Board approves variance for batch plant near Mount Pisgah despite buffer concerns

The Horry County Zoning Board of Appeals approved a request March 9 to allow a concrete batch plant at a Mount Pisgah Cemetery Road site to operate closer to residentially used lots than the county's 500-foot separation requires. Staff described that the closest residential parcel adjoined to the south and the closest structure sits in a nearby mobile home park roughly 450 feet away; the applicants asked for a variance to remove the 500-foot requirement.

Applicant David Schwert of Diamond Shores said the site is surrounded by existing industrial uses and wetlands, that the nearest residence is across wooded property and that the batching operation would occur inside a building. "This is an effort for continued expansion of batch plants within Horry County to handle all the road improvement projects that are going on," Schwert told the board, adding that dust-control and noise regulations would apply and that air-quality authorities would respond to complaints. After members discussed dust control, the number of existing plants in the area, and whether the site would be a substantial detriment to adjacent properties, the board voted to approve the variance with staff-recommended conditions.