City Council - Regular Meeting

Welcome everyone. It's our tradition at the city of Rock Hill prior to gabbling and meeting and to have a short prayer. Tonight, council member Nikita Jackson is gonna lead us and you're welcome to join us if you'd like.

Dear heavenly father, we come before you asking for your many blessings, asking for your guidance, and offering understanding to the business that we will have to conduct on behalf of the city of Rock Hill and the citizens that reside. Lord, please give us a mind of wisdom, understanding, and peace so that we can go about your business and make sure that we're making the best decision for the people that we're serving, your people. All these blessings I ask you in most holy and all god's name. Amen. Amen.

Call this meeting of Monday, 05/11/2026 to order. Please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, we'll move on to item 3A. Recognizing our Rock Hill, Inside Rock Hill graduates, Leslie and team, I'll meet you up front.

There we go.

Thank you. Good evening, mayor and council. Oh, we have now completed the forty fourth session of Inside Rock Hill. Of course, Inside Rock Hill is the city's free civics course that covers all aspects of the city's operations and gives residents an inside look at how the city of Rock Hill functions and operates. Tonight, 26 graduates, will be presented tonight, and they have all completed the requirements for graduation. Of that, seven are graduating with honors as well. We now have a total of 990 alumni here inside Rock Hill. Wow. It's been a round of class. Yeah.

Mister mayor, will you help me present the certificates tonight?

Happy to.

Thank you. The graduates are as follows. Renee Alexander, who is not present today, Annette Anderson.

Lynn

Anderson. Ann Marie Blackman.

Hope you

had a

good time.

Ann Cathcart.

Congratulations.

Joyce Cherry.

Congratulations.

Carol Clark, who cannot be with us tonight.

Congratulations.

Dave Cole, with honors. Sharon Cole with honors.

Better Cole.

Better cold. Right?

Yes. Don Dixon.

Congratulations. Thank you.

Dunham Junior.

You good? Yes, Congratulations.

Sunny Hodge, who cannot join us tonight. Cynthia Hunt, with honors. Sarah Lewis with honors who cannot join us tonight. Gwen McMillan.

Yes, ma'am.

Gwen.

Gwen, yes. Laura Milani who cannot join us tonight. Ms. Josephine Pearson. Nikki Perlowich.

Celeste Prange with honors. Greg Prange with honors. Charles Schwartz with honors.

Yes, sir.

Christine

Candace Thompson. Linda Warner. And last but certainly not least, Marlene Williamson.

Alright.

I like the way you finish.

Thank

you. I present to you the class of spring twenty twenty six.

Alright.

Alright. Miles. Wow. Congratulations.

Capture. Capture.

Thank you. Thank you.

Leslie, congratulations on another great class. Alright. Check. Linda, good to see you. She's not disappointed. Ann Marie, now? Honors. Honors. Highest honors. Okay.

We'll move on to item item three b. Recognize May 2026 as National Police Week and proclaim 05/15/2026 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, lieutenant Chavis. I believe there's a resolution right up there.

Yes, sir. It is. Mayors, members of council, city management, I just wanna thank everybody on behalf of the chief who had a hand in issuing this proclamation. National Police Week is May of this year, and is a time set aside to recognize the honor and sacrifices of law enforcement officers to the communities they serve with Peace Officers Memorial Day being May 15 of every year. It's a day that is set to remember the officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

And at this time, I will read the four names of our officers who gave that sacrifice. Officer Steven Wade and Jordan, end of watch 12/31/1975. Detective William Bill Singleton, end of watch, 11/09/1968. Officer Robert Morris McFadden, 11/03/1933. Officer Robert G Johnson, 01/19/1906. So, again, thank everybody who issued this proclamation and thank you for supporting our police department.

Lieutenant, thank you and for all the officers wearing a badge or otherwise at at the department for all you do for our people every day.

Thank you.

Since it's a proclamation, mayor,

you can take a vote on that.

Okay. So it is a proclamation. So is there a motion? So moved. Second. We have a motion, second. Any discussion? I think we've had plenty questions. Hearing and seeing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved. Thank you again, lieutenant. Alright. We'll move on to item three c, proclaim May '20 04/2026 as National Public Works Week. So move for approval. Second. We have a motion, second. Any discussion? Questions? Hearing and seeing none, in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? Approve. Brian.

