黑料社入口

Trapper Fowler sits on the bow of a pontoon boat on the 黑料社入口 River near Bucksport.

鈥淒o you hear that?鈥� Crickets, birds, nothing else. Exactly his point.

Fowler and the Coastal Conservation League invited reporters to a boat ride with 黑料社入口 Outfitters to see where the proposed S.C. Highway 22 extension, or Southern Connector, could cross over the 黑料社入口 River. While the exact route is not set in stone, 10 of the 16 possible routes show the road going through the 黑料社入口 National Wildlife Refuge and over the 黑料社入口 River just downstream from the Bucksport Marina.

鈥淭his is a wildlife refuge. It鈥檚 supposed to be protected forever,鈥� Fowler, north coast office deputy director for the Coastal Conservation League, said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 supposed to be a place where animals can come and seek habitat, seek refuge and rest and be undisturbed.鈥�

The Southern Connector, which could range from 28 to 36 miles, is one of many projects on the RIDE IV list.

RIDE IV would continue a penny sales tax to fund transportation projects in the county, the fourth iteration of the tax. The big difference from the previous versions, however, is the length that the tax would be enacted. RIDE I, II and III were all for seven-year terms while RIDE IV would be for 25 years.

Voters will decide whether to approve RIDE IV during the statewide general election Nov. 5 ( continues through Nov. 2) where it鈥檚 listed as a ballot referendum.聽

The question is displayed on the ballot with a full list of projects 鈥� more than 1,500 words and extending across multiple pages on the ballot.

Proponents of the referendum point out that visitors to the county would pay for a majority of the tax.

鈥淕iven the popularity of our community as a tourism destination, visitors currently pay for 66 percent of the total revenue generated for transportation enhancements,鈥� Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce chief advocacy officer Jimmy Gray writes. 鈥淭he one percent tax is only collected for lodging accommodations, prepared food and retail sales, so groceries and unprepared food are exempt.

鈥淰oters in Horry County will have the opportunity to decide if they want to have visitors help pay for upgrading existing roads and building new routes or if they want residents to shoulder that burden. Advocates believe that visitors should help pay their share so we鈥檙e encouraging folks to vote YES on RIDE 4.鈥�

Over its quarter-century lifetime, the tax is estimated to bring in $5.5 billion. The county is expecting to receive $1.1 billion in state and federal funding as well, allowing for $6.6 billion to be invested into transportation infrastructure.

Over the river and through the woods

Coastal Conservation League鈥檚 mission is pretty evident from its name. The nonprofit advocates for the protection and preservation of natural lands along the South Carolina coast.

So their opposition to the Southern Connector is not surprising. The four-lane highway would cut through the 黑料社入口 National Wildlife Refuge in all of the potential routes, according to a mitigation analysis, and the 10 possible routes that would cut through the Bucksport community would have an even bigger impact on the wildlife refuge.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have any wilderness areas, so this is about as close as they can get,鈥� Fowler said. 鈥淎nd when you stick a road through it, think about all the noise pollution. Predators gotta be able to hear their prey to hunt them, and vice versa. You have birds that need to breed here and find mates. Those things will become more difficult with a huge road here, not to mention the habitat fragmentation.鈥�

The WNWR is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protected habitat of about 29,000 acres.

Species that call the refuge home include the swallow-tailed kite, osprey, wood stork, white ibis and the black bear. Fowler said it is important for many species to have a continuous habitat that is not broken or fragmented by roads.

And to build through a wildlife refuge, mitigation is necessary, which could come with a hefty price. According to a Mitigation Needs Analysis commissioned by SCDOT and Horry County, 鈥渋mpacts [on the wildlife refuge] could range from high to very high due to the need for the roadway to cross the 黑料社入口 River which is an integral part of adjacent refuge acreage, management and use.鈥澛�

Becky Ryon, north coast office director for the Coastal Conservation League, said the amount of land that is required to be mitigated from a project varies, but would be high in an instance where a wildlife refuge is impacted.

For comparison reasons, a conceptual alternatives study (CAS) commissioned by SCDOT and Horry County writes that for every acre impacted in Sandy Island, 60 acres were required to be mitigated. For the most recent extension of I-73, that ratio was lower at 29:1.

鈥淚f we were to gain a whole lot of mitigation because of this road, sure that鈥檇 be great, but does it solve the problem? No,鈥� Fowler said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e still going to have a huge impact in the middle of a wildlife refuge, federally protected land that鈥檚 meant to be protected forever.鈥�

The cost to mitigate those impacts would likely be in the tens of millions. A mitigation needs analysis study commissioned by SCDOT and Horry County estimates that total mitigation costs could range from $30 million to $40 million.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the lead federal agency over the S.C. Hwy. 22 extension

鈥淭he Corps鈥� review of the SC-22 Extension Project is ongoing, and we are in the initial phase of our review of SCDOT鈥檚 proposed project,鈥� wrote Glenn Jeffries, a spokesperson for the Army Corps Charleston Division.

Ryon said the Army Corps would need to regulate any wetland impacts from the road and issue specific permits to build the road in order to abide by the Clean Water Act.

