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Click the meeting links in the table below for which you want more information:
3/7/07 County Council Meeting Report on the Wicked Stick Gold Course Rezoning As anticipated there was no reconsideration at the Horry County Council meeting yesterday evening and the Wicked Stick rezoning exactly as agreed between Wicked Stick management and the Southwood community is now established (Click here to see the agreement.)
1/16/07 through 2/20/07 County Council Meeting Reports as to Wicked Stick Golf Course Rezoning. The Wicked Stick golf course rezoning item was included in the consent agenda and passed. The rezoning passing first reading exactly mirrored the oral agreement reached between Wicked Stick golf course management and the Southwood HOA board. Click here to see the detailed particulars of that agreement. The rezoning passed second reading unanimously and third reading on the consent agenda. It will now be rezoned in accordance with the Wicked Stick/Southwood agreement, barring a motion for reconsideration passing before the minutes are read at the next Horry County Council meeting. There is no indication that such a motion will be made, let alone passed.
All the chairs in council chambers and three other rooms were filled
with Myrtle Trace people by, I would say, 5:45 -- most in support of keeping
its streets gated, but others wanting them down because the gates diverted so
much traffic to other residential roads. After they got through all the usual
preliminaries, council moved the Myrtle Trace issue in front of all others,
voted first reading to keep the gates, and then went on a short break while
the chamber emptied of Myrtle Beach people at about 8 o'clock. As County
Council Chairman, Liz Gilland cut off a number of potential speakers (which
already had an unusual public input on their issue at first reading), she
promised she would have public input on second and third reading as well!
Liz promises that she will again have the Myrtle Trace issue first at the
February 6 meeting, as she did at this meeting. The February 6 meeting will
hold the second reading with public input on Wicked Stick rezoning later in
the meeting. To avoid the inconvenience of not having seating until the
chambers empty with Myrtle Trace people, Southwood residents would be well
advised to arrive early at 5:30 or at 8 p.m. when it now appears the Myrtle
Trace crowd will leave the chambers. For the latest update on this, check this
Web site after February 2.
If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here. 1/15/07 Southwood Community Meeting on Proposed Wicked Stick Rezoning The Wicked Stick rezoning to be voted on at first reading at County Council on January 16 was presented by John Danford, Sr. Planner with Horry County Planning Staff. He brought a county map, but found a large one that had been prepared by Southwood HOA board members and was cardboard backed preferable to talk to. The board also provided 8 1/2 by 11 similar handouts for all except the correct GR-7 area rezoning requested was marked GR-6 reflected the same error in Planning's mailing to all Southwood homeowners.
The presentation that would be voted on at first reading by Horry County Council the next night exactly mirrored the oral agreement reached between Wicked Stick golf course management and the Southwood HOA board. Click here to see the detailed particulars of that agreement.
Initially, there was concern about the golf course area north of Coventry parallel to Beaver Run and abutting golf course lots that would be rezoned PR-1, office professional. But this concern was allayed when it was pointed out that the PR-1 zoning restricted heights to 36 ft. only one more foot than the allowed 35 ft. height for single family residential -- as opposed to the currently zoned HC, highway commercial zoning that allows 120 ft. high buildings. The required 15 ft. buffer between the PR-1 area and the golf course lots was also mentioned.
After this discussion, the Wicked Stick rezoning was overwhelmingly, if not unanimously, approved by the homeowners attending.
Mike Ryan, the Southwood/District 4 councilman spoke saying that he believed the rezoning would readily pass first reading on the council's consent agenda the next evening. He said that public input would be allowed on the rezoning at the two following reading, the next one being February 6.
Southwood HOA president, Tom Palmer, and Wicked Stick owner representative, Lawrence Langdale both anticipate being at both meetings to confirm the agreement to council. A Southwood residence turn-out willing to stand in support of the agreement at the February 6 meeting would assure council so as to assuage any possible (unknowledgable?) objections to what is on the verge of being a great victory for Southwood homeowners.
There is no current intent to sell or redevelop Wicked Stick, but this rezoning would assure that any possible redevelopment that didn't comply would not be automatically allowed if a developer simply requested a zoning permit. With this rezoning, any different redevelopment would require full public scrutiny and Planning Commission/County Council approval.
Of course, all Southwood homeowners are welcome to attend all three county council readings on the current rezoning request. All these meetings begin at 6 p.m. but you would be well advised to read the January 16 first reading report as to suggested times to attend for the Wicked Stick rezoning meetings.
