Property owners in limbo over Rock Hill-Fort Mill connector route

For more than 10 years, Darryl Trull has been holding on to a piece of land on Sutton Road near Harris Road in Fort Mill, S.C.

The site fronts a two-lane road at a sleepy interchange. But Trull is optimistic: He’s hoping he can sell the investment property, which is near Interstate 77, one day for a big chunk of change and use it as retirement money.

Now, a proposal for an east-west connector between Rock Hill, S.C., and Fort Mill to ease traffic congestion could bring a heavily traveled road right past Trull’s property and make his wish come true.

Or it might not.

Trull and other property owners are keeping a close watch on where the connector might be built. Four paths are under consideration.

The Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study, an intergovernmental transportation planning organization for eastern York County, has suggested the four possible routes for the connector, which would include a bridge over the Catawba River.

Two bridges already span the river in York County, one on I-77 and one on Highway 21, which runs parallel to the interstate.

The planning organization has called the connector a priority for more than 10 years. The state also considers the connector to be a priority.

But it’s not a done deal.

The feasibility study, created by New York-based consulting firm STV, is just the first step in the process of developing the connector, said David Hooper, transportation planner with the city of Rock Hill.

The next step for STV and the planning group will be to weigh project costs and impacts to the environment and property owners to determine the best path for the roadway, Hooper said. The planning group will then hold a public meeting, possibly in March or April, to unveil the preferred alignment for the project.

Funding for the project would come from federal programs and the York County Pennies for Progress sales tax program, which funds road improvements.

The project will likely take about eight years to complete, Hooper said.

Option No. 1 would bring a connector road from Mount Gallant Road to Sutton Road near the I-77 interchange.

Under option No. 2, the connector would start at Twin Lakes and India Hook Road and run to Harris Road, requiring the construction of a partial interchange to handle traffic to and from Charlotte.

Option No. 3 would involve building a road from Twin Lakes and India Hook roads to Sutton Road near the interchange.

The fourth scenario would have the connector starting at Mount Gallant and running to Harris Road at I-77 and require the construction of a partial interchange.

Options No. 2 and 4 could benefit Trull’s property, which is zoned commercial and near where the partial interchange might be built.

“Obviously, as development progressed, I would hope that the area would turn into a nicer area, possibly four lanes, suitable for some kind of rental property,” he said. “I’ve had some interest, but no major corporations. Just individuals like myself. Just people wanting to invest in real estate. It was never a good enough deal to sell.”

He’s not the only property owner who could benefit from one of the proposals.

Carolinas Medical Center is planning to build a 64-bed hospital on 20 acres on Sutton Road at I-77, the interchange that would be on one end of two of the proposed connector roads.

Phil Whitesell, CMC spokesman, said a hospital representative attended a public meeting this month to learn about the connector proposals. But CMC did not have an opinion about the project at this time, he said.

The hospital project is in limbo, with Presbyterian Hospital and Piedmont Medical Center appealing the state’s decision to award a certificate of need for the planned hospital to Carolinas Healthcare System, which operates CMC. It could take as long as 18 months for a decision to be given.

Meanwhile, a planned Kanawha mixed-use development project sits stalled on nearly 400 acres adjacent to the site of the proposed hospital. As part of that project, a 40-acre York County museum and an elementary school are also on hold, all thanks to the economy.

Options 2 and 4 – the ones ending near Harris Road – are the most costly, at $94 million and $91 million, respectively. Those options also have the largest number of properties affected – meaning the land might have to be bought to make way for construction – at 55 and 68, respectively. One park would be affected and seven streams crossed in both plans.

Alternatives 1 and 3 affect 27 and 11 properties, respectively, and cost $53 million and $51, respectively.

Meanwhile, Trull is waiting for a decision on the roadway project, to see whether his property’s value might go up.

“I hope whenever something does happen, it will be beneficial for future development,” he said. “As close as it is to the Fort Mill corridor, it should all work out, plus alleviate traffic on I-77.

“But there’s no telling how many years out it will be before that happens. Fortunately I don’t have to turn it (his property) loose right now. I might would sell it. There again, I may develop it myself. I’d have to evaluate the situation at the time.”

RAMSEY can be reached at [email protected].