County approves transfer of parcels near Woodside Mill for affordable housing planning

Greenville County’s finance committee approved transferring two parcels totaling roughly 10.9 acres around the Woodside Mill community to a partner for redevelopment planning, with an emphasis on affordable housing and green-space preservation.

Mister Lambert briefed the committee that the parcels were acquired by County Parks and Recreation when the special purpose tax district dissolved in 2013 and later became county property. One parcel includes an old mill baseball field with existing bleachers and dugouts; the other is approximately 6.3 acres of vacant land. Lambert said the county aims to partner with the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority (GCRA) and other organizations for reuse.

Councilors and staff discussed constraints including lack of restrooms, parking, and other infrastructure at the ball field site; floodplain, rail noise and the presence of a conservation area were raised as planning considerations. Staff said a Phase I environmental assessment found no underground tanks and that work will include sound studies and potential conservation easements to keep some land as green space. Officials estimated the pair of parcels plus a previously acquired 15-acre tract represent roughly 26 acres of county-controlled land that could be used for housing planning once surveys and site planning are complete.

Councilors asked about the county’s broader inventory of vacant and buildable parcels and whether the sites would require substantial infrastructure investment; staff said the county retains other scattered sites for affordable housing and that developing raw land will require significant resources for roads, utilities and site preparation.

A motion to approve the transfers carried by voice vote. The committee’s action moves the parcels into the development planning process; the transcript shows no contractual partners or construction timeline were finalized during the meeting.