Georgetown County Planning Commission approves controversial land use proposal
GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WMBF) - A controversial land use proposal was back up for discussion in Georgetown County on Thursday, and to several residents’ disappointment, the planning commission passed it.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the planning commission, this proposed land use element is the very definition of insanity,” one resident said during public comment.
“This plan is a tool of destruction for the Waccamaw Neck,” said another.
This comes after the element was deferred last month, when residents cited flooding and traffic concerns, among others.
Director of Planning and Code Enforcement Holly Richardson said staff took the time to consider the public’s input.
On Thursday, they presented changes to the plan, but residents said the heart of their concerns wasn’t addressed.
“I was like, ‘what changes?’” one resident, Rebecca Noble, told WMBF News.
“96% of the people from the Waccamaw Neck said no increased density and protect our natural resources and the plan does the opposite,” said Cindy Person, executive director of Keep it Green Advocacy.
One planning commissioner, Maria Hamby, spoke out against the plan, asking for it to be deferred a second time. She claims staff still need more information before they proceed. When her fellow commissioners voted for it, she walked out of the meeting, later telling WMBF News she was standing up for her residents.
“If this is approved, you’re going to have a furious, furious public on the Waccamaw Neck,” said Hamby.
This land use draft stems from the comprehensive plan South Carolina counties are required to update every 10 years.
It will not be official until Georgetown County Council approves it.
You can read the full land use proposal below in its entirety:
Georgetown County land use draft by Michael Owens on Scribd
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