New homes could be coming to Conway area. Here’s what we know

County staff has its concerns about a potential new housing development on Old Reaves Ferry Road.

The property owners are asking to rezone near Prince Park Lane from forest agriculture to MRD1, which allows for a mixed residential development in a rural area.

Engineer Ryan Harvey with ROWE Professional Services Corporation presented the conceptual plans Thursday to the Horry County Planning Commission on behalf of the property owners.

The area is listed as rural in the Imagine 2040 plan, which guides the planning commission on what type of developments are appropriate for an area.

The development would put a neighborhood of 96 single-family homes on the Highway 905 side of the road. The homes would sit on a minimum of 10,000-square-foot lots.

Once built, the property would have green space, a community garden and internal walking paths.

Horry County’s planning staff is concerned about the wetlands on the rear end of the property. Old Reaves Ferry Road closed on the Highway 90 side during Hurricane Florence. Also, the floodwater almost reached where the proposed homes would be built.

With the development right up against the flood line, Harvey said he could increase density to 7,000-square-foot lots to push homes farther away from the flood zone, according to the 100-year FEMA flood maps, or the homes could be raised to keep them out of the 500-year flood level.

Planning Director David Schwerd said the Imagine 2040 plan’s goal was to keep homes away from flood areas. He said the planning commission would have to consider this.

“You have a lot to overcome,” Planning Commission Chair Steve Neeves said.

From the development’s exit onto Old Reaves Ferry, future residents would have relatively easy access to Conway, North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach. Harvey said there would be at least one exit point in case of a major flood.

Thursday’s meeting was purely informational, and no decision was made. The next planning commission meeting on May 2 will have an opportunity for public comment.

Schwerd said the county has received opposition letters and calls.