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Commission rezones 57 flood‑prone parcels to Conservation Preservation to protect floodplain and advance stormwater projects
Summary
The commission approved grouped rezoning of roughly 57 parcels (about 165 acres total in the consolidated request) to Conservation Preservation to align zoning with FEMA buyouts and facilitate stormwater projects such as Chestnut Bay and the McKithan watershed effort.
The Conway Planning Commission voted April 2 to rezone a grouped set of city‑acquired, flood‑prone parcels (items 4–10 on the agenda) to Conservation Preservation. Staff said most were purchased following repetitive‑loss flooding tied to Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, many are FEMA buyout lots, and rezoning will help return selected parcels toward natural floodplain function and protect them from residential or commercial encroachment.
Staff explained the Conservation Preservation (CP) district is typically used to protect environmentally sensitive and flood‑prone lands and to allow recreational or low‑impact infrastructure (boardwalks, trails, limited shelters) where FEMA and grant approvals permit. Several parcels are incorporated into engineered stormwater and watershed projects (including a man‑made wetland in the Chestnut Bay effort and a South Carolina Office of Resiliency‑supported McKithan watershed project), which staff said will provide flood storage and trail/amenity opportunities in some locations.
During public comment a nearby resident expressed concern about property impacts and possible future access; staff clarified that rezoning aligns zoning to the future land‑use map and that many of the smaller parcels will remain city‑owned FEMA buyout lots with no plans for development. A speaker who identified himself only as George (a nearby resident and birdwatcher) voiced support for the conservation rezoning and asked about acreage; staff said the consolidated set represented roughly 165 acres across the combined parcels.
The commission closed public input and approved rezoning items 4–10 to CP by voice vote.
What’s next: Parcels rezoned to CP will be managed in keeping with FEMA and grant requirements if they are included in stormwater projects; staff said some parcels may be leased to adjacent landowners for passive recreational enjoyment but will remain under CP restrictions.
