Regulations

The purpose of the Land Development Regulations is to provide for the orderly development of Horry County and its environs through the regulation of the development of land. These standards are intended to encourage the following:

• Promote sound planning practices
• Promote the wise distribution of development in order to avoid congestion and overcrowding
• Protect the public health, safety, and general welfare
• Allow for cost saving efficiencies
• Assure the timely provision of required streets, utilities, and other facilities and services to new and existing land developments
• Coordinate street improvements with existing or planned streets
• Assure safe and convenient traffic access and circulation, both vehicular and pedestrian, in and through new and existing land developments
• Assure that population and traffic are distributed in order to avoid congestion and overcrowding
• Assure the adequate provision of needed public open spaces and building sites in new land developments through the dedication or reservation of land for recreation, educational, transportation, and other public purposes
• Assure that development is compatible with the adopted comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance, official map, and capital budget
• Assure compatible development in areas subject to flooding or other detrimental influences - natural or manmade
• Assure adequate rights-of-way for automobile or alternative modes of transportation, utility, and environmental purposes
• Encourage new and innovative design alternatives to promote creativity and flexibility in development
• Assist in the coordination between governmental and public service authorities to provide orderly development and ensure continuity of regulatory standards

The Planning Department is currently in the process of updating and amending the Land Development Regulations. For a meeting schedule of the Committee established to carry out the update, please call the Planning Department at (843) 915-5340.

Design Modifications

The Planning Commission may grant, upon written request, design modifications to the requirements found in Articles 2, 3, 4 (except amenity financial guarantees), 6, 7 and 8 of the Land Development Regulations if the strict application of the requirements would create an unnecessary hardship in the development of land. Design modification requests shall be prepared by the property owner, developer, or their agent and address the criteria shown below. Requests for design modifications may be submitted to the Planning Department 15 days prior to or at the Planning Commission meeting at which the request will be considered. In reviewing design modifications, the Planning Commission will consider the public interest and endeavor to preserve the general intent and spirit of these regulations.

Before granting a design modification the Planning Commission shall state, for the record, that all of the following conditions are satisfied. In reaching such conclusion, the Planning Commission may utilize the written request prepared by the applicant and other applicable information.

• The design modification is justified because of topographical or other special conditions unique to the property.
• The design modification will not compromise the intent or purpose of the Land Development Regulations. If the design modification is granted, the proposed development must show mitigation improvements to ensure the intent of the Land Development Regulations is maintained.

Major Development

Major developments include the following:

• The creation or extension of any new public street
• The creation of a private street greater than 1800 feet is utilized to obtain access
• The creation of more than 10 lots/units (including the parent tract) regardless of whether adequate access already exists
• Group developments such as apartment, condominium, and townhouse complexes
• Any commercial, industrial, or office land development, of regional significance, on a sinle tract or parcel of land that will produce an estimated 5,000 or more average daily trips according to trip generation rates established by the Institute of Transportation Engineers and established in the current issue of the ITE Trip Generation Manual
• Any portion of a Planned Development District [PDD]

Applications and submittal fees can be found in the Documents section of Planning and Zoning's homepage.

Minor Development

Minor developments include:

• Subdivisions or developments containing no more than 10 lots/units (including the parent tract) where access to a public or private street exists or where a new private street of less than 1800 feet is constructed to obtain access
• Any commercial, industrial, or office development on a single tract or parcel of land that will produce between 1,000 and 5,000 average daily trips according to trip generation rates established by the Institute of Transportation Engineers and established in the current issue of the ITE Trip Generation Manual.

Detailed descriptions of minor plans, along with submittal requirements, can be found in the Land Development Regulations. Applications and submittal fees can be found in the Documents section of PLanning and Zonings homepage.

Commercial Development Plan Review

The County recognizes three types of commercial development:

• Minor development in which any commercial, industrial, or office development on a single tract or parcel of land will produce between 1,000 and 5,000 average daily trips according to trip generation rates established by the Institute of Transportation Engineers and established in the current issue of the ITE Trip Generation Manual
• Major development in which any commercial, industrial, or office land development, of regional significance, on a single tract or parcel of land will produce an estimated 5,000 or more average daily trips according to trip generation rates established by the Institute of Transportation Engineers and established in the current issue of the ITE Trip Generation Manual
• Any portion of a Planned Development District

Applications and submittal fees can be found in the Documents section of PLanning and Zonings homepage.

Platting Actions

Platting actions include the following:

• Boundary Surveys, Original Surveys, Re-surveys, Lots of Record
• Estate Plats and Family Transfers
• Court Orders
• Combination of Lots