By Scott Harper/GAB News
On March 1, without taking a vote, South Carolina’s Georgetown County Council killed a request to add open storage as a possible use for a tract in Pawleys Island along the state’s coast.
At issue was a request to amend what is called the “Plantation Federal Planned Development” (PD) located on the west side of Highway 17.
The request was made by Dan Stacy as agent for Midgard Self Storage seeking to put 32 paved outdoor spaces for RV/Boat storage on the site.
It was originally submitted in October 2021 as an indoor storage facility but when the Planning Commission recommended denial, the company withdrew before it reached County Council.
They tried again in December 2021. It went to County Council with a recommendation from the Planning Commission that it be denied.
Council failed to approve the request at 3rd reading on Feb 8, 2022.
The new request is for an open storage unit rather than an indoor unit.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Helen Baldwin of South State Bank spoke during the public comment period asking council to deny the request.
“Since 1987 when the PD was approved, office has always been the intended use of the parcel and we, South State Bank, strongly believe this use should remain as intended,” she said.
During the January 19 Planning Commission meeting, six people spoke out against the request. The main concerns were buffers and landscaping, lighting, traffic and the excessive amount of storage in the area.
At that meeting, the Planning Commission voted 4-2 in favor of allowing open storage.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Raymond Newton made a motion to approve the request. Chairman Louis Morant asked twice if anyone wanted to second his motion. No one did, so the request died for lack of a second.
