‘The Wicked Stick saga’: Horry County considers a rezoning request for the old golf course
Part of the former Wicked Stick Golf Course could soon see new businesses or maybe multi-family housing move onto the property pending a successful rezoning request.
Horry County Planning Commission considered a request on Thursday that would limit the types of businesses that could open on the over 30 acres near the S.C. Highway 544 Walmart.
No votes were taken at Thursday’s workshop meeting.
Wicked Stick Golf Links closed in 2015. Homes have already been built on much of the former golf course due to previous rezoning requests.
“This is Chapter 10 in the Wicked Stick saga,” Horry County Planning Department’s John Danfort said.
This new rezoning request would limit the amount of commercial buildings that can be constructed in exchange for removing zoning for a single-family housing buffer facing the existing housing development, Belle Mer South.
The rezoning request would change the property’s current zoning codes — highway commercial and general residential — to a uniformed RE3 allowing for convenience and auto-related stores on collector roads.
RE3 is typically used for strip mall businesses that are convenient for a neighboring housing development. It doesn’t allow for big box stores like the current zoning code.
The zoning code could allow for multi-family housing, but G3 Engineering’s Felix Pitts wouldn’t say if that was in his client’s final plans. He said approving this request is good for the community, because it gets rid of highway commercial that could allow for storage centers, a mall or a lot of other uses.
“It’s favorable to the single-family community relative to what’s currently allowed,” Pitts said.
An existing berm will separate any new construction from the neighborhood.
Even with approval, changes will need to be made to nearby roads because a pond blocks direct access onto U.S. Highway 17. The developer will need to extend Decker Road onto U.S. 17 and possibly extend Beaver Run Boulevard.
“None of the traffic will go back to the residences in the rear of the property,” Pitts said.
Tuesday’s meeting was only a workshop meeting. The commission will hold a public hearing on the request and vote on its recommendation next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Then the request will need county council’s support before plans can proceed.
“It’s a win-win I think, but we will see what the people say next week,” Horry County Planning Commission Chair Steven Neeves said.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 5:35 PM.
