CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Two developers are trying to build hundreds of home just outside the city, in areas some neighbors worry are flood-prone.
Neighbors have fought several developments along South Carolina Highway 90. One of the common concerns is that more homes would mean more flooding.
One new proposal calls for 125 homes, across highway 90 from the Astoria Park neighborhood and about a mile east of International Drive. At the front of this 80-acre site, there’s only part of a brick chimney and a couple sheds. Around it, however, are several other developments, including Astoria Park.
At an Horry County Planning Commission workshop Thursday, the county says it’s already received complaints about how this development would make flooding worse. Since this was a workshop, no public comments were allowed during Thursday’s meeting and no action was taken.
While about half of the 80 acres flooded after Hurricane Florence, the county says no homes would be built where that flooding happened.
“This portion of 90 was one of the only portions of 90 that was accessible during the Hurricane Florence event,” said Charles Suggs, a senior planner for the county.
Another proposal county planners have gotten flooding complaints for is about 13 miles west. Beverly Homes wants to put 202 houses on 129 acres near the Homewood community. This complex would be off of Four Mile Road and Oak Street.
There’s also concern this complex wouldn’t follow the South Carolina Highway 319 Rural Heritage Area Plan. It was established in 2011 to limit the commercial growth of future developments.
Clint Richardson, who represented Beverly Homes at the workshop, says this plan is similar to The Summit neighborhood nearby.
“You understand this is going against what the people out there want?” planning commission chair Steve Neeves asked Richardson.
“Yeah, we understand that, but like Charles (Suggs) pointed out, right next door, you’ve got (single-family homes with a minimum lot size of 10,000 feet) and I understood that it was done prior to the 319 development plan,” Richardson said.
There will be public hearings for both proposals at the planning commission’s meeting at the county courthouse next Thursday at 5:30.