Horry County to get a new public park as Tidelands Health expands network
The Socastee and Burgess areas could soon see new walking trails, playgrounds and green space thanks to Tidelands Health.
As part of its expansion across the Grand Strand, the health care system is donating 6.4 acres of land adjacent to one of its new hospital projects.
The donation is part of Tidelands’ planned 48-bed hospital in the Socastee and Burgess area, along S.C. 707.
Horry County leaders last year approved a rezoning request from Tidelands to convert 83 acres from highway commercial to the zoning category that allow hospitals.
Prior to that approval in June, residents living in the neighborhoods off Tern Hall Drive raised concerns that construction at the site could push stormwater into their yards and homes. More than two-thirds of the property is wetlands, meaning the land is wet or swampy for at least part of the year.
Tidelands’ president and Horry County stormwater officials said that a complex drainage system would be installed to funnel water to stormwater pipes along S.C. 707.
Land donations to Horry County from area hospital systems have become more common as healthcare companies expand.
In Carolina Forest, for example, Conway Medical Center plans to build a new hospital along International Drive and has offered to donate a portion of the property to the county for use in a future project.
The Tidelands park will be parallel to Peat Moss Boulevard and contain 2.6 acres of wetlands, with walking trails around the edge. The uplands areas of the park will contain playgrounds, trails and green space, designs show.
The Horry County Parks and Open Space Board is expected to vote to accept the donation at a meeting Tuesday. The Planning Commission and County Council also have to vote to approve the donation before any construction can begin.
A county memo describing the project said Tidelands Health offered to maintain the park even if the land is owned by the county. The memo also noted the county aims to acquire 100 acres of new park space by 2025, according to its 2040 master plan.
Dawn Bryant, a spokesperson for Tidelands Health, said she didn’t yet have details on specific amenities the park will feature.
“We’re looking forward to the establishment of a beautiful resource that can be enjoyed by people of all ages,” she said.
