Carolina Forest, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Carolina Forest is an unincorporated community
in Horry County
, South Carolina
, United States
. It lies between Myrtle Beach
and Conway
in an area planned by International Paper
in the late 1990s. Regarded as the "bedroom community" of Myrtle Beach, the planned unit development
will have 20,000 single and multi-family homesites when completed. Most of the development follows the Carolina Forest Master Plan developed cooperatively between International Paper
and the Horry County Government.
(located several miles away from Carolina Forest). In 1989, approximately 9000 acres (36 km²) north of Carolina Forest were donated to the state to form the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Trust Preserve.
In June 1994, Kylee Mueller sold 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of the remaining 21000 acres (85 km²) of the Buist Tract to Horry County Schools for development of Carolina Forest Elementary School, Carolina Forest Middle School
, and Carolina Forest High School
. In addition, 350 acres (1.4 km²) were sold to form a golf course and residential property.
By the end of 1994, International Paper began to sell more of its land. Due to the lack of funding from other sources for road infrastructure, the first 1.25 miles (2.01 km) of Carolina Forest Boulevard were completed by November 1995 by International Paper. Further expansions of both Carolina Forest Boulevard and River Oaks Drive (creating an 11 miles (18 km) loop) would open up 11000 acres (45 km²) to development west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Carolina Forest Boulevard was completed in December 1996, with River Oaks Drive being completed in December 1997.
On December 2, 1997, Horry County council voted to freeze zoning rules in an 11 square miles (28 km²) area of Carolina Forest for 20 years in exchange for land to build parks and roads in an 8-3 vote on the development agreement. An estimated 35,000 people would live in the 7073 acres (29 km²) acres covered by the agreement. In the agreement, Horry County did not require International Paper to widen Carolina Forest Boulevard
or River Oaks Drive to four lanes. Land would be given to the county at no cost for the then-future SC Highway 31 north and south of the Robert Grissom Parkway
bridge. Approximately 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) was set aside for future schools, which would include Ocean Bay Elementary and Middle Schools. Because nearly half of Carolina Forest was open space, the area was exempt from future open space directives set by Horry County.
According to the 2010 census, Carolina Forest's population increased from 3400 in 2000 to 21,000.
and Carolina Forest High School
were built on a combined campus in 1997 on Gardner Lacy Road. As of 2006, attendance had effectively doubled at Carolina Forest Elementary and approximately half of the school's population were being taught in portable classrooms. The middle and high school complex was also approaching its capacity, serving over 1700 students.
To address the growth, Horry County Schools began building three additional schools to serve the attendance area. Carolina Forest Middle was split into two new schools, Ocean Bay Middle and Black Water Middle. Ocean Bay Elementary School and Ocean Bay Middle School, both located on International Drive, were completed in time of Fall 2006 classes. A third school, Black Water Middle School, was built and opened just before end of the 2006-2007 school year. Students of this school continued to meet in the joint middle and high school complex until the school was completed. The middle and high school complex will be renovated exclusively for Carolina Forest High School. The Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology
is located adjacent to Ocean Bay Middle School and opened in December 2007.
Future recreational areas have been set aside in Carolina Forest. International Paper initially set aside parkland, roadway easements, reserves, and animal corridor land, some of which has not been disturbed and continues to be virgin forestland. Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve, a vast tract of land set aside by the state of South Carolina, borders Carolina Forest and is accessible through International Drive and Highway 90.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Horry County
Horry County, South Carolina
Horry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. This name honored Revolutionary War Hero, Peter Horry. Brigadier General Horry was born in South Carolina sometime around 1743 and started his distinguished military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies between Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
and Conway
Conway, South Carolina
Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....
in an area planned by International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
in the late 1990s. Regarded as the "bedroom community" of Myrtle Beach, the planned unit development
Planned Unit Development
A planned unit development , is both a type of building development as well as a regulatory process. A PUD is a designed grouping of varied and compatible land uses, such as housing, recreation, commercial centers, and industrial parks, all within one contained development or...
will have 20,000 single and multi-family homesites when completed. Most of the development follows the Carolina Forest Master Plan developed cooperatively between International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
and the Horry County Government.
