CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – A controversial plan to build more than 500 homes on a South Strand golf course will go back to Horry County Council.
The tee boxes and greens of Indian Wells Golf Club in Garden City could soon be replaced by 520 units in single-family houses and townhomes.
Many neighbors, however, don’t want another development on the 35-year-old course nicknamed “the bucket.”
“The proposed development of this golf course will further exasperate an already compromised storm drain system, leading to flooding disasters,” said Garden City resident Nancy Corniello.
The Horry County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval on Thursday of rezoning the more than 150-acre course off the Garden City Connector. Houses can already be built on the golf course, but the developer made changes to its first proposal. The new plan would allow for some businesses and about 100 fewer homes.
That came about after several protests by neighbors and discussions with them.
“We think we’ve done a good job of addressing those comments and we have a plan that’s improved over the current zoning,” said Walter Warren with Thomas & Hutton Engineering Company.
The nearby WoodLake Village homeowners association narrowly voted 151-142 to support this rezoning, since development can already happen there.
“If the decision was left up to just the board, we wouldn’t support the rezoning, but based on the results of the vote, the majority of the board feels that we have to support the rezoning,” said WoodLake Village HOA president Janice Smith.
Neighbors against the development say it would increase traffic on the two-lane Garden City Connector, make flooding worse and cause health concerns for seniors.
“We will not give you the comfort of sleeping at night by telling yourselves that you gave us a choice of two plans because neither of these plans is tenable,” said WoodLake Village resident Kathy Jellison to the planning commission.
The proposal now needs approval by county council, which rejected the development plans on first reading back in January.
