Bear Paw Parcels – Protecting our scenic and conservation land
Attend the Horry County Planning Commission Meeting on Thursday, July 11th at 5:30 pm (Horry County Administration Building, 1301 Second Avenue in Conway).
Before the hearing, send your comments to Horry County Senior Planner, Jonathan Suggs, by email Suggs.Jonathan@Horrycounty.org
Before the hearing, call the members of the Planning Commission and ask them to vote against the rezoning of Bear Paw (Rezoning #2019-006-005). Find their contact information here.
Background
On Thursday, July 11th, the Horry County Planning Commission will have a public hearing on the rezoning of the Bear Paw parcel. The developers are requesting a rezoning from Commercial Forest Agriculture (CFA) to Multi-Residential (MRD1) of 44.72 acres located on Old Highway 90 in Conway. While this is a small parcel, the rezoning is only the first phase in a larger development plan for the area near the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve.
You may remember a previous hearing on three parcels – the Bear Parcels containing Bear Paw, Bear Claw, and Bear Bone. The three parcels comprise nearly 900 acres previously identified as the location for a new 1,500-home subdivision in an area recently impacted by devastating flooding. Surrounded by Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve on three sides, the parcels are in one of the most flood prone and environmentally sensitive areas in the entire county.
The Bear Paw parcel contains more than 17 acres of wetlands and part of Big Jones Swamp. The area is identified as scenic and conservation in the Imagine 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
The Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER® needs your help engaging the Horry County Planning Commission to deny the rezoning and protect our county’s unique natural resources.
Lewis Ocean Bay: A Natural Treasure
The 10,427 acre preserve is home to black bears, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and bald eagles and one of the few remaining natural habitats for the Venus flytrap which is only native to the Carolinas.
The preserve contains 23 Carolina Bays, isolated wetlands which help provide habitat for these unique plants and animals.
The Horry County Parks & Open Space Board identified the Bear Parcels as a forest corridor linkage area. These areas provide links between habitats for local fauna including the black bear and need to be maintained.
Bear Paw is only the first parcel in this project to be rezoned.
We need to protect ALL of the Bear Parcels!
Threats to Water Quality
Your clean drinking water comes from surface waters throughout Horry County. Poorly planned development threatens water quality. Impervious surfaces directly contribute to increased pollutants by preventing natural stormwater drainage and filtration.
Development in the floodplain could also have major impacts on flood mitigation. After the devastating flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, we need to make informed decisions when considering development in natural areas.