History
Carolina Forest was once part of a larger tract of land in eastern Horry County called the Buist Tract. Originally owned by Burroughs & Chapin, International Paper bought the 30000 acres (121 km²) Buist Tract in 1937. It was used as part of the Conway Bombing and Gunnery Range during World War II. In 1960, the company donated part of the tract for what is now Coastal Carolina UniversityCoastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus...
(located several miles away from Carolina Forest). In 1989, approximately 9000 acres (36 km²) north of Carolina Forest were donated to the state to form the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Trust Preserve.
In June 1994, Kylee Mueller sold 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of the remaining 21000 acres (85 km²) of the Buist Tract to Horry County Schools for development of Carolina Forest Elementary School, Carolina Forest Middle School
Carolina Forest Middle School
Carolina Forest Middle School was located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the neighborhood of Carolina Forest. The school began its operations in 1997 and continued to grow until its closure in 2007. Horry County Schools addressed the overgrowth problem in 2004, and as a result, two new schools...
, and Carolina Forest High School
Carolina Forest High School
Carolina Forest High School is located in Horry County, South Carolina, in the Carolina Forest attendance area. The school is one of ten high schools within Horry County Schools. The school serves parts of Myrtle Beach and eastern Conway. Approximately 1,843 students attend Carolina Forest High...
. In addition, 350 acres (1.4 km²) were sold to form a golf course and residential property.
By the end of 1994, International Paper began to sell more of its land. Due to the lack of funding from other sources for road infrastructure, the first 1.25 miles (2.01 km) of Carolina Forest Boulevard were completed by November 1995 by International Paper. Further expansions of both Carolina Forest Boulevard and River Oaks Drive (creating an 11 miles (18 km) loop) would open up 11000 acres (45 km²) to development west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Carolina Forest Boulevard was completed in December 1996, with River Oaks Drive being completed in December 1997.
On December 2, 1997, Horry County council voted to freeze zoning rules in an 11 square miles (28 km²) area of Carolina Forest for 20 years in exchange for land to build parks and roads in an 8-3 vote on the development agreement. An estimated 35,000 people would live in the 7073 acres (29 km²) acres covered by the agreement. In the agreement, Horry County did not require International Paper to widen Carolina Forest Boulevard
Carolina Forest Boulevard
Carolina Forest Boulevard is the main roadway through Carolina Forest, South Carolina, initially built when the development by International Paper was created in the 1990s. The road is approximately in length, and runs through the center of the Carolina Forest development...
or River Oaks Drive to four lanes. Land would be given to the county at no cost for the then-future SC Highway 31 north and south of the Robert Grissom Parkway
Robert Grissom Parkway
Robert M. Grissom Parkway, locally known as Grissom Parkway, is a major four-lane connector highway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The road begins at Harrelson Boulevard near Myrtle Beach International Airport and terminates in Carolina Forest, South Carolina at SC Highway 31 and International...
bridge. Approximately 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) was set aside for future schools, which would include Ocean Bay Elementary and Middle Schools. Because nearly half of Carolina Forest was open space, the area was exempt from future open space directives set by Horry County.
According to the 2010 census, Carolina Forest's population increased from 3400 in 2000 to 21,000.
