RESULTS: July 20 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting

L-R City Manager Mike Mahaney, Meter Reader Darius Mines, Assistant City Clerk Robin Johnson, Motor Equipment Operator Jamie Wilson

During the July 20 North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, three City employees were provided with Longevity Service Awards in recognition of their excellent service to North Myrtle Beach residents and visitors. The award recipients were Assistant Clerk of Court Robin Johnson (10 years of service), Utility Billing Meter Reader Darius Mines (l0 years) and Motor Equipment Operator Jamie Wilson (10 years). The service awards are provided to qualifying employees in five year increments as a way of recognizing and encouraging excellent, proactive customer service.

City Council tabled until its August 3 meeting first reading of an ordinance to amend the North Beach Plantation Planned Development District Phase III Tower (Oceanfront Villas) within the Oceanfront Towers Neighborhood.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Barefoot Landing Planned Development District (PDD) to allow a covered bridge. Jake Puglia, property owner of Alligator Adventure, requested an amendment to the Barefoot Landing PDD to allow changes to the previously approved site plan. The request involves adding a covered bridge to extend from Duplin Winery to Alligator Adventure. Bridge architecture would complement neighboring uses with metal roofing and Cypress board and batten siding.

At the request of the applicant, City Council withdrew from the agenda first reading of a proposed ordinance to rezone a portion of Southeastern Memorial Gardens (Southern Palms Memorial Gardens).

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to annex and zone five lots. Shep Guyton, authorized agent for Permenter Brothers Holdings, LLC, petitioned the City for annexation of about 153.78 acres adjacent to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and bounded by the Pelican Bay and Sanibel Harbour neighborhoods. The applicant has requested an R-4 (Resort Residential District) zoning for the acreage. The acreage is currently identified as Inland Low Residential, Inland Medium Residential, and General Commercial on the City’s Future Land Use Map, which recommends a zoning designation of R-l (Single-Family Residential Low-Density District), R-2 (Medium Density Residential), and GC (General Commercial), respectively.

The proposed R-4 zoning district is inconsistent with the Future Land Use Map's recommended zoning districts; however, deviations from the compliance index’s recommended zoning districts may be allowed in situations where a particular area has substantially changed or changing conditions or circumstances have occurred.

The proposed R-4 zoning district would allow single-family detached and semi-detached; patio homes; two-family (duplex); multiplex (triplex and quadruplex); townhouse developments; multifamily, including garden, mid-and high-rise apartments, zero lot line single-family detached developments; boarding house, resort accommodation, hotels, motels, inns, and lodges; accessory uses customarily incidental to dwellings and hotels, motels, inns, lodges and resort accommodations; and parking lots.

The building height maximum for the proposed R-4 zoning district is 90 feet, with the exception that hotel/motel, resort accommodation, and multifamily uses may exceed the 90 foot height limitation by one floor of units for each full level of above-grade parking deck construction below the principal building, not to exceed four additional floors of units.

Prior to voting for first reading, several Council members made it clear that more discussion regarding the proposed R-4 zoning would be required before a second reading of the proposed ordinance. They expressed concern about the much higher density that the proposed R-4 zoning would lead to and the potential negative impact the proposed zoning could have on adjacent existing neighborhoods.

Some Council members also want to discuss road networks as they relate to all neighborhoods in the general area of the proposed annexation. They want to ensure that roadways within and leading to the different neighborhoods, including the acreage proposed for annexation, offer connectivity.

City Council also passed first reading of an ordinance to annex and zone three lots. Shep Guyton, authorized agent for Waterway-Rust, LLC, petitioned the City for annexation of about 55.57 acres adjacent to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and S.C. Highway 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway). The applicant has requested that the land be zoned R-4 (Resort Residential District).

The subject area is identified as Inland Low Residential on the City’s Future Land Use Map, which recommends a zoning designation of R-1 (Single-Family Residential Low-Density District). The proposed R-4 zoning district is not entirely consistent with the Future Land Use Map's recommended zoning district; however, deviations from the compliance index's recommended zoning district is allowed in situations where a particular locality has substantially changed or changing conditions or circumstances have occurred.

Several Council members made it clear that additional discussion about the proposed higher density R-4 zoning would be required before second reading. Council members also focused on the need to ensure connectivity of roadways in the general area.

Council tabled until its August 3 meeting a motion to make an appointment to Horry County’s Capital Project Sales Tax Act Commission.