Good evening, mayor, council, management. We want to thank you guys for honoring and recognizing public works professionals for Public Works Week. Next week, we're also going to have our backhoe rodeo on May 19 over at Manchester Meadows. We want to invite you guys out to attend and kind of see the demonstration of the skills of our public works professionals but in addition to that, you know, we just appreciate the recognition. We thank you guys for everything. I know sometimes the work we do feels unseen by our employees. So, this proclamation really means a lot.

Well, it means a lot to us and you are always seen when it's most important and for that, we're thankful, Brian, for you and your whole team.

Thank you.

Thank you. Alright. Move on to item four. Consider approving minutes of the special session of 04/27/2026.

So move for approval. Second.

I have a motion to second. Any discussion, questions, hearing, and seeing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved. Five a, consider an ordinance for abandonment of storm water and drainage rights of way and easements on property located on Plathtop Road in the city of Rock Hill, mister Dillingham.

Mayor, members of council, this is is a correction of a previously recorded easement, which included stormwater. All the storm water in this development is, as you can see from the slide, there's been more development than than the picture shows. But all the storm water is private, so this ordinance enables the city to abandon the the private storm water back to back to the owner.

Any questions? Answering questions you may have. Any questions for Paul?

Let's switch. So move for first reading.

Second. Second.

We have

a motion and a second. Any discussion? Questions? Hearing and seeing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved. We'll move on to item six. Consider planning commission recommendation six a. Consider planning commission recommendation on petition MDash2026DashO4 by Trinity Baptist Church to rezone a price only 1.9 acres, including right of way at 80281681882822, and 822 And A Half Crawford Road in eight fifteen Taylor Street from single family residential four, s f four, and neighborhood commercial n c to office and institutional OI.

That's tax parcels 60014010042009 and 600141011. Shout out.

Alright. Good evening, council. So, these properties on the South Side of the city located directly across the street from Emmett Scott Center. It is comprised of seven parcels that are owned by Trinity Baptist Church. The request is to rezone the property from neighborhood commercial to office institutional, OI.

The request also includes some SF4. That's just because we're including the property within the right of way and also within the right of way of the road. So, if you remember back in 2023, city council rezone Emmett Scott Center to OI following a setback issue and then in 2025, rezone property to the west side of the Emmett Scott Center for parking lot addition for the McGirt Auditorium renovation and then also the property that's to the east of this one that's being shown as OI. So, all these properties are zoned OI except for the ones that the church is on. So, the church owns c seven parcels again.

What they would do is just simply rezone them from neighborhood commercial to OI so that they all have the same uniform zoning and combine them with the property that is within the parking lot to the east. So, I've tried to draw on some land hooks on here to kinda indicate that all these properties we would be combined except for the one that's numbered as number seven. The church owns that. It's developed with a single family home that they rent out on a long term basis. For that reason, that would remain just a stand alone lot just in the event that the church would like to sell it in the future or something of that nature.

As far as the Planning Commission meeting, we had Planning Commission last Tuesday, May 5. There was little discussion. One of the Planning Commission members just asked for clarification on why that one lot wouldn't be combined with the rest, and it was just because, again, they just wish for it to be a standalone lot in the event that they sell it in the future. And with that, staff and planning commission recommend approval of the 0 And I Zoning District.

Any questions for Sean? So just so I understand, the one the how the lot with the house is being zoned OI or not?

It is being zoned OI. It just won't be combined with the others.

So, if they sold that house, do you have to do a rezoning?

No, the OO, the OI allows for single family detached.

I guess I was thinking OI was more for churches and schools. That was the only people that we zone OI for. So, if they weren't the owner out, I wasn't sure if it could be OI zoning. Okay. Agree with that or?

I don't know the answer offhand but I said it's it's red.

Single family residential pretty much allowed in most everything but we'll double check

for a second.

No. So.

Oh, I'm sorry. It's allowed in OI. The single family detached is allowed in OI. They're just rezoning it that way. That way, everything is rezoned or has the same zoning but just leaving it out of the recombination in the event that they would sell it in the future.

