WMBF Investigates: Private road in Horry County neighborhood officially closed amid concerns

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - One Horry County neighborhood has now seen a private road officially closed a month after WMBF Investigates first looked into the issue.

Colony Drive in Deerfield Plantation was closed Friday, according to Mike Couture, owner of Myrtle Beach Realty and manager of several Homeowners Associations in the Deerfield area.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | WMBF Investigates: Horry County neighborhood road closure causing concerns

Blockades were also put up earlier Friday on the road, which is owned by Deerfield, LLC.

The issue began at the end of May, with signs indicating Colony Drive would close due to overuse. Those signs included email information for Horry County Councilman Gary Loftus and other county officials.

Neighbors raised concerns about the closure and contacted WMBF Investigates - saying that it could lead to issues with not just their own transportation, but also could impact first responders in the event of an emergency.

Last month, Couture said that more homeowners use Colony Drive than the number of people who pay dues for road repairs. He also argued that the county bears some responsibility in addressing issues in the area.

“Homeowners I represent feel they have the right to close the road,” he said Friday in a statement provided to WMBF Investigates. “It’s a shame Horry County leaders have forced us to pit neighbor against neighbor by not adding additional roads to the subdivision. They have been notified of this numerous times prior to approving the subdivision plans.”

Loftus and an Horry County spokesperson both said last month that there was nothing the county could do due to Colony Drive being a private road.

Neighbors are set to meet at 7 p.m Friday to discuss their concerns over the closure.

Stay with WMBF News for updates.

Copyright 2022 WMBF. All rights reserved.