Committee amends PDD zoning proposal, sends mixed‑use changes to planning commission after debate

Stevie Brown of planning staff presented amendments to articles 2 and 3 of Horry County’s zoning ordinance governing Planned Development Districts (PDDs). Brown said the proposed changes would require mailed notice to all property owners inside a PDD for major amendments, clarify that major amendments must be proposed by the property owner or an authorized applicant, and add mixed‑use requirements for new PDDs.

Under the staff recommendation, each PDD would include at least two types of residential uses and at least one commercial use, with each use type representing a minimum of 10% of the buildable area. Brown explained the provision is intended to maintain the "mixed‑use" character the state requires for PDDs.

Developers and council members objected to the 10% commercial minimum in certain contexts. One developer urged a more gradual step and argued that a 10% commercial requirement could be difficult to meet for residential‑centric projects, recommending 5% as a more workable threshold. "I would request that you'd at least consider going back to a 5% maximum instead of the 10," a developer said during the hearing.

Council members debated the tradeoffs: supporters of 10% said a stronger commercial floor helps reduce traffic and preserve mixed‑use intent; proponents of 5% said it would avoid penalizing projects with primarily residential design and limit disruption to projects already underway. The committee voted to amend the staff’s 10% recommendation to 5% and to forward the ordinance to the planning commission as amended for formal review.

Next steps: the planning commission will review the amended ordinance; the item will return to council after the planning commission’s consideration. Staff will provide additional materials and engage developers during the PC review.