News Title:Another new home community is in the early planning stages – a large parcel of land off of Highway 378 and next to the Conway High School
In early May of 2026, Conway City Council approved the First Reading of a petition to annex approximately 118.71 acres of property along Highway 378.
The property, currently in Horry County, is zoned Commercial Forest Agriculture. Upon annexation into the City of Conway, the proposed zoning is Medium Density Residential (R-2).
The property is located within the City of Conway’s utility service area, and development of the site will require connection to the City of Conway water and sewer. The applicant has indicated an intent to develop the property for residential purposes consistent with the Medium-Density Residential (R-2) district, which permits a mix of residential dwelling types, including single-family detached, single-family attached, and multifamily housing.
Annexation and the City of Conway
Over the past few years there has been an uptick of annexations of properties into the City of Conway. Annexation incorporates a property into the City limits. It is the process of transferring the parcel of land from an unincorporated area of the county (i.e. Horry County) into the service area and jurisdiction of a city (i.e. Conway). Being contiguous to the Conway municipal boundaries is a key eligibility requirement for annexation.
Annexation Benefits
- Property Owner Benefit - having property within a municipality can give access to improved services like better police and fire protection, which can in turn reduce insurance rates. Of more importance to some property owners, particularly businesses, might be better water and sewer rates through annexation into cities and towns that operate such utilities or have intergovernmental agreements in place to offer reduced rates for customers. Many property owners considering development of their property are coming into Conway with its zoning and land-use regulations to provide more options for development density, which in turn can make the land more valuable and a project more economically feasible.
- City Benefit - bringing more property and residents into municipal limits can reduce costs for services through economies of scale, meaning the more customers there are for a service, the lower the per-customer cost for that service.
Legal Process
Under the South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 5 – Municipal Corporations, Chapter 3, Change of Corporate Limits, any city or town may extend the corporate limits of the municipality in a manner set forth in Chapter 3 of this Code of Law.
Under these Code of Laws there are multiple ways to annex a property, with the most common being the 100% petition and ordinance method. Under this method the property owner signs a legal document requesting annexation, i.e. Petition for Annexation
It will likely be some time before development and home construction begin within this planned new home community. The typical steps required to move the property through the development process are as follows:
High Level Overview Steps to Develop a Property in Conway
Annexation Petition Submitted - Because the property is outside city limits, the owner first files an annexation petition with the City. In South Carolina, annexation generally requires consent from the property owner and the property must usually be contiguous to existing city boundaries. This happened in May of 2026 for this property.
Rezoning Application Submitted - At or shortly after annexation filing, the applicant submits a rezoning request because Horry County zoning does not automatically carry into the city.
Staff Review – The City of Conway planning staff reviews the request for consistency
Public Notice Requirements - Before hearings occur, the City of Conway will advertise public hearings in a newspaper, post signs on the property, notify nearby property owners in some cases - this allows residents to review the proposal and attend hearings.
Planning Commission Public Hearing - The Conway Planning Commission holds a public hearing where Conway staff presents the request, the developer presents the proposal ,residents may speak for or against it, City of Conway Commissioners ask questions - the Planning Commission then votes on a recommendation to City Council. Their recommendation is advisory, not final.
First Reading by City Council - The annexation ordinance and rezoning ordinance go before Conway City Council for first reading whereby at this stage the Conway City Council discusses the proposal, public comments may occur, City Council votes whether to advance the ordinances
Second Reading / Public Hearing – Conway City Council then conducts a second reading and formal public hearing whereby the City Council may approve, deny, add conditions ,modify zoning classifications or continue the item for additional study
Final Adoption and Recording - If approved, the property officially becomes part of the City of Conway, the new zoning designation becomes effective, and annexation documents are filed with the state and mapping agencies as required by South Carolina law
Development Plan Review - After annexation and rezoning, the developer still must obtain additional approvals before construction, including but not limited to subdivision approval, stormwater permits, land disturbance permits ,building permits, infrastructure approvals, and SCDOT access permits if state roads are involved
This 118-acre property in Conway is located in one of the area’s most active growth corridors, surrounded by several significant new home community developments, including: Spring Oaks (Dream Finders Homes), Collins Walk (Lennar), Chapman Village (D. R. Horton), Elmhurst Place (D. R. Horton), Kingson Bay (D. R. Horton) and Oak Haven.