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This petition has been created for Horry County SC residents to sign in opposition to STOP Horry County Council from approving developers requests to amend our 2040 future land use map that was created to protect sensitive areas such as SCENIC & CONSERVATION. Much of the sensitive areas are wetlands that are being destroyed because Horry County Council is accepting Approximation reports from the developers and not requiring definitive reports from Professional Land Surveyors or a report from the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers which would reveal the accurate amount of wetlands that are present on a piece of land in question.

 Freshwater forested wetlands contain sensitive natural buffers with highly permeable forests. Wetlands act like natural sponges absorbing and then gradually releasing storm water runoff thus decreasing flood risk to surrounding properties. Wetlands are important; they provide values that no other ecosystem can! They are superb at purifying polluted water, storing floodwaters and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods, shoreline erosion control, providing fish and wildlife habitats. These valuable functions are the result of the unique natural characteristics of wetlands. Protecting wetlands can protect our safety and welfare.Threatened species such as Wood Storks have been observed in that area.The Wood Stork serves as an indicator species for restoration of the ecosystem. Without them the ecosystem will be dramatically disturbed. Horry County Council needs to STOP allowing these developers to destroy our wetlands and wildlife! They are supposed to be protecting them! Developers are being allowed to fill in and build on our wetlands which is creating a major flooding problem here in Horry County! 

The Horry County SC 2040 comprehensive future land use map was created based on a strategy of PUBLIC INPUT and any further changes should be based on that same strategy of PUBLIC INPUT in order to amend any aspects of this map! Instead Horry County Council is approving changes to the 2040 future land use map even when the public is in strong opposition of it.This needs to stop! 

Horry County Council approved Ordinance 54-19 on December 10, 2019 adopting the Horry County Comprehensive Plan, Imagine 2040 and the Future Land Use Map therein. The Future Land Use Map was developed based on a strategy of PUBLIC INPUT and geo-spatial analysis. PUBLIC INPUT included hearings in front of the Planning Commission and County Council as well as a community survey, open houses held throughout the County, and a Land Use Workshop in May 2018. Development trends, existing land use and existing and planned infrastructure informed a development analysis while natural assets, priority conservation areas and environmental constraints were the framework of the environmental analysis of the Future Land Use Map.

The Scenic & Conservation land use is applied to areas of the County that scored exceptionally high on the environmental constraint analysis and/or received strong recommendation from the community for future conservation. While not “off limits” to development, policy guidance is clear that more site specific information is needed to ensure a site is not constrained before considering different uses. (See page 84 in link below where they state "Amending the future land use for pin# 30700000018 to Suburban suggests that the property is NOT environmentally constrained" then look at the environmental constraints map on page 66 for that parcel what do you think?) In major residential subdivisions, these areas are recommended to remain within neighborhood open space.

On July 8,2021 Horry County Planning and Zoning passed application # 2021-05-006 rezone request from CFA Commercial Forest and Agricultural to MRD 3 Multi Residential Three on a parcel that has high environmental constraints. On July 8,2021 Horry County Planning and Zoning Board also passed in favor of the same developer's request to change the 2040 future land use map for that parcel listed as having high environmental constraints from Scenic and Conservation to Suburban designation. (click this link below and see pages 59-85) https://horrycounty.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=horrycounty_4cbd5b0575a2e4095bbb1375255c0fbe.pdf&view=1 

(The decision memorandum on page 84 contradicts what the Environmental Constraints Map shows on page 66) The Scenic & Conservation zoning supports limited development, and if developed the design should use low impact design principles to support environmental preservation.

Building 55 townhomes on a 13 acres parcel that the majority of is Freshwater Forested Wetlands will create a huge land disturbance and is NOT using a low impact design. The majority of this parcel pin # 30700000018 has high environmental constraints due to the fact the majority of this parcel is WETLANDS that are adjacent to a Jurisdictional tributary which is also located on that parcel. This Jurisdictional tributary is owned by the United States NOT THE PROPERTY OWNER and is federally protected by The Clean Water Act which establishes the basic structure for regulating pollutant discharges into the waters of the United States. 

The applicant submitted a wetlands approximation report on April 16,2021 this approximation report states “We believe that property contains 2.3 acres of wetlands” (full report is on pages 76 & 77 in the link I provided above) Again this is an approximation only and has NOT been verified with the US Army Corps of Engineers or a Professional Land Surveyor. 

The US fish and wildlife map that was used in their approximation report for the parcel located at 2249 US-17 Little River SC 29566  shows significantly more wetlands on this parcel than 2.3 acres. Why are approximation reports being accepted as a guide to rule in the amount of wetlands present on a parcel? This is happening around all of Horry County. Our wetlands are being destroyed and it must be stopped! Application #2021-05-006 is just one of the many developers that care nothing about destroying wetlands and wildlife. 

The requests for this application # 2021-05-006 will be presented to Horry County Council to determine approval on August 17,2021 at 6:00pm at the Council Chambers located in the Horry County Government & Justice Center, 1301 2nd Avenue in Conway. 

     ARTICLE 5.                                              Local Planning - Zoning.                         SECTION 6-29-710. Zoning ordinances; purposes.

(A) Zoning ordinances must be for the general purposes of guiding development in accordance with existing and future needs and promoting the public health, safety, morals, convenience, order, appearance, prosperity, and general welfare. To these ends, zoning ordinances must be made with reasonable consideration of the following purposes, where applicable:

(1) to provide for adequate light, air, and open space;

(2) to prevent the overcrowding of land, to avoid undue concentration of population, and to lessen congestion in the streets; *CROWDING OF LAND IS PRECISELY WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE! 

(3) to facilitate the creation of a convenient, attractive, and harmonious community;

(4) to protect and preserve scenic, historic, or ecologically sensitive areas;      *PROTECTING AND PRESERVING THESE AREAS IS BEING DISREGARDED! 

(5) to regulate the density and distribution of populations and the uses of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence, recreation, agriculture, forestry, conservation, airports and approaches thereto, water supply, sanitation, protection against floods, public activities, and other purposes;

(6) to facilitate the adequate provision or availability of transportation, police and fire protection, water, sewage, schools, parks, and other recreational facilities, affordable housing, disaster evacuation, and other public services and requirements. "Other public requirements" which the local governing body intends to address by a particular ordinance or action must be specified in the preamble or some other part of the ordinance or action;

(7) to secure safety from fire, flood, and other dangers; and.                                          *HORRY COUNTY IS NOT SECURING PUBLIC SAFETY FROM ANY OF THE ITEMS LISTED IN (7)

(8) to further the public welfare in any other regard specified by a local governing body.

Please sign this petition if you are a Horry County SC resident and are fed up with the over development these developers are pushing on us and that the County Council is approving! These developers are being allowed to build as many dwellings on a parcel that they can fit. This would not be able to happen if the amendments to our 2040 comprehensive land use map STOP!  The current 2040 land use map protects the sensitive areas that contain high environmental constraints with wetlands. We the people must demand for the County Council to STOP approving the amendments to this map now before it's too late!