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April 15, 2025
Friends & Neighbors:
This coming Thursday evening, April 17, the Planning Commission will hold THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS on the rezoning of LITCHFIELD COUNTRY CLUB and FOUNDERS CLUB GOLF COURSES. This decision is critical to the future of the Lower Waccamaw Neck.
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Hearing One: Creation of proposed NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITY zoning district which will allow low density residential and some commercial development on the two golf courses.
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Hearing Two: Rezoning of FOUNDERS CLUB GOLF COURSE from R-10 to Neighborhood Amenity. The County estimates that this new zoning would allow up to 32 houses on the golf course.
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Hearing Three: Rezoning of LITCHFIELD COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSE from R-10 to Neighborhood Amenity. The County estimates that this would allow up to 31 houses on the golf course.
QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN UNANSWERED
(1) Why is the County unwilling to protect our golf courses with a zoning district that allows NO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT?
(2) Why did the County change the longstanding Comprehensive Plan designation of these two golf courses from "Private Recreational," which did not allow residential development, to "CONAG" which does allow residential development?
(3) Why, for 17 years, did the County disregard state law requirements and fail to change the pre-existing R-10 zoning to be in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan "Private Recreational" designation?
"ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS"
The County's actions tell us all we need to know.
Georgetown County has the power to create a non-residential recreational zoning district and rezone the golf courses. But it has chosen not to do it.
Apparently the County thinks it is more important to protect the financial interests of the Chinese-owned company that purchased these golf courses and the developers who might want to build houses on them than it is to protect thousands of taxpaying residents.
The County says that its goal is to protect the golf courses against residential development. The way to protect against residential development is to not allow residential development.
While the County pays lip service to protecting the golf courses, the most it is willing to offer is the "Neighborhood Amenity" zoning district. This may be preferable to R-10, but it still allows residential development!
THE SKINNY
We have heard some Council members offer the "excuse" that if the County were to consider a non-residential zoning district for the golf courses, it might be sued by Founders for a "taking" of property. Surely, the County is aware that the South Carolina Supreme Court has already ruled that this kind of rezoning is not a "taking."
So then ... what is the real reason the County refuses a non-residential rezoning of the golf courses?
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