Information Meeting
Thursday, August 27
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Van Wyck Elementary School
This is an excellent opportunity for residents who travel Highway 5 regularly to see the proposed improvements, ask questions and provide feedback directly to SCDOT.
Click here to see the proposal. You can also provide feedback directly to SCDOT by clicking the "start" button at the bottom of the proposal page.
🎭 Around Lancaster County-Community Events
I frequently hear people say that Lancaster County doesn't have culture. I disagree. There are some great arts and cultural events happening across the county over the next two months, and I encourage you to check them out.
🎨 Art & Soul @ The Ivy Place
The Lancaster County Council of the Arts will hold its annual fundraiser on Thursday, September 17, from 6:00–9:00 PM at The Ivy Place in Van Wyck.
The Council of the Arts supports arts education for children and adults, promotes local artists, helps bring public art into communities across Lancaster County, and supports concerts, exhibits, camps and other cultural programs.
The evening includes a Cocktail Garden Party, live painting by local artists, a family-style dinner by Roots Catering, and music and dancing with the StarDusters Big Band. This will be an amazing event—grab a few friends and come enjoy a fun evening together supporting a great organization.
Tickets: $75 individual | $140 for two | $800 table of eight
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
🎻 Historic Lancaster Music Festival — August 27–30
The Lancaster Cultural Arts Center in downtown Lancaster will host the Historic Lancaster Music Festival, featuring three days of live classical and chamber music performances by accomplished regional and guest musicians. Concerts are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon at the Cultural Arts Center on West Gay Street. You can purchase individual night tickets or the full package.
Bonus: Check out Lazy Birds concert on Sept 5th. Fantastic!
Click here for festival information and tickets.
🏛️ Smithsonian “Americans” Exhibit — Opens August 22
USC Lancaster's Native American Studies Center will host Americans, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. The exhibit explores how images and stories about Native Americans have shaped American history and culture, with opening-day activities scheduled for Saturday, August 22.
Learn more about the exhibit and upcoming events.
🏺 Lancaster County Pottery Tour — September 26
The 10th Annual Lancaster County Pottery Tour will be held Saturday, September 26, from 10:00 AM–5:00 PM. This free event gives visitors an opportunity to travel throughout Lancaster County, visit local pottery studios, meet artists and see their work. Simply travel to each address to meet the artist and check out their studio. Great way to explore Lancaster County!
Click here for more information on the Pottery Tour.
Thank you to everyone who continues to reach out, ask questions and stay involved.
Lancaster County is growing, and the decisions being made right now about development, transportation, Fire/EMS, parks and infrastructure will have an impact for many years. I believe we need to manage that growth carefully and make sure infrastructure and public services are part of the conversation—not something we try to catch up on later.
If you have questions, concerns or ideas, feel free to reply to this email or contact me directly.
Stuart Graham
Lancaster County Council — District 1
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👥 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.
Thank you for your continued engagement and support.
I’m grateful to serve the county I grew up in and love—and I’m always open to your questions, ideas, and concerns.
Best,
Stuart
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