Opponents of a big box store in Pawleys Plaza can make other plans for the night of Dec. 11.

Sunbelt Ventures, the company that wants to redevelop the plaza, sent a letter to Georgetown County on Wednesday asking that a second vote on the plan be deferred until January.

County Council gave first reading by title only to the ordinance at its November meeting, and was supposed to discuss and vote on the plan on Dec. 11.

In the letter, Dusty Wiederhold, a partner in Sunbelt, asked for additional time to “finalize revisions to its plans.”

“These revisions will limit the size of retail buildings to better align with the requirements of the Waccamaw Neck Commercial Corridor Overlay Zone,” Wiederhold wrote. “Gaining community and council support is imperative to Sunbelt Ventures, and vital to this project’s long-term success.”

Sunbelt originally submitted plans for a 119,500-square-foot building on the site. Those plans were not approved by the Georgetown County Planning Commission during a meeting attended by approximately 1,400 people, the majority of whom opposed the project.

SueAnn Crawford, chairwoman of Don’t Box the Neck, the group that thwarted Lowe’s plans to build a big-box store in Pawleys Island seven years ago, was withholding judgment until she sees Sunbelt’s new plans.

“They’re trying to make the most of what they have and we understand that,” she said. “Until we really see it we don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

Crawford said the group wants the Overlay Zone, which limits building to no more than 60,000 square feet, enforced.

“We think the ordinance is pretty clear and it’s up to them to stay within it,” she said. “We want to make sure we don’t open a door we can’t close.”

Wiederhold did not return a phone call seeking comment on Thursday.

The plan will now go before County Council on Jan. 8.

It is the second deferment for the project. After the Planning Commission voted in late September, the plan was supposed to go to County Council on Oct. 8 but Sunbelt asked for it to be deferred.

By Chris Sokoloski

csokoloski@gtowntimes.com