Here’s why a 480-home development was put on hold... for now

Horry County Council voted Tuesday to remove from the meeting agenda a rezoning ordinance that would have allowed 480 new homes along Postal Way in Carolina Forest.

The council voted to removed the agenda item after dozens of residents showed up in opposition to the plan, and Carolina Forest Civic Association President Carol vanSickler called for temporary a moratorium on rezoning until infrastructure in Carolina Forest is improved.

Council Chairman Mark Lazarus said the developer had also asked for it to be withdrawn.

“We need you all to step up here and now and not accept more in Carolina Forest,” vanSickler said. “We as residents suggest some sort of zoning freeze be used by your appointees to the planning commission and your stepped up vigilance to take care of your constituents.”

Lazarus said that a zoning moratorium was not the right solution.

“The problem with the moratorium is generally a moratorium is put in place for a specific period of time, a short period of time,” he said after the meeting. “That’s to get certain infrastructure into place whether it’s water systems, sewer systems or a particular road.”

A moratorium could cause litigation, and zoning ordinance are best handled by the planning a zoning department, he said.

“All they’re saying right now is they can’t put a moratorium into place, and I question that and I’m concerned about it,” said vanSickler, who added that she would would rather have seen the council vote down the ordinance rather than remove it from the agenda.

“I really wanted them to vote it down and I realize that we’re going to have to be back on December 12 and keep this issue in the forefront,” she said.

Lazarus addressed some of the resident’s concerns about traffic during the meeting, telling them that work on some of the RIDE III expansion projects was being done in the background.

Those projects include the widening of Carolina Forest Boulevard improvements to Highway 501.

“If you think that nothing’s happening for those roads, it’s not correct,” he said. “It’s happening behind the scenes, you just don’t see it.”

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Here’s why a 480-home development was put on hold... for now."