Nearly 200 homes aimed for rural part of Lexington County. Here’s where
An undeveloped area in Gaston could see a nearly 200-home single-family home subdivision constructed if given approval by Lexington County.
Developers want to place 196 new homes on nearly a hundred acres on a plot of land just southwest of Gaston, a town of 1,600 in the county. The proposed subdivision would require a new public road, which developers are set to build, off of Victor Road.
The project signals a consistent trend — as Lexington grows and tightens developmental density rules, subdivision developers look to more rural areas with readily available plots of empty land. The project is one of at least three in the works for the Gaston area following approvals of two housing developments in late 2024 that are set to bring more than 100 new homes to the area. It’s one of four developments that could impact Lexington 4, a small school district in the southeast corner of the county that served nearly 3,500 students as of the most recent headcount available from the state Department of Education.
The school district anticipates it would need to add one or more new schools if the proposed development is approved, retired superintendent Robert Maddox told the county in concurrency documents. Concurrency review, which the county enacted in the summer of last year, requires input from local agencies like emergency services and school districts on a proposed subdivision. The school district told the county new construction would cost $2 million per new school constructed.
“Prior to receiving any of the four current subdivision proposals through the concurrency process, we had space available for 925 students,” Maddox said in a memo to the county. “If all four subdivisions are approved, our capacity will be at a deficit of 11 students at the elementary level, 111 students at the middle level and 111 students at the high school level.”
Since the county council enacted the new review process, no subdivision has been halted as a result of the findings, even as school districts have complained of overcrowding. The closest the county has come to denying a proposal came earlier this month, when council voted to kick a proposed townhome subdivision to next month’s meeting as it debates measures meant to tighten development standards.
The housing development will go before the county planning commission Thursday morning. After the commission makes a recommendation, the county council will take up the proposal.
