Horry County, SC Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)

Sec. I of the zoning ordinance lets an MRD project exceed its base density (three units per acre in MRD-1 up to fifteen in MRD-3) by 30% if it incorporates three or more listed sustainable development standards, and a development cannot apply the same standard twice to reach that count. The menu includes: site design measures, each counted as one standard on its own, such as keeping 20% of the gross acreage in a naturally vegetated common area beyond required buffers, siting every residential lot against active or passive open space, or platting all residential lots outside FEMA flood zones with a 50-foot wetland buffer; a 100% increase in required active recreational open space, contiguous and centrally located; a pre-development tree canopy inventory that keeps 30% of canopy trees post-development; a 1,000-square-foot community garden plot for every 25 units; and pocket parks totaling 14,500 square feet of active open space per 50 lots or units, at least 70 feet wide.

MRD-P (Preservation) developments must use the pocket-park option as one of their three required standards. The rezoning application itself must document which standards the project is using, and the planning department will not sign off on final development review until the approved standards actually appear on the site plan and are built as represented.