It's the selling that I was thinking, oh, I was either a church or a school or a city property when we set that zoning district up. So.

There are other there are some other uses that are allowed that include single family.

I I move to accept the Planning Commission recommendation.

Thank you. Motion is second. Any discussion? Questions? Hearing and seeing none. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approve six b ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance of the city of Rock Hill code by making certain changes in an official zoning map affecting approximately 1.9 acres located on Crawford Road from Neighborhood Commercial NC and single family residential 4 S F 4 to office institutional OI. So move for first reading. Second. The motion is second. Any discussion, questions? Hearing and seeing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye.

Any opposed? Approved. We'll move on to item six c, consider Planning Commission recommendation on petition t Dash2026DashO1 by the Rock Hill City Manager to amend zoning ordinance standards related to chapter four Primary uses to remove the flex space uses and allowed use within the general commercial GC zoning district. Dennis Fields.

Thank you, mister mayor, council members. The flex space use is an industrial use type in our zoning ordinance and it's permitted use in general commercial. And so general commercial does have a a wide range of of allowed uses that are in there. It is a zoning district that we are looking to phase out over time. And recently, the city's received an influx of these along major corridors, which is kind of unique.

We haven't seen that kind of request recently along like Cherry Road, Anderson Road, portions of Riverview Road. And a lot of the areas that are zoned general commercial are located near like Winthrop University, residential homes, or other incompatible uses. And so just kinda wanna show a quick map of, you know, general area around Cherry Road, Anderson Road. Most of those red areas are zoned to general commercial. There are a few neighborhood commercial along like Celanese, but those are areas that are closer to Winthrop.

They're closer to residential behind them, that kind of thing. And as we started getting some of these questions, we took a look and thought, you know, it might be an opportunity to actually remove this. And and then if they want to use that property for flex space, they can definitely come to you all, ask for rezoning, and if it's appropriate still, I think that that'd be fine to to go through the rezoning request. But we took a look at that. So this amendment be fairly simple.

It'd be just removing that letter out of the box under GC there, so it'd be removing p. It still would be allowed in community commercial with a special exception or those other districts that have a p, which is CI, downtown, IB, IGA would also allow for flex space. We just thought it would be kind of incompatible to neighborhoods and other things since these tend to have more like contractors' offices and other things that are in there that have some storage uses, some freight, sometimes some even some storage of of work vehicles and things like that which doesn't really isn't super compatible with other retail and service uses that you'd find in some of those corridors. We advertised these proposed amendments in the Herald sent it to local developers and the vast to be a part of that process. Didn't see or hear any involvement from them.

No people came and spoke at the public hearing at the Planning Commission. I guess we did receive one email from just asking what other districts they would still be allowed, so we shared that same chart with them. But other than that, we didn't hear any other public feedback even at the Planning Commission. So, with that, staff and Planning Commission recommend approval as proposed.

Any questions for Dennis? So, move to accept the Planning Commission recommendation. No.

We have a motion to second. Discussion, questions, hearing and seeing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved. Item six d is ordinance to amend the zoning orders for the city of Rock Hill code chapter four land use primary uses concerning flex space uses.

So move for first reading. Second.

Motion is second. Any discussion, questions, hearing, and seeing none. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved six e, consider planning commission recommendation on petition TDash2026DashO2 by the Rock Hill City Manager to amend the zoning ordinance standards related chapter four primary uses to create standards for THC product sales. Mister Fields.

Thank you, mister mayor. This one is in relation to a a bill that's going through the South Carolina legislature right now. They're working on some regulations that could potentially be from hemp derived THC products. The staff identified a need to maybe proactively identify these uses before they become clusters along major corridors within Rock Hill or even in the downtown Similar to we do with other use types that require some separation and some other regulations in order to kind of make sure there's not three or four of these things that are primarily selling THC products in one area. And so the amendments would include creating this THC product type use, defining that as businesses that sell over 50% of their gross sales as THC products.

