The land-use element of the county’s comprehensive plan states that any new development of the Litchfield Country Club and Founders Club courses should maintain a low overall density that preserves a significant portion of the green space.
It also designates the golf courses as conservation agriculture districts. That zoning is used for areas that include land critical to the health of watersheds and waterways, public recreation facilities or specific protected features in neighborhood developments, Georgetown County Planning Director Holly Richardson said.
The county has plans to update its zoning ordinance and map to reflect the information stated in the land-use element. However, it could take between 12 and 18 months, and some council members are looking for a quicker solution.
“The sooner, the better,” County Councilman Bob Anderson said.
At a recent council meeting, Richardson presented a plan for rezoning the courses.
The properties could be rezoned under an existing district, but there aren’t any that align with the county’s vision for the land, she said.
Some of the existing districts would allow for uses the county doesn’t want to see on the golf course properties, and others were created for rural districts that include language not relevant to the Waccamaw Neck.
Another option is to create a zoning district that would preserve greenspace and nearby wetlands and protect residential properties in the case of a course closure, Richardson said.
That would still allow for the land to be used for a golf course, public facilities, parks, open space and recreational facilities. There would also be limited conditional uses. For example, a clubhouse could be converted into a subdivision amenity, and there could possibly be commercial development along land fronting U.S. Highway 17, she said.
The proposed zoning district could potentially allow for some single-family residential development, but it would be limited. Richardson said one idea is to limit development to one house for every five acres.