Schools
There are six public schools in the Carolina Forest attendance area and all are part of the Horry County School District. During the late 1990s, three schools were built to accommodate new residents in Carolina Forest. Carolina Forest Elementary School was opened in 1996 on Carolina Forest Boulevard. Carolina Forest Middle SchoolCarolina Forest Middle School
Carolina Forest Middle School was located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the neighborhood of Carolina Forest. The school began its operations in 1997 and continued to grow until its closure in 2007. Horry County Schools addressed the overgrowth problem in 2004, and as a result, two new schools...
and Carolina Forest High School
Carolina Forest High School
Carolina Forest High School is located in Horry County, South Carolina, in the Carolina Forest attendance area. The school is one of ten high schools within Horry County Schools. The school serves parts of Myrtle Beach and eastern Conway. Approximately 1,843 students attend Carolina Forest High...
were built on a combined campus in 1997 on Gardner Lacy Road. As of 2006, attendance had effectively doubled at Carolina Forest Elementary and approximately half of the school's population were being taught in portable classrooms. The middle and high school complex was also approaching its capacity, serving over 1700 students.
To address the growth, Horry County Schools began building three additional schools to serve the attendance area. Carolina Forest Middle was split into two new schools, Ocean Bay Middle and Black Water Middle. Ocean Bay Elementary School and Ocean Bay Middle School, both located on International Drive, were completed in time of Fall 2006 classes. A third school, Black Water Middle School, was built and opened just before end of the 2006-2007 school year. Students of this school continued to meet in the joint middle and high school complex until the school was completed. The middle and high school complex will be renovated exclusively for Carolina Forest High School. The Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology
Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology
The Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology or The Academy is a branch school of the Horry County Schools system in Horry County, South Carolina. It is notable for its small size, focus on specialized majors and qualifying status as a Blue Ribbon School...
is located adjacent to Ocean Bay Middle School and opened in December 2007.
Recreation
There are many recreational opportunities in the Carolina Forest area. There are two golf courses in Carolina Forest, Man O' War and The Wizard golf courses. Both are located next to Windsor Green and Waterford Plantation. The River Oaks neighborhood, which borders Carolina Forest, also has several golf courses. Originally in the master plan, Carolina Forest intended to have ten golf courses, but the slight decline of the golf industry in Myrtle Beach has prevented this. Recently, The Wizard golf course was meant to be redeveloped into a multi-family tract but was defeated by the Horry County council in October 2006.Future recreational areas have been set aside in Carolina Forest. International Paper initially set aside parkland, roadway easements, reserves, and animal corridor land, some of which has not been disturbed and continues to be virgin forestland. Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve, a vast tract of land set aside by the state of South Carolina, borders Carolina Forest and is accessible through International Drive and Highway 90.
Roads and Highways
- Carolina Forest BoulevardCarolina Forest BoulevardCarolina Forest Boulevard is the main roadway through Carolina Forest, South Carolina, initially built when the development by International Paper was created in the 1990s. The road is approximately in length, and runs through the center of the Carolina Forest development...
- the main arterial through Carolina Forest. A segment near Carolina Forest Plaza and US 501U.S. Route 501-North Carolina business loops:-Virginia business loop:-External links:*...
is five lanes and narrows into two lanes near Carolina Forest Elementary School. The remaining 4.7 miles (7.6 km) of the 6.2 miles (10 km) road is planned to be widened to a multi-lane, divided highway with bicycle pathsBikewayA Bikeway is a route, way or path which in some manner is specifically designed and /or designated for bicycle travel.-See also:*Bicycle boulevard*Bicycle trail*Bicycle transportation engineering*Foreshoreway*Greenway* List of cycleways...
at a cost of $9 to $10 million. - River Oaks Drive - similar to Carolina Forest Boulevard, River Oaks Boulevard carries traffic as an alternative route to Carolina Forest Boulevard. The road terminates near Towne Centre at International Drive.
- International Drive - one of the original dirt roads, International Drive connects Carolina Forest and South Carolina 31 to South Carolina 90South Carolina Highway 90South Carolina Highway 90 is a two-lane highway from in Horry County going from Red Hill to Little River. It provides a direct connection from Conway to the North Strand in Little River....
