Tempers flare as council debates Unified Development Ordinance changes

It was standing room only Monday night in York County Council chambers as more than a hundred people turned out in opposition of changes to the county’s Unified Development Ordinance.

[media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Dissent Monday for the plan came from developers, builders, and private citizens who said the plan went too far in infringing on people’s rights.

Lake Wylie resident Margaret Blackwell.

Blackwell was joined by close to a dozen others who had the chance to speak before council, like McConnells resident Terry Taylor.

Local developer and State Representative Ralph Norman was one of a dozen citizens who spoke before council objecting to the plan — saying it’s not user-friendly and stifles development and economic growth — leaving too much decision-making in the hands of development officials.

Norman said the UDO updates were supposed to include input from developers, builders, and private citizens — but hearings on the matter garnered little to no input.

Norman singled out County Manager Jim Baker for keeping one individual from speaking before a committee a few weeks ago.

Many in attendence supported abolishing the changes, clapping and cheering after some statements, leading Council Chairman Blackwell to threaten expulsion from the meeting for those who cheered any more — something that didn’t sit well with councilman Curwood Chappell.

And when it came down to a vote, councilmen Chappell, Henderson and Winstead supported completely scrapping the plan, while councilmen Bowman, Roddey and Williams supported turning down the current proposal and going back to the drawing board to rewrite the plan.

The tie was broken by Chairman Blackwell, who voted in favor of scrapping the plan.

Blackwell said the council will revisit the issue at a later date after tempers cool off.