CONWAY, S.C. (WTBW) — Conway officials have addressed several concerns raised by residents about what could be the city’s largest development yet.

The proposed development would be built off of Highway 701 and Pitch Landing Road. This comes after the planning commission voted in its most recent meeting to pass the project’s proposal on to city council.

Conway Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy said the day-to-day lives of people in Conway are going to change because of the project if it is approved.

That’s why some Conway residents are pushing back so it doesn’t happen.

“Conway wants folks to come and enjoy our agri-business and entertainment,” said Vickie Hutchinson, a Conway resident. “But with the road conditions as they are now, it will be a challenge. Therefore, do not annex.”

The proposed project would annex nearly 1,800 acres of land into the city and would require rezoning.

“Conway is stretching outward,” Blain-Bellamy said. “It’s not like what’s inward is going to change tremendously.”

Blain-Bellamy said it would add to the city’s cost, responsibility and public service demand. She said the city is pleased to be attracting so much growth, but changes have to be made to keep up.

“We need to be as careful as we can to make sure that we can sustain all that comes along with 1,700 new acres and hundreds and hundreds of new residences,” she said.

The project could bring more than 8,000 new residents to Conway.

Both city staff and the public voiced concerns for the development’s impact on traffic, flooding, stress on fire and police services and the overall rural feel that separates Conway from other parts of the Grand Strand.

“I am so afraid that this beautiful home that we’ve retired to and moved down here to be in the gorgeous town of Conway is going to get ruined,” said Debbie Lebuis, a Conway resident.

“I don’t see us every becoming a resort. We won’t be the Grand Strand,” Blain-Bellamy said. “We’re going to be more of the [idealistic] Conway that has this downtown setting, more of the spirit and more of the charm.”

City council will have final say on the proposal and will hold a public hearing on the issue at its meeting on Sept. 18.