Pawleys Island Planning Commission is working to prevent the construction of large beach houses that can double as hotel space.
The town lacks any laws regarding house size, and officials are concerned about the construction of “minihotels” they’ve seen spring up in areas such as Edisto Beach and Nags Head, N.C.
The commission has already sent a recommendation to Pawleys Island Town Council to eliminate new duplex construction on the island.
Now, they are taking another step to maintain current density.
“There has been a temptation for people to build larger and larger structures, so we could lose the character of the island if we are not careful,” commission Chairman Joe Easley said. “As a property becomes more valuable, they want to maximize the return on it.”
Edisto Beach Town Council has already put limits on house size after developers began buying large amounts of property on the island. In North Carolina, officials in four towns on the Outer Banks limited the number of bedrooms in new homes.
Pawleys Island already has regulations on lot size, but not the number of bedrooms or the size of the house. Lots must contain at least 7,500 square feet minimum in order to build a residence. A lot must also have 50 feet on a paved street.
Easley said it could take several more meetings of the Planning Commission before a consensus is reached on how big new houses can be.
