How two proposed new neighborhoods just got closer to being built in Conway
Two housing projects with the same developer and similar requests got a first round of approval at Conway City Council’s Monday meeting.
Both properties are owned by Beverly Homes, a Conway-based development company. Beverly Homes has built across the Grand Stand, and notably, was behind the rezoning of the old Conway Country Club last month.
“We’re doing residential single-family housing,” said Forrest Beverly of Beverly Homes. “We’re going to move forward once we get through zoning to do the layouts.”
While still in the early phases of development, the two properties are on Cultra Road and Four Mile Road, respectively, in Conway. The proposed neighborhoods both got unanimous approval from city council for annexation and rezoning at first reading.
If approved after final reading, both sites will go from Conway zoning codes Commercial Forest Agriculture to Residential 2, which will allow for more homes to be built on the land.
The R2 zoning code allows for medium-density housing. This zoning code will allow for single-family houses, duplexes and some multi-family housing.
One of the projects would be on over 60 acres of land off Four Mile Road across from the Country Manor estates.
The larger of the two properties would be 66 acres in total on Cultra Road just outside of downtown Conway. If homes are built on the property, they would be connected to Rivertown Row, also built by Beverly Homes.
Five of the acres for the Cultra Road project is already within the City of Conway. Its up-zoning request also passed unanimously.
Beverly said there will be more than 350 homes built on Four Mile Road and 200 lots on Cultra Road.
As with much of the new development in Horry County, traffic, public safety and, above all, flooding remain chief concerns. Two people spoke against the Four Mile project during public comment.
Council member William Goldfinch said developers must meet high storm runoff standards before building. While traffic and infrastructure will still need to be addressed, he said stormwater from rain events was taken into account.
Beverly, who is from Conway, said he understands why people are concerned about flooding. He added that due to the strict stormwater ordinance in Horry County, a well-made project will help with water runoff or they will not be allowed to be built.
“With these properties, they have to be compliant with today’s regulation. They are much more strenuous than they were five or 10 years ago,” Beverly said. “It should lessen the impact.”
Before any housing project can be completed, however, official plans must be submitted to Conway’s development staff to make sure they’re within the zoning code, meet local and state requirements and Horry County’s stormwater standards.
Next, the projects will go in front of Conway Council one last time for second reading for a final decision.
“Once we get through rezoning, we will start working on layouts,” Beverly said. “We’re going to do everything required by the City of Conway.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2019 at 7:25 PM.