Planning commission backs R‑2 rezoning and conservation preservation for 109‑acre Culture Road tract after public safety, flooding and traffic concerns

The Conway Planning Commission on a voice vote recommended assigning R‑2 (medium‑density residential) and a conservation preservation overlay to a roughly 109‑acre tract along Culture Road, a move that would place about 43 acres of the site in a no‑build conservation zone if City Council approves annexation and final zoning.

Residents who live in Midtown Village said they fear increased flooding, greater traffic and the loss of privacy as new subdivisions surround their neighborhood. "We actually fell in love with Conway because it seemed like such a small town," said Ann Marie Bollinger, a Midtown Village resident, adding that areas behind her house “are now starting to look like wetlands” after recent storms.

The commission's recommendation is advisory to City Council; final annexation and ordinance adoption require council action. Planning staff repeatedly told speakers that the item before the commission was the zoning assignment upon annexation, not approval of an engineering plan, and that detailed technical reviews — including traffic studies and stormwater controls — will occur later if the property is developed.

Why it matters: The property is currently in Horry County as Commercial Forest Agriculture (CFA) and allows a range of uses under county rules. If the tract remains in the county it could be developed under different rules (including half‑acre lots), staff said; annexation with the proposed R‑2 zoning would limit uses to medium‑density residential and impose the city’s residential design standards and the conservation preservation protection for the floodplain.

Public concerns and staff response Residents pressed…