York County has approved a controversial Light Industrial rezoning near Fort Mill, clearing the way for two massive warehouses along U.S. 21.
Council gave final approval Oct. 5 to rezone about 24 acres at U.S. 21 and Flint Hill Road. The property will now shift from General Commercial to Light Industrial despite opposition from nearby residents and the county’s own planning bodies.
The project would include 270,500 square feet of industrial space across two buildings. Plans show about 105 truck-loading docks between them.
County staff recommended denying the rezoning, and the Planning Commission also recommended denial. The county’s 2035 plan envisions residential and complementary development in the area instead of additional industrial uses.
Some residents raised concerns about truck traffic, noise, nearby homes and Flint Hill Baptist Church’s cemetery. Flint Hill Road remains a two-lane roadway and is not currently slated for widening. For other residents, the biggest concern is not simply the proposed warehouses – it’s what could happen later if another industrial use seeks to locate on the property.
Residents have pointed to York County’s corrupt dealings with Silfab, a Canadian chemical manufacturing operation that was ruled heavy industrial by the Board of Zoning Appeals before any permits were issued for their factory or chemical storage facilities.
Silfab’s chemical manufacturing operation plans on using over 1 million lbs of toxic and explosive chemicals next door to schools and homes, and the property they are renting is zoned Light Industrial, which expressly prohibits “chemical storage and treatment facilities”.
Council Added Restrictions
Council attempted to address some of those concerns for the Walmart property through deed restrictions.
The developer agreed to prohibit manufacturing, data centers, shooting ranges, crematories and several other industrial uses. Loading docks must face inward, and buildings must maintain roughly 250 feet of separation from adjoining properties.
The developer must also build several road improvements:
- A right-turn lane from U.S. 21 into the development
- A separate right-turn lane from U.S. 21 onto Flint Hill Road
- A right-turn lane from Flint Hill Road into the development
Council had previously required a traffic impact analysis before final approval. The project has now received the rezoning, although the county must still approve the developer’s traffic study before the project advances.
Rezoning Could Outlast the Current Proposal
Walmart owns the property and plans to sell it to SDP Charlotte LLC, an affiliate of Atlanta-based Strategic Real Estate Partners.
The agreement gives the parties 24 months to complete the sale. If the transaction does not close within that period, the property would revert to General Commercial zoning.
That safeguard applies to the sale, but residents remain focused on the broader zoning question.
After the prolonged Silfab fight, opponents say they are wary of relying only on what a developer currently promises to build. Their concern is whether future owners or corrupt county officials will be willing to follow York County’s Light Industrial zoning laws in the future.
