Here’s the decision Horry County Council made on Indian Wells Golf Club rezoning
Horry County Council chose to pass on the first reading of a request to rezone Indian Wells Golf Club on Tuesday, instead electing to send the request back to the county planning commission to be reworked.
The planning commission recommended the council vote against it.
The property can still be developed into single-family housing based on its current zoning, but the rezoning request would allow for a redevelopment proposal featuring single-family homes, townhomes and a small commercial area.
The residents of communities surrounding the Garden City course showed up to voice their opposition Tuesday. Council member Tyler Servant asked those in opposition to the project to stand, and a large group of people dressed in red shirts with stop signs on them rose up.
On Monday, some residents lined the Garden City Connector holding signs in protest of any redevelopment. Servant said the course’s owner, Founders Group International, accepted sending the proposal back to the planning commission considering the opposition.
“At the request of the residents of Woodlake Village, and the applicant, the proposed rezoning was sent back to planning commission to allow for the two parties to come up with a plan that is mutually acceptable,” Servant said. “If nothing changes with the proposed plan as presented, I will not be in favor of it.”
The property is zoned SF6, which allows for single-family homes with minimum lot sizes of 6,000 square feet or duplexes with minimum lot sizes of 8,000 square feet to be built.
“Have you people lost your minds, you can’t do that,” Council Member Harold Worley said. “I understand it’s zoned that way, but that don’t make it right.”
Council Member Al Allen agreed that adding more housing would harm the natural green space and its flood mitigation ability.
Horry County Stormwater Director Tom Garigen said if any development happens, the property owners and builders will have to meet the county’s rigorous stormwater standards.
“We will make sure that whatever happens, we will be there to make sure the design and production is done correct,” he said. “That’s our goal.”
Council Member Dennis DiSabato asked county staff if there was anything they can do to slow development, to which county staff said there isn’t much outside of the county buying land. Due to constitutional laws regarding property rights, there isn’t a simple way to totally stop development.
Impact fees were listed as a tool. A November ballot referendum showed Horry County residents overwhelmingly support impact fees.
Worley suggested the residents surrounding the golf club hire an attorney and fight any new development on the golf course.
Indian Wells is a 6,624-yard, Gene Hamm design that opened in 1984. Founders Group International, which is headed by investors from China and owns and operates 22 Grand Strand courses, purchased the course in 2014. It would become the first of FGI’s courses to shutter or be redeveloped.
This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 10:03 PM.