If you build it鈥�

The road going through the refuge is one thing, but Fowler looks at the potential construction of the 22 extension not as the end result, but as the beginning of more development surrounding the road.

鈥淲hen they run a road through here, not only is the land use going to change dramatically in Bucksport, but everywhere this thing has an on ramp or off ramp, which could be 701 South, Burgess, Highway 17, but then all the way back to 378,鈥� Fowler said. 鈥淟ook at where 22 touches Highway 90 or touches 905 and how those areas are just growing exponentially. So the land use change will change dramatically because of this road.鈥�

The route isn鈥檛 finalized, and neither are where exit ramps would be built, but Fowler said anywhere that off ramps are constructed would inevitably lead to what you expect at exit ramps: gas stations, drive-thru fast food joints, dollar stores and houses.

The addition of International Drive can be looked at as an example of what a newly-built road can do to an area. Carolina Forest used to be concentrated around U.S. Hwy. 501 and River Oaks Drive. The extension of Robert Grissom Parkway into International Drive to Hwy. 90 led to an influx of development around the intersection of Robert Grissom Parkway and River Oaks Drive, including thousands of residential units.

鈥淚s the road going to help with traffic flow like I鈥檝e heard some folks from the county say? No, it won鈥檛 because, think about it, anywhere you touch down and have those exit ramps, you鈥檙e going to have more houses,鈥� Fowler said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to change the way of life over here in Bucksport and 701 South.鈥�

The potential impacts on Bucksport

Steve Howell has lived in the Bucksport community of Horry County for 72 years and he鈥檚 quite concerned about the possibility of a four-lane highway going through his neighborhood.

鈥淭his is going to be a major route from 22 to the ocean,鈥� Howell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to really destroy, culturally, our whole community where we鈥檝e always been a farming, rural, family-owned farm community for over 200 years. It鈥檚 going to destroy every bit of that.鈥�

Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority owns more than 8,000 acres of land in Bucksport. They have a wastewater treatment plant, a water plant, a composting facility, a tree farm and a sod farm. Christy Holder, CEO of GSWSA, said a lot of the land GSWSA owns has a land application permit through the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

鈥淲e use a majority of the property for our land application process. If we aren鈥檛 using it, there are certain areas that are environmentally protected. We have a red-cockaded woodpecker haven down there that is environmentally protected and that property cannot be disturbed at all,鈥� Holder said.

Howell said he is worried that GSWSA would sell some of that land to housing developers, altering the Bucksport community in a serious and permanent way.

鈥淔rom the 黑料社入口 River to the Big Pee Dee River, them 7,000 acres, they plan it to be something like Hilton Head,鈥� Howell said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in Bucksport, you鈥檙e only like three miles from the ocean at Surfside Beach. Three miles through the woods. Now what they want to do is build this road through the edge of their property so they can develop all these 7,000 acres into a huge city. It鈥檚 not for the community.鈥�

Holder said the utility has no plans to sell its land and that the large acreage the utility owns is in preparation for the anticipated continued growth of Horry County. GSWSA provides water and utility services for most of Horry County as well as into neighboring counties.

鈥淕rand Strand has no plans of ever selling any of the property,鈥� Holder said. 鈥淲e use the water and treatment processes and the byproducts of those processes, so there is no intention to develop any of that property鈥� We are in the water and sewer business and we鈥檙e in the biosolids and composting business and the property down there will continue to operate as it does today. There鈥檚 no intent of ever selling the property or developing the property, particularly associated with the extension of 22.鈥�

Growth is one, and flooding is another concern for Howell. Removing wetlands would likely increase flooding in the Bucksport community which has had flooding issues in the past.

According to an alternatives analysis, 13 of the 16 proposed routes would impact more than 250 acres of wetlands with alternative four expected to impact 326 acres, the most of any alternative. Wetlands act as a sponge during heavy rainfall events, naturally absorbing rain in its marshes and reducing flooding in developed areas. Removing those sponges and replacing them with concrete exacerbates the problem.

鈥淚f the Horry Independent mitigation bank that鈥檚 off of Highway 90 over by Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve ends up being mitigation for this, that鈥檚 not going to help the residents of Bucksport or Burgess with their flooding issues,鈥� Ryon with the Coastal Conservation League said. 鈥淎nd the [黑料社入口 National Wildlife] Refuge has had a substantial impact on reducing the amount of flooding that we鈥檝e seen.鈥�

Howell said he believes the road construction would lead to more development, leading to increased property valuations which would lead to increased property taxes for Bucksport residents. He said all his neighbors he has spoken with are opposed to the road.

鈥淣o matter who is against it, they鈥檙e going to build it,鈥� Howell said. 鈥淣obody wants this.

鈥淭hey鈥檒l call it an evacuation route to start, they鈥檒l paint it a pretty color, but it鈥檚 not for the people. Nobody wants it down here. It鈥檚 gonna hurt us and screw our property prices up so high we ain鈥檛 gonna be able to afford it. I鈥檝e talked to a lot of people who said they鈥檙e going to have to sell and move out.鈥�

Commute times and evacuations

When the road was originally envisioned in 2003, it was known as the Southern Evacuation Lifeline, or SELL.

