Grand Strand Humane Society pulls bid for new Horry County home. Where will they go?

The Grand Strand Humane Society’s long search for a new home will continue after the organization withdrew a zoning application minutes before county leaders were expected to reject it.

Pulling the request from the Horry County Council’s June 20 agenda was a strategic decision by the 50-year-old nonprofit as an outright denial would have barred it from pitching the project for at least a year.

The Humane Society hoped to build a state-of-the art site on 3 acres along River Oaks Drive, about 7 miles from its current facility in a Myrtle Beach industrial area.

Opponents said the proposed location threatened to drag down residential property values and disrupt the quality of life in two neighborhoods with homes priced into the mid six figures.

The county’s planning commission, whose members are appointed by the council, recommended on June 1 that rezoning request be approved.

The Humane Society is about halfway toward meeting a $6 million capital campaign that would have covered the costs of land acquisition and construction.

“By choosing to pull it off ourselves, there remains a small chance we can bring this back before council sooner than 12 months from now,” Humane Society executive director Jessica Wnuk said, flanked by supporters wearing blue-and-white shirts. “Grand Strand Humane Society will always remain open to whatever is best for the community and the animals that we serve.”

It was a tense atmosphere throughout most of the meeting.

Council member Dennis DiSabato, whose district includes River Oaks Drive, engaged with proponents of the rezoning before proceedings began.

“We’ll remember your name when its on the ballot,” resident Kathy Foley said.

“So will all those people who live in that neighborhood,” DiSabato shot back.

DiSabato met informally with opponents of the rezoning following the council meeting, saying he plans to work with both sides to forge a compromise.

“I cannot talk publicly about other places where this may go, but there are other viable alternatives that are close by, and my plan is to work to find them a viable location that’s not going to cost them,” he said. “I am not opposed to the Humane Society.”

A need for more space

The Grand Strand Humane Society opened in 1972 and expanded in 2001 along Mr. Joe White Avenue.

Currently, the Humane Society has space for 73 dogs and 113 cats. During a recent visit by The Sun News, more than 90 dogs were on site. That’s because officials last year inked a two-year lease with Tanger Outlets to house its cats for adoption. More than 300 are there now.

Last year, Wnuk and her staff housed nearly 2,000 animals, including guinea pigs and rabbits, grew its foster network and completed 1,316 adoptions.

“We’ve been working under emergency conditions for the last almost two years. We’ve spent months and years actually developing this site, this new building,” Humane Society board president Lindsey Rankin.

Among the planned features for a new facility:

• Multi-tiered interior and exterior sound mitigation, such as sound absorption kennel materials, soundproof fencing and the addition of mature landscaping, berm and water features.
• Occupancy of less than 3 percent of the overall acreage to promote environmental sustainability
• Installation of modern HVAC and plumbing systems that feature 4-, 8- and 12-minute air exchanges, individual kennel drains and odor-proofing
• Low-cost veterinary clinic
• On-site humane education classes

Peter Nesta, who lives near the site eyed by the Humane Society, listed several reasons why he doesn’t want the building there. Development fatigue isn’t on the list, he said.

“There are so many issues, including property values, the pets that are dropped off after hours, running through neighborhoods.”

Had county leaders approved the zone change, Wnuk said construction would have expected to be finished by 2025.

“We’re going to continue to work as hard as we can every day, not only to care for the animals that we have in our facility, but also to continue looking towards our future, continuing to pursue every option that becomes available for us,” she said.

This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 8:09 PM.