COASTAL OBSERVER

Critics of Georgetown County’s updated land use plan hope the update to the zoning ordinance that is now underway will help restore trust in the planning process.

“That’s why there’s lawsuits. That’s why there’s an incorporation effort. Nobody trusts the system,” said Gary Weinreich, a Murrells Inlet resident.

The effort to form a town in the 29585 ZIP code went public after Georgetown County moved forward with the updated land use element of its comprehensive plan in 2024. Organizers say the land use plan will increase population density. They want to form a town whose primary function will be planning and zoning.

County officials have countered that the density in the undated land plan will be lower for the overall county than what could be built under the existing zoning. County Council last year reduced the maximum density for multi-family projects in its “general residential” zoning district from 16 to five units an acre in anticipation of rewriting the zoning ordinance.

That rewrite began in August with the county hiring Inspire Placemaking Collective to combine zoning and development regulations into a “unified development ordinance.” About 50 people attended a meeting last week with members of Inspire and county staff to learn how the process will work.

Sarah Sinatra, the project manager for Inspire, said reducing density is the goal of the rewrite. She and two members of her staff got a tour of the Waccamaw Neck before the meeting.

“I can see where the concern is from the new development,” she said.

Inspire doesn’t intend to rewrite the land use plan, but Sinatra said knowing how residents feel about the plan will help with the creation of the unified development ordinance.

“It’s not just the comprehensive plan, but anything you’d like to see from a zoning, a use, a density perspective. If there’s something we can address, we’d really like the opportunity to chat with you,” she said.

County Council Member Bob Anderson, who voted against the updated land use plan, wanted to know if the zoning update will consider other elements of the comprehensive plan, like population and natural resources. Sinatra said it will, but the land use section is what provides the legal basis for zoning.

Amy Armstrong, executive director of the S.C. Environmental Law Project, asked if the density would be determined by the land plan or the unified development ordinance.

“It depends,” Sinatra said. “Typically, you’re going to go for the more restrictive.”

The land plan, she noted, contains a vision and goals for the future. The ordinance is what determines what can be built. 

“It becomes a little more black and white,” she said.

And the public will have the opportunity for review and comment.

“We want to be super transparent,” Sinatra said after the meeting. 

Updates on the process and a survey can be found at inspire-engagement.com.