Will this quiet section of Carolina Forest become a residential and retail hub? What to know
As a gentle breeze cut across the top of saplings along Postal Way, the morning call of a nearby bird whistled across the busy road before fading with the sound of passing traffic.
Untouched green space — more than 170 acres of it — straddles both sides of what’s become a symbol of Horry County’s consistent, explosive growth: a country road dotted with real estate signs.
But for nearby residents, it’s another marker that has them worried: a distinctive red-and-yellow poster from the county’s planning department advertising a potential rezoning.
At issue is whether to convert 175 total acres for commercial and retail use — anchored by 1,154 homes.
“We’re not happy about it,” said Carole vanSickler, president of the Carolina Forest Civic Association. “I’m not sure that we can handle the added traffic.”
Although the residential and commercial components need to be decided separately, they’re designed to complement one another.
VanSickler and others also are concerned about schools getting too crowded. Carolina Forest Elementary and Carolina Forest High already are 126% over capacity, and Ten Oaks Middle School is at 99%.
Developers for both of the projects appeared before the county’s planning commission on March 30 to outline the concepts. A public hearing is slated for April 6 before the county council takes up the matter, likely in early May.
Chatham Crossing would bring mixed-use retail
Planning documents for a proposal called Chatham Crossing show a request to flip 34 acres along Postal Way — which feeds onto U.S. Highway 501 — from light industrial into a more versatile retail zoning.
That zoning includes multi-family residential, townhomes, gas stations, self-storage, restaurants/bars, retail, grocery stores and gyms. Medical offices and repair services also would be permitted.
County officials said if the rezoning is approved, no homes would be put into Chatham Crossing.
Construction would start in June 2026, with full build-out by the spring of 2028.
Thousands of homes proposed for Carolina Forest
A 129-acre parcel abutting Chatham Crossing would go from undeveloped commercial land into a planned mixed-use development called The Waters. That brings the possibility of mobile food trucks and a farmers market along with the 1,154 homes.
As part of the deal, project managers would make $1.7 million worth of infrastructure and road upgrades to support the additional population, including adding a third lane to Postal Way and building two roundabouts within the subdivision.
When fully built out, the Waters planned development district could add an estimated 10,000 more daily trips along the roadways, according to a traffic analysis. It currently sees 17,500 trips.
The road upgrades, including modified pedestrian access, two roundabouts and expanding Postal Way to three lines, would take place between summer 2024 and spring 2028 as part of the development deal.