Readings will be held in the council chambers of the Administration Building of the Horry County Government and Justice Center at 1301 Second Avenue on the second floor -- directly behind the old courthouse.
If you attend on February 6 or 20, the fastest although not the shortest way to get to the Center (because of the anticipated crowd from Myrtle Trace) is probably not by way of Business 501 from S.C. 544, but instead to turn off 544 onto U.S. 501 North and precede north into Conway on the main branch of U.S. 501 beyond the power plant, turn right on the feeder before the bridge and light and turn right again down 3rd. street, finally, turning right again just before the court house (Beatty St.?). Using this route would lead you right into the front of the center. You can park where you choose, but if turning right in front of the center and then turning left takes you into the parking lot,specifically for the center.
If you choose to continue on S.C. 544 from the South Strand until it becomes Business 501, you have two choices after continuing on Business 501: 1. Just after you cross the old bridge into the Conway business district before the stop light, turn right and then right again under the bridge and continue on 2nd. Avenue until you pass the courthouse on your right and then turn left into the parking lot. 2. Turn left at the stop light immediately after you cross the old bridge, turn left at the stop light just before the court house and turn right behind the court house onto 2nd. Avenue and follow 2nd. Avenue until you pass the courthouse and turn left into the Center parking lot. If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here. January 4 Planning Commission Report The Wicked Stick Golf course rezoning was approved. The approved rezoning exactly mirrored the oral agreement reached between Wicked Stick golf course management and the Southwood HOA board. Click here to see the detailed particulars of that agreement. If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here. December 28 Zoning Committee Report The purpose of the zoning committee is to give planning commissioners advance information on what they will be voting on at the next planning commission meeting, in this case January 4, 2007. Carol Coleman deputy planning director recited the original and proposed new Wicked Stick rezoning types: from HC and GR to R-4, GR-7 and PR-1 and referred the commissioners to their packet.
Neither commissioner Ed McMenamin nor Pam Hobeika, the golf course committee members, were there. George Edwards outlined the broad aspects of the rezonings -- namely that they removed the possibility of 120 ft. tall multifamily or highway commercial buildings on lots adjacent to what are now golf course lots by rezoning some areas adjacent to the golf course lots to R4 and some to office professional, PR-1 (36 ft. maximum height buildings) and it allowed only 65 ft. maximum height multifamily buildings. Edwards stressed that Wicked Stick golf course management and the Southwood HOA board had agreed to these rezonings.
The staff recommended rezoning exactly mirrored the oral agreement reached between Wicked Stick golf course management and the Southwood HOA board. Click here to see the detailed particulars of that agreement. If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here. 11/30/06 Planning Technical Review and Zoning Committee Meeting The Deertrack Phase 1 item was a technical review of the South Course (It is the new developmental phase 1, not the established Deerfield Phase 1 which involves the North Course.) The review concerned added turn-arounds and entrances recommended by staff and approved by the committee. If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here. November 28 County Council Meeting Report on Deerfield rezoning
Howard Barnard moved to reconsider the previous meeting approval of rezoning Deerfield to R3. Motion failed.
Then Liz Gilland said that there had been an agreement between the golf course redeveloper and the Deerfield community to accept certain developer concessions if the R3 rezoning were dropped and time given for the developer to prepare a PDD incorporating the agreed concessions.
I have had a chance to review our recorded tape on this council meeting
and find two things wrong with my earlier report:
1. There was discussion, although only by Mike Ryan
saying he would like to see R3 zoning for Deerfield as passed in the previous
CC meeting.
2. Liz Gilland believed that everyone on the county
council had been given the information on the plan agreed to by the Deerfield
golf course owners and the Deerfield phase 1 community.
Nevertheless, Kevin Hardee, after hearing Gilland's
description of the plan, offered to change his vote against reconsideration if
Gary Loftus wanted that. (One vote changed would have been enough to have
bring about reconsideration.) Marion Foxworth and Mark Lazarus who both voted
against reconsideration said they understood the council attorney, John
Weaver, to say that the plan that Gilland presented was illegal.
