Here’s why you’re still seeing headlines about Indian Wells Golf Club development plans
The process of redeveloping the Indian Wells Golf Club is going into its next chapter this week. Horry County Planning Commission will revisit the issue at its Thursday meeting.
In January, Horry County Council sent a request to rezone the 153-acre property back to Planning & Zoning for further review and to see if the concerns of the citizens could be addressed. Those concerns included flooding, the loss of a recreational opportunity and traffic. The hope is to create a plan the owners and the residents an find more agreeable.
Th property owners, Founders Group International, wanted to rezone the property to codes Community Retail Services and Multi-Residential Two. If approved, the requests would allow for over 500 homes to be built on the Garden City site. In addition, there would be commercial businesses opened with close proximity to the new houses.
The planning commission recommended Council disapprove the request, but even without approval, homes can still be built on the property.
The current zoning allows Founders Group International to build approximately 700 homes and duplexes, but with no option for commercial business.
“The developer could turn around tomorrow and start working on it,” Planning Commission Chair Steven Neeves said about the downside to disapproving the rezoning request.
Hundreds of residents surrounding the golf course have been outspoken against any development on the site. Dozens protested along the Garden City Connector, wearing T-shirts with stop signs and holding posters denouncing any development.
“We’re just going to keep fighting until we can’t fight it anymore,” neighboring resident Kathy Jellison said. She and dozens of others went to County Council to oppose approving the rezoning request.
County Council ultimately sent the request back to Planning Commission with the hopes of a “mutually acceptable” third option.
“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,” Horry County Council Member Tyler Servant said. “If nothing changes with the proposed plan as presented, I will not be in favor of it.”
Barring any last-second withdrawals or deferments, the new plans will be presented Thursday to Planning Commission. The first meeting will be a workshop where the public is not able to speak and no votes will be made. This meeting will allow the commissioners and the public to learn what changed in the new plans.
Then on March 7 the Commission will make a new recommendation. The rezoning request will then be sent back to County Council for an upcoming meeting.
“The only significant change was relocating a small section of townhomes so that the proposed project only has single-family, detached units adjacent to the existing single family,” Interim Planning Director David Schwerd said in an email.
