Growing up coming to Pawleys Island for vacation from Columbia in the summers was magical – there were no stop lights and only one grocery store in town. When I moved here in 2002, the landscape had begun to change, thanks in large part to federal insurance subsidies that allowed folks to build much larger and more expensive homes following Hurricane Hugo. And over the past 22 years I, along with many of you, have witnessed even more disturbing changes to our community – from the clearcuts that destroy habitat and choke wildlife, to developments in flood-prone areas, we are slowly and literally paving over paradise.

Throughout these decades, we have had the same Zoning Ordinance in place, and that Ordinance is failing us. It is failing us because it does not provide adequate tools to manage development while protecting what 96% of us have said is most valuable to us: our natural environment.

In a video shared with their subscribers, the newly formed Pawleys Litchfield Municipal Study Group makes the case that the only way to protect the lower Waccamaw Neck from the “irreversible, destructive” impact of the newly adopted Georgetown County Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element is to form an entirely new, self-governing town.

This drastic measure is expected to somehow curb population growth and reduce density, which has turned into somewhat of a “dirty word” among some circles. Categorically saying no to density is not a way to manage growth. Good planning identifies places where density is appropriate, and where green and open space should remain. The county has not done a good job of being forward-looking in how we plan for development and resource protection simultaneously, which has gotten us into the situation we find ourselves all along the Waccamaw Neck.

Much of the underlying concern about density surrounds traffic and congestion. But we aren’t going to get rid of those issues by throwing down the gauntlet on the Land Use Element or creating a new town. The same goes for overall population. The reality is that people are moving here and will continue to regardless of who is elected to a newly formed Town Council. What’s more, we have no guarantee that those elected would vote any differently than our current elected officials in Georgetown County. But residents should have a say in the manner in which future development proceeds.

As someone who has devoted her life to be a passionate defender of the environment, I am far less concerned about the notion of density than I am about the impact we are having on our land and water and the wildlife and habitats they support – indeed the natural resources that the vast majority of us hold dear. In that regard, the amount of clearcutting for development; the percentage of impervious cover; the number of driveways and rooftops, which exacerbate runoff and flooding – and the pollutants being carried by stormwater – in a County already struggling with stormwater management and flooding are far more urgent than the amount of people living here. While the land does have a carrying capacity, we are already constrained by the river, the ocean, protected lands and the numerous existing developments.

New development must be more about minimizing the impact on the land, and less about the number of units. A real-life example unfolded several years ago at the corner of Kings River and Waverly. The County received a proposal for a ~3-acre parcel with 10 condos occupying ~1.5 acres with only one access road, and the other ~1.5 acres would be permanently protected with deed restrictions. From an environmental land use perspective, that would be far preferable to 7 single family homes on 7 clearcut ½ acre lots each with their own access road. So, while the number of units would increase, the environmental impact would be significantly less because roughly 50% of the natural habitat would remain untouched. Moreover, the amount of impervious surfaces would be drastically reduced with 10 multi-family units because there would be one road in and out, as opposed to 7 driveways, and because clustered units reduce the amount of rooftops. Impervious surfaces – and lack of trees and naturally vegetated areas – are exactly what exacerbate flooding, not to mention result in a loss of habitat for wildlife that we are still fortunate enough to enjoy.

To address traffic and congestion a better – and much less drastic – solution would include more walkable communities, sidewalks and bike paths, as well as strong protections for the environment in the face of inevitable development. Examples of walkable and bikeable communities exist all around us, yet we have no bike paths on major thoroughfares, like Hagley, Waverly, Crooked Oak or the South and North Causeways – and that’s barely scratching the surface if the goal is to get more cars off the roads.

My hope and desire is that our community can come together to advocate for creating new ordinances that will protect our natural environment while also providing low-impact housing options for our workforce. While not perfect, the recently passed Land Use Element can be an important tool toward what will truly make a difference in how our county looks in the coming decades: new ordinances – starting with zoning.

Enacting a wetlands protection ordinance and carefully crafted zoning, as well as historic and/or cultural resources protections as we have seen in Charleston and Beaufort counties, would safeguard the things that make the Waccamaw Neck and Georgetown County such a great place to live – the beautiful and expansive marsh views, clean and plentiful waterways to enjoy fishing and recreating and a community that truly cares about each other, its culture and its future.

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This letter was originally published in the October 3 issue of Coastal Observer.