That name has been dropped, but supporters of the project still say it would reduce evacuation times in case of a hurricane.

鈥淥ne of the RIDE 4 transportation enhancement projects is the proposed extension of SC Hwy 22 from Aynor to the south end,鈥� Gray, the Chamber鈥檚 advocacy officer, said. 鈥淐ommunities in the south end of Horry County have seen significant growth and residents are eager for solutions to get west of Conway without using 544 or 501. County officials determined that building a 鈥淪outhern Connector鈥� was an important project to include among the RIDE 4 list.鈥�

The road would essentially connect Aynor to Surfside Beach. The ballot referendum states that the road would connect the Highway 17 Bypass in the Surfside Beach/Murrells Inlet area to U.S. Hwy. 501 near Aynor. Bob Childs, former Surfside Beach mayor, said the road is much needed, and not only for the Surfside Beach area.

鈥淭he road would let all the people from Georgetown take that evacuation route,鈥� Childs said. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e been through Surfside any time in the past 10 years, it鈥檚 bumper to bumper now, and we don鈥檛 have any kind of evacuation, so you can imagine doubling and tripling up the number of cars on 17.鈥�

According to the CAS, the time it would take for a complete, staggered evacuation for zones A-C without the construction of the road would be 27 hours and 39 minutes. With the road built, that time could reduce to anywhere between 26 hours and 36 minutes to 27 hours and 11 minutes, depending on which alternative route of the road is built.

Fowler said the road name had been changed from Southern Evacuation Lifeline because it was not deemed to be considered an evacuation route by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The road could also decrease regular traffic on roads like U.S. Hwy. 501 and S.C. Hwy. 544.

According to projections in the conceptual alternatives study, traveling from U.S. 17 Bypass to the U.S. 501/S.C. 22 interchange would take 44 minutes in the a.m. peak hour and 115 minutes in the p.m. peak hour if the Southern Connector is not built. These estimates are for the year 2040 if growth continues as expected in the county.

With the construction of the road, some alternatives show those estimated times decreasing to as little as 30 minutes in the a.m. and 56 minutes in the p.m. That鈥檚 a 14 minute and 59 minute decrease, respectively.

A lack of specifics, a hefty price tag and potential loss of homes

Where exactly will the road be? That鈥檚 to be determined.

A 鈥渃onceptual alternatives study鈥� commissioned by Horry County and SCDOT provides a lot of information about the potential project, but the route is not confirmed. The 5,000-plus page document shows 16 potential routes. Fowler said some go through neighborhoods.

鈥淭hese folks are being asked to vote on something that, I don鈥檛 even think they realize that they鈥檙e voting on something that could lead to them having to leave their homes,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e voting on something that the county and DOT are unable to identify an exact route. How can you ask somebody to vote on something where there鈥檚 not a specific route already determined?鈥�

All 16 routes would impact residential or commercial buildings, meaning eminent domain could displace people from their homes. According to the CAS, the number of relocations would vary from 40 to 160.

鈥淎s it is the goal of Horry County to minimize impacts to its citizens, the total number of potential relocations will be considered when determining reasonable alternatives,鈥� the CAS writes. 鈥淧otential relocations are based on conceptual alternative designs. As project design advances and final construction plans are completed, further measures to avoid and minimize impacts will occur, which may lower the number of total anticipated relocations.鈥�

When the project would be completed is up in the air as well. The project is listed in the 鈥渃ommence in years 1-5鈥� window on the ballot referendum, but it鈥檚 unclear how long construction would take or whether project commencement means breaking ground or just finalizing plans for the road.

Horry County estimates that the price tag of the Southern Connector would be $1.56 billion and the CAS estimates construction costs ranging from $380.1 million to $954.7 million, depending on the route. The CAS estimates do not account for engineering design, mitigation or right of way acquisition.

Millions have been spent on the road even before its confirmation. RIDE III set aside $25 million for the project in assessment costs alone, according to the CAS commissioned by the county and SCDOT. And former Surfside Beach mayor Childs said he believes a lot of money was spent on lawyers.

鈥淚 think we spent more money on lawyers than we would have on the connector,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 went to one meeting and a former state representative asked them, 鈥渋f you don鈥檛 like our idea, why don鈥檛 you give us yours?鈥� And it was dead silent. So the environmentalists have evidently really thrown a kink in this Southern Evacuation Lifeline.鈥�

As far as the possibility of the road leading to more sprawl and exacerbating the problem, Childs said the solution is simple.

鈥淚 think the bottom line is if they are afraid of development along that road, the county can change the zoning and not allow any building along there,鈥� Childs said. 鈥淏ecause then if you do that, then you鈥檙e back to square one again and you鈥檒l need another road to bypass that road. I think the county should take that into consideration and just change the zoning to allow that road to go through and not allow any development along it. Maybe the environmentalists would agree on something like that.鈥�

Voters will decide whether to approve funding for the Southern Connector, as well as all the other roads on the RIDE IV project list in the statewide general election held Nov. 5. Early voting is open through Nov. 2.