Weaver said that, regardless of any misunderstandings,
he would not say that this was illegal, he just felt it was unfair to the
developer to be forced to a PDD to avoid R3 zoning. He noted that the
developer could still come in "tomorrow" and go through the PDD process with
the same procedure used for any PDD rezoning. He felt that the Deerfield
community leaders word to accept a PDD given the concessions the developer
agreed to should be adequate incentive for him to go ahead with the PDD.
No one responded to Hardee's offer nor offered to change
his vote.
In any event, the developer can still propose a PDD if he chooses.
If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here.
11/14/06 County Council meeting report: DeerfieldRezoning Third Reading The council chambers were overflowing and the sound was very poor in the overflow room, but this is my understanding of the meeting. Bottom line: County council passed third reading to rezone Deerfield Phase 1 and the North Course (Toski Links?) from R7 to R3 despite being told by their attorney, John Weaver, that the county would be sued by the developer if they did so – and, in his opinion, the developer would win. Before they passed third reading, they asked the developer if he would negotiate in an effort to prevent a suit. I gather that he must not have dismissed doing so. After a motion to defer for such possible negotiations, Councilman Lazarus suggested that the council could pass third reading tonight and then reconsider at the next council meeting if negotiations with the developer made that seem desirable. Barnard told the developer that, although he was not an attorney, he thought the developer would lose a suit if he chose to enter into one, but he assured the developer that he would move for reconsideration at the next meeting if negotiations by then were favorable. Just before the Deerfield rezoning came up, there was an executive session which presumably was when John Weaver gave his legal advice. Nevertheless county council passed an amendment to the R4 zoning recommended by the planning commission to rezone to R3. Then a motion to defer in order to attempt to avoid a lawsuit by negotiating with the developer failed before the final vote to rezone R3 with the possibility of reconsidering at the next county council meeting if negotiations proved successful.
If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here.
November 2 Planning Commission Meeting Report on Deerfield Chairman Parness observed: "Let the record show that the only ones in these council chambers who are not Deerfield are the planning commission and staff." Bottom line: The Planning Commission recommended R4 instead of the requested R5 because the Deerfield rezoning is to be applied to the Deerfield HOA Phase 1 residences as well as the North Course and, as I recall, it looked like 10-20 of the 400+ Deerfield lots would have been non-conforming at R4 (from the Loftus presentation). Staff recommended R4, saying it did not make a practice of recommending non-conforming zoning.
If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here.
October 26, Planning Technical Review and Zoning Committee Meetings When I arrived, I found that both agendas were revised so that Deerfield Phase1 was not discussed at all as was indicated in the mailed agendas. The only reference made to this subject was on the "Technical Review Committee -- Revised Agenda" printout which under B. Preliminary had printed: "4. Requesting Deferral - Deertrack Phase 1 - Brent Gerald . . . .HANDOUT #1." There was no oral comment. Adam Parness, Planning Commission chairman, assures me that The County Council Ordinance to rezone Deerfield from R-7 to R-3 remains on the November 2 Planning Commission agenda.
If you want to return to the Meeting Reports menu, click here.
October 17, Horry County Council Meeting Horry County Council passed both the moratorium and the rezoning on the Deerfield North Course unanimously --. third (final) and second readings, respectively. There was an overflow crowd, between homeowners, largely Deerfield, and casino employees. Another room than the council chamber with a TV was filled and people were crowding the halls.
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September 19 Horry County Council Meeting. Councilman Ryan moved for and a 60 day moratorium on building permits for the Deerfield North Course passed.
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September 13 Deerfield Phase 1 Home Owners Association Meeting. I would say there were up to200 people there. They were not happy campers. I don't blame them. I would be enraged at what is happening if that were my beautiful golf course community. An attorney from the Bellamy law firm that is also representing the South Course in a suit against the developers has filed suit for the North Course spoke. Currently they are filing two separate class action suits. The Southwood Community Association held a meeting September 14 where the Wicked Stick/Southwood golf course rezoning request was thoroughly discussed. The desirability of getting action before Wicked Stick might be sold (even though there was no knowledge of any pending sale or negotiations for such) was stressed, and the danger of that putting Southwood in the same position as Deerfield's golf course sale -- the stated primary basis for the Planning Committee subcommittee's negative vote on the Southwood/Deerfield request was its feeling that a positive vote would only needlessly put the county at risk of a law suit. Gary Loftus, Deerfield Phase 1 HOA president explained the Deerfield situation. Petitions were signed and collected to ask the county government to act so that golf course redevelopment adverse to homeowners would be lessened.
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