HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — Horry County Council has approved plans for the Asha Vista Behavioral Institute to open a new psychiatric hospital along Highway 707, overturning an earlier denial by the zoning board of appeals and despite significant community opposition.
The council voted 8-4 in favor of converting a closed assisted living facility into a mental health center. The decision came after a heated meeting where residents voiced safety concerns, particularly over the proposed location being less than the 2,000 feet required under county regulations.
Tyler Dayhuff, attorney for Asha Vista, argued that rejecting the project would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “The regulations in case law are clear: zoning rules and decisions that impose more restrictions on mental health care facilities than on other types of health care facilities violate the ADA,” he said…