Commissioners hear design-mod pitch for Moss Park; staff recommends disapproval

The Horry County Planning Commission considered a design modification request for Moss Park that would allow center gutters or "inverted crowns" on private streets for a 51-lot single-family development.

The applicant/consultant argued the feature would reduce grading and preserve large, established trees. "We're trying to basically save a couple of very large trees that are in that corner," said Dan Parker, who described minimizing grading so the neighborhood would remain "very wooded" and preserve 20- to 30-inch trees on future lots. The applicant said installing gutters at the roadway center is a common approach in lower-speed settings and would avoid trenching along tree roots.

Staff cited Horry County standards in opposition. "Based based on the county engineer's assessment, staff recommends disapproval," a staff member told the commission, referencing Article 4, Section 2-6E, which limits inverted crowns or center gutters to alleyways unless engineering demonstrates compliance with stormwater drainage standards. The chair then put the motion to approve on the floor, a second was recorded and commissioners conducted a roll call tally; the transcript records the announced numbers during the vote but does not include a clear adopted outcome in the record.

Why it matters: The request balances competing objectives — preserving mature trees and minimizing grading versus meeting county stormwater and road design standards intended to protect downstream drainage. Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on grading limits, root impacts from roadside trenches and how a center gutter approach would affect stormwater conveyance and roadway safety. The commission will incorporate the staff assessment and the engineering record as the item moves forward.