. - South Carolina 31 - a six-lane freeway that runs through Carolina Forest. Land was set aside by International Paper when Carolina Forest was developed in 1997; the freeway was built five years later and has a separated-grade interchange at International Drive/Robert Grissom ParkwayRobert Grissom ParkwayRobert M. Grissom Parkway, locally known as Grissom Parkway, is a major four-lane connector highway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The road begins at Harrelson Boulevard near Myrtle Beach International Airport and terminates in Carolina Forest, South Carolina at SC Highway 31 and International...
.
Subdivisions
| Subdivision Name | | Original Developer | Original Inception | Number of Lots | | Type | | Community Website(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Plantation | Beazer Homes Beazer Homes USA Beazer Homes USA is a Fortune 500 American homebuilding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. The company builds and sells primarily single-family homes in twenty states of the continental United States... |
2000 | Single Family Residential | http://www.avalonatcarolinaforest.com | |
| BelleGrove | Centex Homes Centex Centex Corporation began as a Dallas, Texas based home builder in 1950.-Division:*Centex Destination Properties*Centex Homes*Centex Insurance*Centex Title*CTX Mortgage*Fox & Jacobs Homes-External links:****... |
2003 | Single Family Residential | http://www.bellegrovehoa.com | |
| Brighton Lakes | Flagship Capital Partners | 2006 | Single Family Residential | http://www.brightonlakesmb.com | |
| Canterbury Apartments | Babcock & Brown Residential | 1998 | Apartments | http://www.canterburyapt.com | |
| Covington Lake | Pace Realty | 1996 | 250 | Single Family Residential | http://www.covingtonlakepoa.com |
| Covington Lake East | Pace Realty | 2006 | Single Family Residential | http://www.covingtonlakeeast.com | |
| Carolina Waterway Plantation | 2004 | 364 | Single Family Residential | none | |
| Plantation Lakes | RE/MAX Southern Lifestyles | 2003 | Single Family Residential | http://www.plantationlakesmyrtlebeach.com | |
| Sawgrass East | 2004 | Condominiums | none | ||
| Southgate | 1999 | Single Family Residential | none | ||
| Spring Lake | Centex Homes Centex Centex Corporation began as a Dallas, Texas based home builder in 1950.-Division:*Centex Destination Properties*Centex Homes*Centex Insurance*Centex Title*CTX Mortgage*Fox & Jacobs Homes-External links:****... |
1997 | Single Family Residential | http://www.springlakenews.net | |
| The Bluffs on the Waterway | 2003 | 423 | Single Family Residential | http://www.thebluffsonthewaterwayhoa.com | |
| The Battery on the Waterway | 2004 | 99 | Single Family Residential | none | |
| Black Creek Plantation | 2002 | Single Family Residential | none | ||
| The Farm | D. R. Horton D. R. Horton D.R. Horton is the largest homebuilder in the United States based on its 18,839 homes closed in the 12-month period ended March 31, 2010. Founded in 1978 by Donald R. Horton in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, D.R. Horton is ranked as the largest homebuilder by units closed in the United States... |
2003 | Single Family Residential, Condominiums | http://www.farmatcarolinaforest.com | |
| Turnberry Condominiums | Pace Realty | 2006 | Condominiums | http://www.turnberrypark.com | |
| Walkers Woods | Beazer Homes Beazer Homes USA Beazer Homes USA is a Fortune 500 American homebuilding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. The company builds and sells primarily single-family homes in twenty states of the continental United States... |
2000 | Single Family Residential | http://www.walkerswoodspoa.com | |
| Waterbridge | 2007 | 1230 | Single Family Residential | http://www.waterbridgesc.com | |
| Waterway Palms Plantation | 762 | Single Family Residential | none | ||
| Waterford Plantation | 1997 | Single Family Residential | none | ||
| Windsor Green | 1998 | Condominiums | none |
Further reading
- "International Paper Takes Road-Building into its Own Hands in Myrtle Beach," Myrtle Beach Sun News, December 12, 1994
- "Developers Begin Buying Land in Buist Tract in South Carolina," Myrtle Beach Sun News, March 26, 1995