Smart, Sensible Planning Is Needed To “Save Rural Horry”.

Must read

David Hucks
David Huckshttps://myrtlebeachsc.com
David Hucks is a 12th generation descendant of the area we now call Myrtle Beach, S.C. David attended Coastal Carolina University and like most of his family, has never left the area. David is the lead journalist at MyrtleBeachSC.com

OPINION

Ask any teenager and they will tell you, growth is a wonderful thing.

Unless the growth in your teenager’s body is uncontrolled, in that case the medical community calls it cancer. Untreated, cancer always kills.

Last night, residents of District 10 and District 11 met to discuss ways to plan the future growth of rural Horry County. Those areas are increasingly being developed.

The meeting was held at Cain Branch Baptist Church. Cain Branch was founded in 1868. Facilitators included Amanda Brown, Matt Brown, and Chris Stevens.

In attendance were members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Horry County Councilman Al Allen, Horry County Councilman Danny Hardee, Horry County Councilman Orton Bellamy, and Horry County Councilman Gary Loftus.

Something Special About Rural Horry

Growing up in the 1970’s, I worked the tobacco fields near Joyner Swamp Road.

I often attended Berea Baptist Church with my Grandma Callie, my Uncle Dub and my Uncle Johnny Jenerette. In those days, church services were held in a small, white building long since torn down. Those memories live on in me, however.

I attended Aynor Elementary where I played marbles at lunch break with Kim Poston. I also played on Mr. Jimmy Ray Johnson’s little league football team. Mr. Jimmy Ray owned the local IGA in Aynor.

It was a magical time surrounded by loving members of a tight knit community.

Rural Horry

One of the lessons I learned early in life, however, was not to play marbles with Kim Poston. Kim’s daddy owned the local service station in Aynor.

In that day, we each brought a sack of marbles to school.

FUNZIES AND KEEPSIES

There were two types of marble players on the school grounds at Aynor Elementary. If you played funzies, at the end of the game you put your marbles back in your own sack when recess ended.

Kim Poston had a steel marble shooter and a solid thumb. Kim only wanted to play keepsies. If your marble went out of the circle, it was Kim’s.

Mr. Jimmy Ray coached the same way. If you didn’t want to sit on the bench, you had to play keepsies, even at practice. “Block and tackle boys…. wrap him up,” are words I remember to this day.

PRESSING PROBLEM

There is now huge money to be made in Rural Horry by entrenched interests at the Coastal Carolina Association of Realtors, as well as, key land developers. These folks are playing keepsies.

They have lawyers. They have lobbyists. They know the law well and they know how to get exceptions to existing law when there is money to be made on the next potential high dollar parcel.

Rural Horry residents, however, simply want to live their lives uninterrupted as they have for hundreds of years.

KEY CENTRAL EXCHANGE

The key and central exchange occurred last night as councilman Danny Hardee pulled out a development map on Bobby Anderson’s land. The Andersons own a large parcel on what has historically been called the Anderson Farm.

As Councilman Danny Hardee explained the multiple options under current zoning that Anderson could implement to build a new development on Highway 701 in Bayboro, one rural resident spoke up.

This is where it (the Anderson Development) starts,” he said.

He was right. Anderson owns all of the land around the development. Hardee can be heard saying, “And he will likely develop all of it.”

This is where it has to stop,” the resident replied.

The entire meeting can be found at this link on Facebook.

More articles

Latest article

- Advertisement -