Carolina Forest could be getting more than 1K new homes as building boom continues

More than 1,100 homes could be planted inside Carolina Forest as part of a sprawling new subdivision cutting across one of the area’s busiest roads.

Planning documents made public by Horry County on March 24 show a proposal by well-known local engineering firm Thomas & Hutton to construct 1,154 houses on nearly 127 acres off Postal Way and U.S. Highway 501.

The county’s planning commission will hold initial talks on the plan at a March 30 workshop, with a full meeting to include public comment on April 6.

According to a traffic analysis done, when fully built out the Waters planned development district could add an estimated 10,000 more daily trips along the roadways, which currently see 17,500.

Three schools serving the area, Carolina Forest Elementary, Ten Oaks Middle School and Carolina Forest High School, are currently between 99 percent and 126 percent capacity.

Road upgrades including modified pedestrian access, two roundabouts and expanding Postal Way to three lines are slated to take place between summer 2024 and spring 2028 as part of the development deal.

Carolina Forest residents in the spring of 2021 packed county planning commission meetings to oppose the construction of just 97 town homes along Gardner Lacy Road - a project that would have added 700 daily trips.

Residents delivered a 1,300-page petition of people standing against the venture, which was eventually downgraded to under 60 homes.