The owner of a store in Lake Wylie wants to sell her land, but York County regulations limit the buyers.

Carla Pendleton wants to sell her family’s bait and tackle business on SC 49.

The 58-year-old York resident said the family business has been in operation since the 1970s. At just under five acres, the single-story wooden building blends into the landscape and seems small compared to the large 7-Eleven gas station next to her store.

Pendleton has been trying to sell her property for the past two years. She and her mother run the business and told The Herald that “business is satisfactory, as it is peak season at this time of year.”

But she’s ready to retire. Pendleton has a buyer for the property, but there’s a problem.

“Someone wants to buy my property and put a car wash there, but the 660 rule prevents them from doing so because the 7-Eleven is next door,” she told the Herald last week.

The rule now states that similar businesses must be at least 200 feet apart. Businesses that would fall under this separation include: self-storage operations, food stalls with drive-thru or drive-through service, gas stations, restaurants, auto detailing, car washes, and vehicle service, repair, or customization.

The county’s new zoning regulations were adopted in 2022 and include updates to the Lake Wylie area, which runs from the Buster Boyd Bridge west along SC 49 to the Three Points intersection with SC 274 and 557, then south past the Five Points area where Lake Wylie Road and SC 55 meet, The Herald previously reported.

“When they implemented this rule, they basically deprived people of the use of their property without properly informing them,” Pendleton said.

In Lake Wylie, Pendleton is one of several business owners and community members who have raised concerns about the ordinance and proposed changes, arguing that it restricts use of the property and violates business owners’ rights.

Tom Smith, co-owner of May Green Properties, criticized the plan.

“This ordinance seems illogical,” he said. “It was created based on preferences rather than considering traffic patterns, reducing curb cuts or increasing safety.”

Although he supports the bill, Councilman William “Bump” Roddey questioned the ordinance and argued for a specific list of businesses the council wants to restrict, emphasizing that if research supports locating a business in the area, he would locate a business there.

The county’s Planning Commission recommended exempting certain types of businesses from the original ordinance. These include service, repair, storage and fueling stations for cars, trucks, RVs, boats and personal watercraft, as well as motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles.

The council voted 5-1 in favor of the changes Monday night, but also said other aspects of the amended ordinance would need to be sent back to the zoning and planning departments for further review.

“What we have now is very reduced,” said Christie Cox, leader of York County Council. “What is being proposed is very different to what we had before and I’m not even sure how it affects some people.”

“I will support this amendment because it addresses the problems, but this is the wrong way to go about it. We have been talking about this for so long.”

Why do we need a separation regulation?

Council member Allison Love, who recently lost the primary in her re-election campaign, said the segregation ordinance was designed specifically for the Lake Wylie business district after extensive public input.

She added that she was not aware of any companies that were against the regulation.

“I think even many existing companies in these categories would like more variety.”

Smith, who has worked in real estate development for more than 20 years, believes county board members have not been transparent with local business owners. “You have to know what’s going on,” he said. “Otherwise you lose the sense of community.”

Jeff Ledford, chairman of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce, also opposes the plan and questions its usefulness.

“It goes against basic urban planning principles that recommend the location of similar businesses,” he said. “There is already an approved small area plan that the county council and community leaders approved years ago. While that plan can be reviewed and adjusted as needed, this ordinance clearly goes against its intentions.”

When asked how other affected business owners and residents could get more involved or even prevent the plan from being approved, Ledford advised, “Read about the ordinance, attend county meetings or follow them online. Share your views with the county council and manager.”

“The more public input they receive, the more informed their decision will be in whether to support or oppose it.”

Some residents also supported the ordinance during a meeting on February 19, arguing that the council should maintain the 200-metre limit and prevent the establishment of additional auto repair shops in the area.