Highway 17 on the Waccamaw Neck will have new medians to replace “suicide lanes,” and a new park and facilities in that area will offer people many options for recreation.

These were two of the items discussed during a Waccamaw Neck Council of Property Owner Associations meeting on Monday evening in the Litchfield By The Sea beach house.

Attendees also learned about the status of the Bike The Neck bikeway planned as a continuous trail from Murrells Inlet to Georgetown.

Carefree Catering provided hors d’ouvres.

Mark Hoeweler with Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments discussed plans for new medians on Highway 17 between the North Causeway to Pawleys Island to the entrance of Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church.

“It is a trade-off — convenience for safety,” Hoeweler said. “When an area reaches a certain volume of traffic safety is compromised with the center turn lanes. We have passed that volume and it is not safe.”

He said the project will most likely begin this year.

New parks

Beth Goodale with Georgetown County Parks and Recreation told the attendees about two new parks in the Pawleys Island area.

Stables Park, one of several regional parks in Georgetown County, now has 100 acres of multi-purpose ball fields and tennis courts and will soon have walking trails and more, Goodale said.

She also spoke about the Waccamaw Regional Recreation Center being built at Parkersville Park in Pawleys Island.

“This will be our own gymnasium facility on the Waccamaw Neck,” Goodale said. “It will be great for volleyball, rock climbing and can be divided into three half-court facilities.

She said they are looking to open the facility at the end of April.

Goodale added that many people ask her why Georgetown County is building parks when the economy is hurting.

“If we hadn’t built when we did, we would never have gained the property for the parks,” she said. “The property for Stables Park was zoned residential, but now that land can be enjoyed by everyone.”

Bike The Neck

Linda Ketron spoke about the Bike The Neck bikeway which is planned to be a continuous trail from Murrells Inlet to Georgetown.

Construction of the section of trail along Kings River Road and Waverly Road should start this summer, she said.

They will also connect the path that runs along Huntington Beach State Park with the path on the other side of North Litchfield, Ketron said.

By Clayton Stairs

cstairs@gtowntimes.com