HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – The decision ends months of controversy over the proposed psychiatric hospital that Horry County residents have opposed since last fall.
Horry County Council voted 8-4 Tuesday night to approve the Asha Vista Behavioral Institute, allowing the facility to renovate and repurpose a former assisted living facility at the front of the Oak Arbor neighborhood.
Council originally denied the proposal in September, but an appeal by the hospital owners led to a settlement agreement with the zoning board.
The agreement requires Asha Vista to improve safety measures not in the original proposal plans, including ensuring a security guard is on site at all times, 24/7 video surveillance, and building a seven-foot perimeter wall.
During public comment, residents continued to express concerns about the facility.
“You’re setting a precedent by allowing them to bully you into changing a zone, so be careful how you vote, be careful how you treat the community of Horry County, because we’re all watching,” one resident said.
Dr. Victoria Calder, an Oak Arbor resident and retired psychologist, told council the facility doesn’t create a proper healing environment, and compared it to a prison.
“The building specifics that were shared appear to create a prison-like institutional atmosphere rather than a place to heal and find hope,” Calder said.
Asha Vista officials threatened to take the county to court for breaking federal disability laws if they denied the facility again.
“Zoning rules and decisions that impose more restrictions on mental healthcare facilities than on other types of healthcare facilities violate the ADA,” said Travis Dayhuff, Asha Vista attorney. “Asha Vista would much rather spend 2026 establishing the hospital rather than litigating the case.”
Council member Jenna Dukes became emotional when discussing her reason for voting yes.
“I lost a family member this year because we didn’t have a facility like this,” Dukes said. “I know that this is in district 5, and I respect that, and I’m sorry, but there are more issues to this that make it a county-wide issue, and I have to support the rest of the county.”
District 5 Councilman Tyler Servant, one of four who voted against the facility, voiced concern after the approval.
“It’s disappointing to see that this passed tonight and go against the many wishes of Horry County,” Servant said.
CEO of Asha Vista Fran Sauvageau says construction will begin in March, then undergo eight to ten months of renovation before opening the 78-bed mental health facility in Murrells Inlet by early 2027.
In a statement following the vote, Asha Vista said the decision “recognizes a simple truth: our community is facing a real and growing mental health care shortage, and families deserve access to safe, hospital-based care close to home.”
The company said it remains “committed to being a responsible healthcare neighbor” and looks forward to “continued dialogue with the community, transparency in our operations, and working alongside local leaders, first responders, and healthcare providers.”
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