Planning staff's PDD text amendment approved; change would require only initial signatures for some parcel amendments

The commission approved a proposed text amendment to Articles 2 and 3 of the Horry County Zoning Ordinance that changes how plan development district (PDD) amendments are processed.

Staff explained the amendment would add the word "initial" so that signatures of all owners are required only on the initial PDD application, not for every future minor amendment. The amendment also codifies a staff practice requiring a minimum of two distinct residential types in a PDD (for example, single-family plus duplex) and that each listed residential and a commercial use comprise at least 5% of a PDD's net acreage; staff said a maximum acreage cap would limit the requirement on extraordinarily large parcels. "What we have proposed here is to add the word initial into the text," staff said, noting the change reduces the burden of collecting signatures for small parcel-level amendments while preserving notice requirements.

Staff also said owners within a PDD will still be noticed — the county will extend notice beyond the traditional 500-foot radius to all owners within the PDD. One public speaker asked the commission to retain the 500-foot notice standard; the request was noted but the commission moved to approve the text amendment. Staff said the change largely formalizes practices already enforced via zoning interpretation and will require parcel owners to be noticed even if signatures are not required for every amendment.