So we think of like a almost like a dispensary type of look to that to that business model. And then having a some modifications to the primary use table to allow them in general commercial and industry general as a special exception only. So they still have to go through that zoning board of appeals process. And then meeting these other use specific standards which would be similar to other uses that we have in the city requiring them to be in multi tenant buildings, separation of a thousand square feet from other same use and then within or separating from at least 300 feet from residential religious institution, daycare, schools, public parks, and then that would also be on the list of not eligible for reduction similar to some of the other uses in our code. We did advertise again as of these proposed amendments sent them to local developers asking for some feedback, did not receive any feedback.

We had some general questions at the planning commission regarding that, you know, they were wondering we didn't have a lot of this type of use right now, but we were explaining that this is a proactive approach so we don't have that type of an issue later on. So, with that planning commission and staff recommend approval, happy to answer any questions.

Many questions for Dennis.

So moved to approve the to accept the planning commission recommendation.

Second. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Dennis, just just from because it's stuck. The 300 feet, the two the third bullet point said no reduction. It's talking about it can't be less than a thousand nor reduced for the 300 for Correct. Church and schools.

Okay. In certain cases, we allow for reduction. Right. Those are zoning board appeals. This would not be one of those.

You can't go to the ZBA for that. That's correct. Okay. Perfect. Any further discussion?

Yes, I was just going to ask Dennis. Are there any places now that are grandfathered in that this wouldn't affect them?

We do not have any currently that are in operation that could be grandfathered in. That's correct.

Alright. Any other discussion, questions, hearing, and seeing none all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved. We'll move on to six f. Ordinance to amend the zoning orders to the City Of Rock Hill code chapter four land use primary uses concerning THC product sales.

So move for first reading. Second. We have

motion, second. Any discussion, questions, hearing and seeing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved. Item seven a, consider a resolution of the city council of the city of Rock Hill for the closing of a portion of Neptune Drive to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Mister Bagley.

Mayor, council, good evening. As you have before you is a staff recommendation to no longer require Neptune Drive.

This was

a road that goes besides Ross Department Store and it only goes up to Ross Distribution Center, excuse me, and they were supposed

to carry all the way

over to Galleria Boulevard. That's been in the work for a number of years. It's just been cost prohibitive. The developer that currently owns a property would like to close that right away so he can pursue developing the rest of the property for other means. So, staff taking a look at it and the city staff would recommend allowing that to go forward tonight.

Any questions for Jimmy? So, we required that to build a connector road. So, I assume this prop, this parcel was part of the Ross parcel at one time?

Actually, it was a the parcel adjacent to it, but yes, the Ross did get a portion of the property from the same owner.

And so would we help me understand what you said it's cost prohibitive.

There's wetlands and some other marshy soils that they would almost have to build bridges the whole way to make that happen over to Galleria.

And what is that property zone right now? I would have to look it

up, Mr. Sutton. Let me see if it's on the drawing.

I guess my I kinda wanna know what could go there. Like, right now, I guess that right away is preventing development. I'm just curious what are we about to open ourselves up to?

I would have to find out. Yeah, don't believe it is.

I couldn't figure out where all this was.

And I'm not sure what they've said that they wanted to do with it. I can certainly find out

and get that back

to you.

Well, I guess if you get back to us and we've already approved something.

Make a motion to approve.

I mean, I don't mind deferring to them. Maybe after We could executive certainly session defer. If you all could maybe get that information, we could bring it up after executive session. I'm just curious what what we might have there.

Is there a second?

Second.

Do we have a motion and a second? Any discussion? So the motion is to just defer, and we won't put a time frame in case this next meeting is pushed to defer, we may come back after executive session. Any further discussion, questions? Hearing and seeing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved. We'll move on to item eight a, consider final approval of funding allocations for the twenty twenty six twenty twenty seven CDBG program year. Corinth Voraza. Welcome.

Hello. Good evening, mayor, members of council. I'm here tonight for the final reading and approval of the twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven CDBG funding allocations. We did a thirty day public comment. We received no comments. So, nothing has changed from the first reading. So, staff recommends approval.

Thank you. Any questions for Corinne?

Motion to approve. Second reading.

