Horry County Council voted ‘no’ on a neighborhood. Then council members walked out

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Horry County Council voted 6 to 5 against the proposed Bear Tracts housing development on Old Highway 90 near Old Reaves Ferry Road. But that decision was nearly overturned, sparking a walkout of five council members.

The proposed plan has been controversial for weeks as it was debated by Horry County Planning Commission, which recommended that County Council not recommend it. There was applause from the public after the council voted “no,” meaning that the complex could not be built as proposed.

After a five-minute intermission following the vote, most members of the public had left as the meeting was close to being over. Then Council member Paul Prince asked to redo the vote. Prince originally voted against the project, and if he changed his vote, the project would pass without the public there to watch.

Council member Harold Worley said that all the “no” votes should walk out, making it where the council would not have enough members to take an action. He and the other “no” votes walked out of the chamber.

“This is bull,” he said as he stood up to walk out.

“You can’t do this,” Council member Dennis DiSabato said while walking past Prince.

Worley was right, and when he and four other council members left, a lack of quorum stopped the debate. The original vote stood.

The underlying issue

This was the second reading of the ordinance. At the December County Council meeting, the development could be brought back up at a council member’s request. If that doesn’t happen, however, the decision will stand.

Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus recused himself from the vote, citing a business conflict of interest. He said he does not have any financial stake in the development. Council Vice-Chair Bill Howard acted as chair during the discussion.

The tract’s agent, DDC Engineers’ Mike Wooten, made it clear to council that a denial of the plan would not necessarily stop homes from being built. Under the land’s current zoning, hundreds of homes can be built without a council decision. He believes that the proposed project gives more options to the county, accounts for more variables and helps pay its impact on public infrastructure.

If the plan is disapproved, however, Wooten’s clients will not pay the expected $4 million in infrastructure and road improvements like they volunteered to do with the proposed plan. They will just meet the improvements required of them, like meeting Horry’s strict stormwater policy.

DiSabato said he is usually in favor of rezonings, but this project is different for him because it is already zoned for development.

“I don’t want to see Highway 90 turn into what we are dealing with still in Carolina Forest,” he said.

DiSabato said that there needs to be improvements to Highway 90 itself before the growth continues. The growth of the road was one of the underlying issues of all the debate and public comments at the meeting.

Councilmember Johnny Vaught’s mother lives on Highway 90, and he personally grew up in the area. He said that he is worried about what development will do for the safety and quality of life for residents already there.

“This doesn’t sound like something Highway 90 can support,” Vaught said.

This story was originally published November 13, 2018 at 8:52 PM.