Trapping beavers on Mullet Creek begins for 1,000 unit residential area

The plan to turn the former Heather Glen Golf Links in Little River into a 1,000-unit residential area will not get final consideration from the Horry County Council until 2018.

The plan was initially rejected by the council in October because of numerous concerns including stormwater and traffic.

Developers have since been working to address all of the issues, which were given the nod last week by the county planning commission.

Final consideration will be delayed because the council has only one meeting scheduled before the holiday break, and there wasn’t sufficient time to provide adequate public notice, said David Schwerd, deputy director of Horry County Planning and Zoning.

The earliest the council can begin the approval process is at the Jan. 9 meeting. If approved then, a public hearing would be held Jan. 23.

The golf course operated for 30 years but closed last week. The owners are asking the county for a zoning change to build the residential area, then plan to sell the 430-acre tract to home builder D.R. Horton.

A significant change in the plan is the proposal to handle future traffic congestion issues.

When a certain number of houses are built, a turning lane would be installed on U.S. Highway 17. When the project reaches a high density causing traffic numbers to meet state transportation department requirements, a traffic light would be installed.

Some council members were also skeptical the developer could get needed easements from nearby property owners to address stormwater issues, particularly along a nearby waterway.

However, Schwerd said the developers are making headway and county officials are trapping beavers on Mullet Creek for relocation, so the dams can be torn down to prevent flooding.

Developers also agreed to improve drainage for a nearby mobile home park that is not part of the project to relieve those homeowners of any possible increase in stormwater.

Additional changes include relocating the duplexes from the property boundaries to further within the development, increasing buffers to 35 feet, and building homes on 7,000 square foot lots.

About 80 proposed homes were also eliminated from the original plan.

The golf course is currently zoned for residential with minimum lot sizes of 10,000 square feet. The property owners are asking that it be rezoned for mixed residential development.

The 1,000 units would include 766 single-family homes, 234 duplex units, and the development would contain 58 acres of ponds, 42 acres of wetlands and 93 acres of open space.

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 6:02 AM with the headline "Trapping beavers on Mullet Creek begins for 1,000 unit residential area."