Same. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Questions? All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Approved. We'll move on to item nine. Thank you, Corinne. We'll move on to item nine. Congratulations Linda and Gill. You are smart switch winner and our customer connect winner is Cynthia Tadlock. Each of you will receive a $50 credit on your next utility bill. Any city council committee reports?

Mayor, the appointments committee met this afternoon to the board of historic review, the reappointment of Jana Jeanette, Ashley Baron, and William Drennan to terms expiring 07/01/2029 to the Stormwater Advisory Board, Derek Williams, and Renee Burt to terms expiring 07/22/2029 and to the airport commission to reappointments of Colonel Robert Burton and Timothy Giles to terms expiring 08/01/2029 and I'll make that in the form of a motion.

Second. I have a motion, second, a discussion, questions, hearing and seeing none all in favor, please say I. I. I. Any opposed? Approved. Alright. Any other city council committee reports? Any miscellaneous business? Mayor, I

have one item. We have got a new establishment on Celanese that is selling coffee, and it is we have people that are stopping on Celanese Road and blocking traffic and and had to reach out to the city manager again yesterday because they were blocking traffic. We've gotta do something. I mean, it is creating an unsafe situation there. People, if you're in that lane and now you're trying from a dead stop to merge into the second lane with oncoming traffic.

So, I don't know if the city manager can update us on where we are with the police department. Are we writing tickets? Are we gonna put a sign there? Should that business have been made to build a deceleration lane? And should folks call the police department when they see cars stacked up there and stopping? I just I just would like to get an update.

Yeah. And we've we've responded as and we'll we can get some additional information. I know and you you reached out to me yesterday and I reached out to chief and he responded immediately and they were sending an officer out there to try to deal with it. And I know our officers have have been out there and have actually kept people moving. The problem is is it's hard to be out there. I mean, when you texted me yesterday, it was noon or three in the afternoon or something. I can't remember. It wasn't like it was in the morning that we would expect that to be going on. So, it's just hard to have somebody out there all the time. They have, they did pay off duty officers at the beginning who were out there and who were in the middle of people working their way through. It's it's just, it's been a real.

But the off duty officers were not making traffic move. They were standing there watching cars stop. So, I mean, I'd rather our officers not be involved in that if they're not gonna keep traffic moving.

Well, I think they did reach maybe the first couple of days that might or or might not be, I can't really say. But I know after that, they were the chief had specifically sent something out telling officers to make sure nobody was stopping on and to keep people moving. Because he was asking me, he says, we're we're concerned. He said, I just wanna be sure that if you you might get complaints from, you know, the the business or people who were who were mad because you made them keep moving. I said, keep them moving. And so that's what they've done. Just hard to be out there.

So should citizens call the police department then if they see cars stopped?

They absolutely can do that.

There's no doubt about that.

And should we put a sign there? I mean, don't know what

Yeah, I made a note about signage and I'll talk about some planning and see if there's something we can work out there as well.

Maybe it makes sense to have a stacking off Celanese on the side roads and then pull em in in a line there if we have to but it it is bad,

no doubt.

Yeah. So,

is this something going forward that we need to look at doing a curb cut on Celanese if they don't have the ability to create stacking on their property? I'm right beside that intersection,

that shopping center too.

So, I don't know how you, I don't know how you. I'm talking about going forward. That's already there now. Yeah. What about going forward? Are you still getting other developments wanting to come to Sella Needs?

I don't know what the answer is. I mean, you would, looking at this site, you would think they've got, I mean, they've got dual drive thrus. I mean, great for them that they've got a product that a lot of people want, but you can't stop a six lane highway just to get a cup of coffee.

Is this the honeymoon phase? They get a subside?

Well, that's what we thought, but then, you

know It's still a

month yesterday, and that and it's what it is.

Listen, going to church Sunday morning, it was an eight something. A car a a big truck turned left into there,

stopped, and

was blocking three lanes of traffic. He couldn't go anywhere. He just stopped there like he didn't care. Three lanes of traffic. He was stopped.

So anyway, not the Yeah.

We get a memo from the manager.

We'll talk about it in the department head maybe as Alright,

any other miscellaneous business? Okay, thank you all. We're in executive session. We appreciate you coming tonight. We'll see you in two weeks.