Lancaster County Newsletter
📬 January 2026
Development Updates – Administration Search – Infrastructure & Finance
Missed a county council meeting? - See below for recap:
January 12th, 2026.
🏗️ Major Residential Development: The Haven at North Corner
A significant new residential proposal—The Haven (formerly the Dooley Tract)—will come before County Council on January 26, 2026.
📍 Location: ~604 acres between Hwy 521 & Craig Farm Road
Proposal: Lennar Homes seeks to rezone the site from Rural Neighborhood (RN) to Medium Density Residential (MDR) with a Cluster Subdivision Overlay. Roughly 900 homes.
Highlights:
- Utilizes “cluster” design to preserve open space while increasing housing density
- Development Agreement (DA) to define infrastructure responsibilities and financial considerations will be heard and voted on as well.
Planning staff recommend approval based on its alignment with the Comprehensive Plan’s "Growth Area" designation.
Planning commission recommended denial due to infrastructure concerns.
Check out details from the October Planning Commission meeting. An updated packet will be available once the Jan 26th meeting is published here.
🏬 Indian Land Commercial: CF Smith / Harris Tracts
📍 Location: 71.1 acres at Hwy 521 & Laurel Hill Rd between the Aldi and Culvers.
Request: Rezone from Low Density Residential (LDR) to Regional Business (RB)
Vision: A new commercial hub with large-scale retail and outparcels
🗓️ This proposal (Case RZ-2025-2538) will proceed to Council to be heard on February 9th at 6pm
Check out details from the December Planning Commission meeting. An updated packet will be available once the February 9th meeting is published here.
⚠️ Please note: The current moratorium in place applies only to residential subdivisions — commercial projects like this are not affected. Residential moratorium goes essentially from Indian Land down the west (river side) of Hwy 521 to the City of Lancaster. The proposed Haven development is outside the moratorium area.
Your voice helps shape our community.
-
Planning Commission: Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 6:00 PM
- County Council: Monday, January 26, 2026 at 6:00 PM
- County Council: Monday, February 9th, 2026 at 6:00 PM
📍 Meetings at 101 N. Main Street, Lancaster, SC
📝 Want to comment online instead of in person?
🔗 Submit public comment electronically here
✅ Please comment — in person or electronically.
It's really easy — and complaining to others doesn't do much. Your voice matters in the public process.
🔗 Click here for the ways to voice your concerns or support. The link will provide contact info and ways to speak up effectively including ways to submit comments electronically.
🚧 Roads: Connecting with SC DOT
Several of you have started reaching out directly to SC DOT about concerns on Highway 521 and other state-maintained roads — thank you!
To help you navigate SC DOT, here’s a quick resource guide:
🔗 Click here to access SC DOT tools and contact info
📣 Big picture: There are proposals at the State House right now that could bring major changes to how SC DOT operates. If you have strong opinions about how roads are funded, maintained, or improved in South Carolina — now is the time to speak up.
Click here for news articles discussing the proposals.
🧭 Not sure who your state representative is?
🔗 Click here to find your SC House or Senate rep and contact info
🧭 County Administrator Search Underway
Following the departure of Dennis Marstall, Steve Willis—who previously served in the role from 2007 to 2021—is now serving as Interim County Administrator to ensure continuity of operations.
In January, Council voted to engage Find Great People, a professional executive search firm, to lead the search for Lancaster County’s next permanent Administrator.
To guide this process, Council appointed a search subcommittee made up of council members:
- Jose Luis, Brian Carnes, Charlene McGriff, Bryant Neal
This team will work with the search firm to:
- Develop a detailed profile of the ideal candidate
- Conduct stakeholder outreach to understand leadership priorities
- Oversee the recruitment, screening, and interview process
⏳ Timeline: The full process—from profile development through candidate selection—is expected to take 12 to 16 weeks.
Lancaster County operates under the Council–Administrator form of government, where the Administrator serves as the Chief Administrative Officer, managing day-to-day operations, executing Council’s policy direction, and overseeing county departments.
Stay tuned for updates as the recruitment phase progresses of this very important role to the future of Lancaster County.
📘 Unified Development Ordinance Ad-Hoc Committee
Work continues on the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) rewrite. Council members Jose Luis, Steve Harper and myself are leading weekly meetings with citizens and staff to refine zoning and land-use policy. This document is critical to strengthen how properties are developed in Lancaster County. Also critical to have the document in place prior to the residential moratorium is lifted in the Indian Land area. Once the document is drafted, the citizens will have opportunities to weigh in prior to going to County Council for a vote.
🗂️ Annual Strategic Planning Session
On January 21st and January 29th, Lancaster County Council will hold its annual two-day strategic session focused on:
- 🚧 Project and capital improvement planning
- 🎯 Prioritizing long-term county needs
- 💵 Reviewing fund allocations for the next fiscal year
This session is an important step each year to help set direction for County staff as they begin developing the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1st. It ensures that budget planning aligns with Council’s goals and the community’s most pressing infrastructure and service needs.
Curious? Click here to see agenda for the January 21st meeting.
📈 Financial Health & Transparency
Lancaster County received a clean/unmodified audit opinion for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 — the highest level of assurance available from independent auditors.
Key Highlights:
- 💰 General Fund balance grew by $14 million, reaching a total of $90 million.
- 🛡️ County now holds 10 months of operating reserves, indicating strong financial stability and preparedness
- The County maintains high credit ratings—AA- from S&P and Aa1 from Moody’s.
📊 Into the numbers and trends?
Check out pages 117–124 of the audit report for a 10 year look at several different categories
- Page 124 shows millage rates across all taxing entities in Lancaster County.
- Notably, while taxable property value has increased substantially, the county operations millage — which funds services like public safety and core government functions — has remained flat for 10 years.
✍️ Editorial note: As the county continues to grow, we must focus on being more efficient on general fund spending. The good news: Lancaster County is in a solid financial position — with options. The big challenge to figure out- how to fund capital needs like roads, fire support, etc.
🔗 View the Full Audit Report
🔗 Watch the Meeting Recap Item 6A- Hear from the audit firm directly (Click the timestamp to jump to this specific topic on the You Tube Video.)
✈️ Did You Know? McWhirter Field
Lancaster County has its own airport!
✈️ Lancaster County Airport – McWhirter Field
Located just outside the City of Lancaster, McWhirter Field (LKR) is a county-owned public airport.
- Originally developed in the 1970s, the airport has grown into a modern general aviation facility.
- Features a 6,004-foot paved runway, serving private and corporate aircraft.
- Hosts thousands of takeoffs and landings annually, including medical and business flights. No commercial flights
- In September 2025, the County celebrated the grand opening of a new $7.2 million terminal, replacing a facility that had served the region for over 50 years.
⚠️ While the airport holds great potential for economic development and general aviation, it has struggled in recent years to demonstrate value to taxpayers. This will be a key area of focus for County Council moving forward.
The airport simply cannot continue to operate as it does today.
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.
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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