Pawleys Island / Georgetown & Horry Counties, SC
Development ordinance raises affordability concerns among residents and county council (Myhorrynews)
Summary: Horry County Council unanimously passed an ordinance to impose impact fees on new developments, with rates ranging from $2,392 for a typical home to $1,776 per 1,000 square feet for retail. The fees, authorized under state law, are intended to offset infrastructure costs for roads, schools, parks, and emergency services in the rapidly growing coastal county. Critics, including the Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association and Councilman Dennis DiSabato, warned the fees will worsen an existing housing affordability crisis by adding thousands of dollars to new home costs. The ordinance takes effect July 20, with a required annual report on fee collection and spending, and a mandated fee study update every five years.
Why it matters: This signals a growing tension in high-growth coastal markets between funding infrastructure through development fees and preserving housing affordability for the workforce that sustains the local tourism economy.
Context: Horry County, home to Myrtle Beach and a major tourist destination, has seen sustained population growth that strains public services. Impact fees are a common tool in fast-growing Sun Belt counties, but their regressive effect on entry-level homebuyers is a recurring policy flashpoint.
"CONWAY, S.C. — Horry County leaders approved an ordinance Tuesday allowing the county to charge impact fees on new developments, though some warned the additional costs could make housing less affordable. The." — MYHORRYNEWS
Commentary: The council’s unanimous vote despite acknowledged affordability concerns suggests political pressure to fund infrastructure outweighed fears of pricing out essential workers. The five-year review window offers a political escape valve, but the immediate effect will be a measurable increase in new-home prices at a moment when mortgage rates and construction costs are already compressing the buyer pool. Watch for downstream impacts on rental markets as would-be buyers remain renters longer.
Date: July 15, 2026 11:00 AM ET
URL: https://myhorrynews.com/news/development-ordinance-raises-affordability-concerns-among-residents-and-county-council/article_0c75c4e2-15da-414c-83a0-c51e60a8b28b.html
AI Sentiment Score: Positive (50%)
AI Credibility Score: 10.0/10 — High
Scores and text generated by AI analysis of the source article indicated.An Horry County development deal would help pay for extending SC 31. It could bring 2,000 new homes. (Postandcourier)
Summary: Horry County is finalizing a development agreement with Pulte Home Co. that would fund the southern extension of SC 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) while allowing up to 2,000 new homes on 760 acres near Socastee and Burgess. The deal includes a $5,800 per-home fee, a municipal improvement district, and a multicounty business park to finance the road. A roundabout connecting Scipio Lane and Big Block Road could be built within seven years. The county expects the region’s population to exceed 600,000, and SC 707 is already nearing capacity.
Why it matters: This deal shows how coastal counties are using development fees and tax-increment tools to pre-fund infrastructure before growth overwhelms existing roads, a model likely to spread across the fast-growing Southeast.
Context: South Carolina led the nation in population growth last year, and Horry County’s southern corridor is one of the state’s fastest-growing areas, with Burgess adding over 21,000 residents between 1990 and 2010.
"MYRTLE BEACH — Horry County leaders are close to finalizing a development agreement that would generate millions for the southern extension of S.C. Highway 31 and allow a developer to build up." — POSTANDCOURIER
Commentary: The agreement trades density for road funding, but 2,000 homes on 760 acres is still suburban sprawl, not the kind of compact development that reduces car dependency. The multicounty business park mechanism lets the county capture tax revenue as a fee, a creative but opaque financing tool that shifts risk to future taxpayers. The real test will be whether the roundabout and extension actually keep pace with the 800,000 new residents projected statewide by 2042.
Date: July 15, 2026 05:00 AM ET
URL: https://postandcourier.com/myrtle-beach/news/horry-county-sc-31-extension-new-homes/article_2fae11ca-572b-4554-81f1-ec10f54f0d57.html
AI Sentiment Score: Positive (40%)
AI Credibility Score: 10.0/10 — High
Scores and text generated by AI analysis of the source article indicated.Post ID: a13bd5c1