Residents buying land to save greenspace in fast-growing York County

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — York County residents who have been overwhelmed by growth and development in the area are currently buying vacant land to save as green space.

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Growth in York County -- mostly in the Lake Wylie and Clover areas -- has exploded with a population growth of about 25% since 2010.

The residents’ first purchase was in the Lake Wylie area and they have plans for 87 acres of land.

“I think it’s the smartest growth management we could do as a community,” said Allison Love, York County district member, District 2.

Late last year, residents in the Bethel-Lake Wylie area voted to increase their own taxes, which created a special tax district to purchase and save greenspaces, like on Highway 557 in Clover.

“We have so many homes, so many high-density developments,” Love said. “Our schools are full and need some places to go. We need to save some land and this is a key parcel. This 87 acres is iconic in our area and I think it just deserved our attention.”

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The Bethel-Lake Wylie land acquisition and preservation park district closed on the property last week. The land will be preserved as greenspace and used for recreation only -- things like hiking and festivals.

Love said the idea isn’t to stop growth but to control it in a way that will preserve greenspace for decades.

“Hopefully, this grows into more things like this countywide and throughout South Carolina,” Love said.

It was a $4.3 million purchase, and the community plans to buy more land. The tax district has a cap of $20 per year per $100,000 for an owner-occupied home, which equates to $60 on a $300,000 home.

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A five-person board oversees the funds and projects. Washington, D.C.-native Veronica Ouderkirk voted in favor of the tax district and said she moved to the area for the small-town atmosphere. However, she has not been pleased with the massive increase in people, traffic, homes and other development.

“Hopefully, it will attract people to the area for the purpose of seeing more greenspace but not actually building more,” Ouderkirk said.

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The property will be known as a wood-end farm and it could open for recreational purposes by next month.

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