18-03-2025
North Myrtle Beach council postpones vote on Carolina Bays housing development
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — North Myrtle Beach City Council Monday night postponed a key vote on a controversial housing project near Carolina Bays Parkway while the city gets more details about landscaping and other aspects of the project from the developer.
The Florida-based Klotz Group of Companies bought the property in 2021 and announced plans last year for a $250 million community of more than 800 homes and a 10-square-foot commercial building on 110 acres.
However, after months of working through concerns such as density, green space, road maintenance and driveway sizes, the scope of The Preserve project was narrowed to a little more than 600 homes. Then, after a contentious March 10 meeting in which Hatley and other city leaders continued to express concerns about the project, the developer cut 16 more homes from the total.
'We have been on his one item at least four months, at least, and it is time for us to make a decision one way or the other,' a frustrated Mayor Marilyn Hatley said Monday night. 'I'm for delaying it, but I'm not for delaying it the next council meeting. We have other business to do, and we need to take care of our other business.'
Josh Hughes, of Charleston-based Long Leaf Real Estate, said previously that developers have followed guidance from the city's planning commission and council and altered plans, including adding two-car garages to some cottages and clarifying public and private roads for maintenance purposes.
Hatley and the city's staff agreed with that assessment Monday night but said plans currently available to the city still lack small details.
'We need the whole plans to look at,' Hatley said.
* * *
Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
