Horry County's Planning Commission voted unanimously on Thursday, Nov. 5, to recommend a development agreement for a 472-acre project in Carolina Forest that would bring 394 single-family homes, 392 multifamily units and commercial space along Middle Ridge Avenue (via MyHorryNews). The land sits off U.S. 501 and is zoned Commercial Forest Agriculture today. To build what's proposed, it has to be rezoned to a Planned Development District.
That vote is a recommendation, not a final approval. County Council has the last word, and MyHorryNews reported the agreement could come up for first reading as soon as the council's Nov. 17 meeting. None of the coverage so far names the developer.
Most of the 472 acres won't hold houses. Only about 130 acres are buildable, according to MyHorryNews, with roughly 230 acres of ponds and about 13 acres of wetlands on the property. The plan sets aside nearly 280 acres as open space and includes a walking trail and a buffer along Middle Ridge Avenue, according to WPDE and MyHorryNews.
In exchange for the zoning change, county staff said the developer agreed to hand the county 5 acres to use at its discretion, pay a $5,800 fee for each home and pay $6.03 per square foot of commercial space, MyHorryNews reported. At full buildout of 786 units, the per-home fee alone would come to about $4.56 million. County records list possible commercial uses including warehouse and storage, offices, and wholesale or distribution.
Traffic and schools have been the sticking points. The rezoning was deferred in July over both, according to MyHorryNews. County records put the project at more than 6,400 new vehicle trips a day; WPDE cited a figure of about 6,471, on a road where Middle Ridge Avenue already carries more than 8,000 vehicles daily. Carolina Forest High School is running at 120% of capacity and Ten Oaks Middle School at 109%, MyHorryNews reported.
To deal with the traffic, the plan calls for new road connections, a connected internal street network, street designs that accommodate emergency vehicles and traffic-calming measures, according to WPDE.
A Planning Commission nod isn't a sure thing in Carolina Forest. County Council has turned down rezonings in the area before, including a 2021 request for homes that MyHorryNews covered under the headline "This place is overbuilt." This time, council members will be weighing a negotiated package of fees, land and open space against the same traffic and school concerns that stalled the request in July.
Why it matters for Contractors
A project with 786 units is a big-builder job, and a small shop isn't going to bid it outright. But a development of this size doesn't get built in a weekend. If council approves it, it means steady demand over time for the trades production builders sub out: concrete and flatwork, framing, roofing, siding, drywall, trim, landscaping and irrigation, plus service and remodel calls once people move in.
The first move is simple: watch the Nov. 17 County Council agenda on the county's website. Once a developer and builder are named, that's who to call about getting on a trade-partner list, and it's better to be in that conversation before the first phase breaks ground than after.
Keep an eye on the fee terms, too. The $5,800-per-home charge is part of a negotiated development agreement for this project, not a countywide impact fee, so it doesn't automatically apply to a custom home or small infill job elsewhere in the county. It's still a useful signal of what Horry County is asking big projects to pay toward roads, schools and services.
Finally, if your crews already work the U.S. 501 corridor, plan around the traffic. More than 6,400 added trips a day on top of what Middle Ridge Avenue carries now will affect drive times and job-site access, especially while construction traffic is part of the mix.