Few places grow like Lancaster County. Plans for another 2,500 homes show why that is

Lancaster County has the highest growth rate among the seven counties surrounding Charlotte in Mecklenburg County, and there’s no reason to think it will slow down soon. Instead, growth will branch out into new places.

Just this year, there have been land purchases, plan submissions, county approvals and new home announcements that could combine for more than 2,500 new homes. The number of residences already approved but not yet built in Lancaster County is several times that number.

While there’s plenty of growth expected in the Indian Land area, there’s a transition occurring where new home construction is shifting south within the county.

Lennar moves forward with new neighborhood

This month, national homebuilder Lennar updated plans for the massive Roselyn neighborhood near Lancaster. Model homes will open and sales will begin this summer. Roselyn will have about 1,800 homes.

It’s billed as an active adult community for seniors. Lennar will build three designs, all single-story. Homes will range from 1,400 square feet to more than 3,500 square feet.

Roselyn will have a pool and clubhouse, plus a fitness center, pickleball courts, dog park and trails.

Rock Hill developer Warren Norman Co. and Lennar asked Lancaster County to rezone three properties that include the Roselyn site in 2018. Those parcels combine for almost 1,800 acres.

In summer 2019, Lennar submitted plans to Lancaster County for the almost 1,400-acre Roselyn project on U.S. 521, between West North Corner and Shiloh Unity roads. Those plans showed 1,850 homes — about half the number the city of Lancaster had at the time.

Roselyn growth is significant in size but also location.

For more than a decade, the noticeable majority of new home construction has come in the Indian Land panhandle. Roselyn, along with the ongoing Edgewater project, brings that new construction south along Charlotte Highway.

Lynwood and Wellspring developments proposed

It isn’t just Roselyn.

This week alone, Lancaster County decisions could start the process to bring hundreds more homes here. Two large projects come to the planning commission for rezoning, before Lancaster County Council makes a final decision in coming months.

Upstate Palmetto Holdings and B&C Land Holdings out of Monroe, North Carolina, asked to rezone two properties at almost 125 acres. They’re at 2417 and 2421 Lynwood Drive, south of Lancaster. The Lynwood subdivision there would have 303 homes.

The site is a large, undeveloped hole between residential properties off Lynwood Drive to the west and McIlwain Road to the east. The site has two large ponds and wetlands that new homes would be built around, according to a sketch plan.

B&C Land Holdings bought the properties in October for almost $1.3 million.

What were the top single-family home sales around Rock Hill in 2023? Here’s the rundown

The Wellspring development is a smaller proposal. It also has several issues — such as road connection and floodplains — that county planning staff identified in recommending against a rezoning to allow it.

The almost 54-acre property is a mile south of the South Potter Road and Flat Creek Road intersection. It’s near Kirk Air Base, opposite the earthen dam on Beaver Creek. The site is southeast of Lancaster, almost at the center of Lancaster County.

Wellspring Carolina Investments out of Matthews, North Carolina, bought the property for almost $90,000 in 2014. The tilted hourglass-shaped site would have 59 new homes, all on the top portion away from streams through the southern portion.

Land sales, subdivision proposals in Lancaster County

Several other projects so far this year could lead to even more homes, including:

▪ The county planning commission approved a 78-home plan in February on Asbury Lane in Indian Land. Empire Communities submitted plans for the 92-acre site at Possum Hollow and Old Bailes Road. The subdivision would have two entrances on Old Bailes and possible connections to neighboring roads like Estates Avenue. Those connections would involve properties that aren’t in the existing plan, and aren’t owned by the developer.

▪ The Sands at Kershaw is now a 39-acre proposal for 71 homes, on land once envisioned for worker housing at the nearby Haile Gold Mine. County planners denied prior versions of the project at Fork Hill Road and Little Dude Avenue in Kershaw before revisions and a need for housing in that area gained support last month.

▪ In December, the planning commission gave conditional approvals to Pinnacle at Sunset Point in the Edgewater neighborhood, and the Cane Mill project on Sienna Lane south of Lancaster. Those projects combine for 36 new homes. They each had a deadline of Feb. 19 to meet utility and road conditions, but some issues were unresolved as of the following day. The projects may have to be resubmitted.

▪ Charlotte homebuilder Taylor Morrison bought Indian Land property off Harrisburg Road last month, in the Estates at Sugar Creek area. The Feb. 27 sale for $1.6 million included 11 land parcels on Baker Street and Calico Branch Road.

▪ Jasmine Hills was turned down by the county planning commission last month. That plan involved 75 homes on 34 acres on both sides of Pettus Road, where it meets Barberville Road in Indian Land. Traffic concerns on smaller roads near the site led to the denial, but it’s unclear if the project could come back with revisions and receive approval like The Sands at Kershaw did.

▪ In January, True Homes and B&C Land Holdings received approval for a new phase at Edgewater, near Lancaster. That plan involves 104 homes and 49 townhomes at Edgewater Parkway and Gateway Drive.

Where are all these people coming from? Here’s a breakdown of Rock Hill region growth

Long-range residential growth in Lancaster County

On March 25, Lancaster County Council will hold a public hearing on a new long-range plan called Lancaster 2040. That document gives more detail on what to expect from residential growth.

The plan cites South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office projections for population growth.

Those numbers show almost 130,000 residents by 2035, up 33.6% from 2020.

Of note, the trend line that gets the county to almost 130,000 shows about 107,000 residents next year. The county had more than 108,000 people as of summer last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released March 14.

Roselyn is one of two large developments that factor heavily into growth scenarios.

Edgewater is approved for 8,000 residents and covers about 2% of the entire county land area. Most of those residences haven’t been built yet.

The long-range plan shows how different the new projects like Roselyn and the buildout at Edgewater would be in a county that’s been dominated by Indian Land growth.

The county had a 57% growth rate from 2000 to 2020, according to the plan. The Indian Land panhandle north of Hwy. 5 grew 476% in that span, compared to 3% in greater or southern Lancaster, the plan shows.

Growth in the panhandle

Panhandle growth is likely to continue, too.

As of November there were 3,200 homes and 2,160 apartments approved by the county but not yet built — just in the panhandle. The county expects about 13,000 new residents just from those developments, according to the plan.

The long-range plan collected almost 2,000 responses in a survey of county residents.

Asked what concerned them most, residents picked growth and development was the top response at almost 29%. Traffic was the top concern for almost 28% of responses. Growth and traffic were the most popular pick for second biggest concern, too.

The survey found 63% of residents believe county growth is happening too fast. But with what’s allowed already, and a steady flow of new projects, a slowdown isn’t likely anytime soon.

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