Horry County presents Imagine 2040 plan review and survey results; residents push for wider participation

Planning staff presented the five-year review of Horry County's comprehensive plan, Imagine 2040, and outlined the process and timeline for updating and presenting the document to county council. Staff noted the legal review requirement: "according to South Carolina's title 6 chapter 29, we are required to review this plan every 5 years and update it every 10 years," and described the new resilience element required by recent amendments.

Julian Riku delivered a summary of survey results used in the review. "So far, we have received 679 responses," he said, and staff noted respondents skewed older and more retired than the county population. The survey found high concern for flooding and hurricanes (89% prioritized flooding), lower satisfaction with transportation (83% rated quality as fair or poor), and preferences for single-family homes and open space preservation.

During public comment, multiple residents urged broader outreach and flagged apparent discrepancies in the survey: Rob Wilfong questioned representativeness and urged the commission to align planning with new state infrastructure projects, saying, "679 people responded? I mean, that that's less than a percent." Clint Richardson also noted demographic skew (high retirement share) and urged attention to affordability and survey framing.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan sets long-term policy and investment priorities for Horry County; the required resilience element and the plan's recommendations will guide growth management, capital projects and future zoning decisions. Staff encouraged continued public input before the draft goes to county council on Nov. 18.