HORRY COUNTY, South Carolina COMPREHENSIVE PLAN April 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS_____________________________________________ II TABLE OF GRAPHS, MAPS, PICTURES AND TABLES __________________ IX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ___________________________________________ 1 INTRODUCTION __________________________________________________ 2 Reevaluating and Updating of the Envision 2025 Comprehensive Plan...................4 THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS ........................................................4 Initial Community Outreach.......................................................................................4 ENVISION 2025 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE – 2007 COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS ...................................................................................................................5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ____________________________________________ 7 POPULATION ELEMENT ___________________________________________ 12 POPULATION GROWTH............................................................................................12 POPULATION PROJECTIONS ..................................................................................14 SEASONAL POPULATION.........................................................................................15 POPULATION COMPOSITION ..................................................................................16 RACE AND ETHNICITY..............................................................................................16 AGE.............................................................................................................................16 HOUSEHOLDS ...........................................................................................................17 EDUCATION ...............................................................................................................17 INCOME AND POVERTY ...........................................................................................18 SUMMARY..................................................................................................................20 STATEMENT OF NEEDS AND GOALS ________________________________ 21 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ____________________________________ 21 POPULATION DATA ..................................................................................................21 CULTURAL RESOURCES ELEMENT _________________________________ 22 CULTURAL FACILITIES .............................................................................................22 MUSEUMS..............................................................................................................22 ART GALLERIES & MUSEUMS .............................................................................23 VENUES .....................................................................................................................24 Theatre of the Republic...........................................................................................24 Wheelwright Auditorium/Long Bay Symphony ........................................................24 BB&T Coastal Field.................................................................................................24 OUTDOOR FACILITIES..............................................................................................25 SPECIAL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS.........................................................................25 HISTORIC PLACES....................................................................................................26 Conway ...................................................................................................................27 Myrtle Beach ...........................................................................................................29 Galivants Ferry Historic District...............................................................................30 Socastee Historic District ........................................................................................31 ii Bucks Township ......................................................................................................31 Little River ...............................................................................................................32 Green Sea...............................................................................................................32 Kings Highway ........................................................................................................33 Waccamaw River ....................................................................................................33 CULTURAL GROUPS, SOCIETIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS ...................................33 Native-American Organizations...............................................................................33 Historical Societies..................................................................................................33 Performing Arts .......................................................................................................34 Visual Arts ...............................................................................................................34 Other interesting organizations ...............................................................................34 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................34 STATEMENT OF NEEDS AND GOALS ________________________________ 36 FACILITIES AND VENUES.........................................................................................36 HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES PROMOTION........................................36 HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL EDUCATION ....................................................36 SPECIAL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS.........................................................................37 CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS ..................................................................................37 CULTURAL TOURISM................................................................................................37 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ____________________________________ 38 FACILITIES AND VENUES.........................................................................................38 HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES PROMOTION........................................38 HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL EDUCATION ....................................................39 SPECIAL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS.........................................................................40 CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS ..................................................................................41 CULTURAL TOURISM................................................................................................41 APPENDIX _______________________________________________________ 43 Appendix A: South Carolina Hall of Fame Inductees ..............................................43 Appendix B: Overview of regular festivals and events ............................................45 Appendix C: National Register of Historic Places in Horry County .........................46 Appendix D: Recognized Historic Places in Horry County (Board of Architectural Review) ...................................................................................................................47 NATURAL RESOURCES ELEMENT __________________________________ 50 WATERSHEDS...........................................................................................................50 ECOSYSTEM BIODIVERSITY ...................................................................................54 NATURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY......................................................................55 Water Resources ....................................................................................................55 Coastal Resources..................................................................................................66 Wetlands .................................................................................................................67 Floodplains..............................................................................................................70 LAND RESOURCES...................................................................................................71 Slopes and Soils .....................................................................................................71 Forestry ...................................................................................................................72 Urban and Suburban Tree Conservation ................................................................73 SPECIES HABITAT ....................................................................................................73 South Carolina Heritage Trust Program..................................................................73 iii Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge ......................................................................74 Scenic River Program .............................................................................................74 NATIVE SPECIES.......................................................................................................75 PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND .................................................................................75 OPEN SPACE PLANNING .........................................................................................76 PARKS AND RECREATION.......................................................................................77