Environmentalists are concerned that the plat, which dates to 2015 and includes a road design and lot layout, cannot be accomplished today.

The spit has changed significantly since 2015, said Amy Armstrong, an attorney with the South Carolina Environmental Law Project. She said the road for the subdivision would impact the critical area, the very narrow neck of the spit, and be in water.

The law center has represented the Coastal Conservation League in a faceoff over the future of Captain Sam’s Spit.

“Why would the town extend approval for a plat that is not possible to accomplish because it’s so dynamic,” Armstrong said. “It’s changed so much that where the road is (on the plat) can’t be built anymore.”

The plans would need to be entirely redesigned, Armstrong said.