Lexington County files lawsuit August 24 against Chapin for breaching a contract to provide sewer service to Chapin Technology Park, a development property the county has owned and been working on for around 14 years.
The county’s claim is that it has spent more than $16 million building out infrastructure on the roughly 200-acre site and Lexington County Council approved the sale of the property to a private developer for more than $20 million August 11, but that deal is on hold pending Chapin selling wastewater taps to the site.
Chapin Mayor Bill Mitchell issued a moratorium late last year on issuing new sewer connections while the town works on improvements at its wastewater plant, but the town has already signed an agreement in 2015 with the county to provide the connections.
The lawsuit states Mitchell has been informed the town has sufficient sewage treatment to meet capacity. Mitchell campaigned on controlling new growth in and around Chapin and is using access to the town’s wastewater system to do so.
The county is arguing the previously signed agreement does not give the town the option to deny them access. The suit is asking for the town to either honor the agreement or pay the county the $20.4 million sale price of the property.
The county’s sale is to Brighton Capital Partners, LLC, who is planning a mixed development with 600 homes and sites for businesses.
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