RESULTS: February 15 City Council Meeting

During the February 15 North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, four City employees were provided with Longevity Awards for their length of service to North Myrtle Beach residents, businesses and visitors. The awards are provided in five year increments to City employees who consistently provide excellent customer service. Receiving awards were Electrician Milton Willoughby (30 years of service), Planner Dawn Snider (15), Motor Equipment Operator Eddie Stevenson (15), and Motor Equipment Operator Arron Vereen (15).

Tom Walker, chairman of the North Myrtle Beach Tree City Board, provided Council with a report on the board’s activities and accomplishments for 2015. The board has completed proposed updates to the Public Tree Ordinance for the City, which passed first reading at the Council meeting. The board also held three well-received public education sessions on trees and tree care at the North Myrtle Beach Library.

A newsletter was created to provide North Myrtle Beach residents with more information on the Tree Board’s activities and goals for the year. The newsletter was mailed out with the City’s January 2016 water bills.

During the past year, the Tree City Board provided 12 Tree of the Month awards, which highlighted the features of unique trees within the city. By highlighting the trees and those who care for them, the board hopes to continue to encourage tree preservation and informed tree maintenance throughout the city.

Thanks to the efforts of the board, and City Council’s continued support of board initiatives, North Myrtle Beach again earned the Tree City USA award. The City has earned this award for 10 consecutive years due to its tree preservation, maintenance and planting initiatives.

On December 4, 2015, an Arbor Day celebration was sponsored by the Tree City Board. It included the planting of multiple Willow Oaks at City Hall.

City Council passed second (final) reading of an ordinance to rescind the City's current code sections regarding the type of information pawnbrokers located within the city must maintain and electronically transfer to the Public Safety Department. A primary change is that pawnbrokers must now photograph not only an item being pawned but also the person who is pawning the item, and then transmit the same electronically to the Public Safety Department.

City Council tabled until its first meeting in March second reading of an ordinance to annex and zone one lot located adjacent to the Parkway Group PDD (PDD), which is located west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Council wants to wait until an associated Development Agreement has been completed before giving second reading to the proposed annexation and zoning.

Baird Stewart, authorized agent for LStar Communities and NGD Property I/II, LLC, has petitioned the City for annexation of about 60.69 acres of property adjacent to the Waterway Hills section of the PDD. The parcel is currently within unincorporated Horry County. The petition also reflects the requested City zoning district of Planned Development District (PDD) by joining with the existing Parkway Group PDD.

The property is contiguous to the corporate boundary of the City and is zoned Commercial Forest Agriculture under Horry County’s jurisdiction. The property is vacant and unimproved. Surrounding land uses are vacant and a former golf course.

City Council tabled until its first meeting in March second reading of an ordinance for a major amendment to the Parkway Group Planned Development District (PDD) to allow changes to the previously approved phase known as the Waterway Hills Tract and to add a newly annexed area known as the Wilson Chestnut Tract. The area is referred to as “Grande Dunes North” in the PDD, which is located west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Council wants to wait until an associated Development Agreement has been completed before giving second reading to the proposed ordinance.

The proposed amendment reduces the previously approved density for the property from a maximum of 2,500 residential dwelling units to 858 units over a total combined area of 241.46 acres, a 65 percent reduction in housing density.

Grande Dunes North would be a private, gated neighborhood with private roadways using a guard at the entrance gate. The development would be constructed in six phases. Phase I would be the Entrance Parkway and Grande Dunes Connection, Community Amenity, and 119 residential units. Phase II would be north of Phase I along the Intracoastal Waterway. Phase III and Phase V would be north of the Entrance Parkway and Phases IV and VI would be located south of the Entrance Parkway.

City Council tabled until its first meeting in March second reading of an ordinance to amend the Parkway Group Planned Development District (PDD) to allow changes to the previously approved residential tracts known as Seashore Farms and L.L. Chestnut, referred to as “Waterside” in the PDD. Council wants to wait until an associated Development Agreement has been completed before giving second reading of the proposed ordinance.

The Waterside development would be constructed in 10 phases. Phase I is the most complete and plans have been provided to the City for review. Phases II through X will require further review and amendments prior to construction.

Phase I of Waterside includes three proposed neighborhoods— Pinnacle Ridge, Copper Creek and Copper Meadow. When completed, Pinnacle Ridge and Copper Creek will offer a variety of housing options, such as detached single-family homes, neighborhood commercial areas, and attached single-family and multifamily homes. These neighborhoods would be connected by roadways and multi-purpose paths.

City Council passed a motion to appoint Bubba Collins to the North Myrtle Beach Planning Commission.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Public Trees Ordinance text, Section 19-56 thru 64, to address recommended revisions proposed by the North Myrtle Beach Tree City Board. The Tree City Board is tasked with a review and/or revision of the public tree ordinance every two years in order to maintain Tree City USA status.

The proposed revisions would bring the public tree ordinance up to date by removing obsolete terms and definitions, updating the process by which a public tree may be removed, allowing for the pruning of private trees encroaching into the public right of way, updating the annual work plan, and identifying the Department of Public Safety as the enforcement mechanism for the ordinance.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to approve the "Master Trust Indenture" for the Cherry Grove Municipal Improvement District (Dredging Project), which is a step forward in obtaining financing for the project.

The proposed ordinance approves a Master Trust Indenture ("MTI") for the Cherry Grove Municipal Improvement District ("District") financing, and authorizes the Mayor and City Manager to execute and deliver the MTI upon the issuance of the first series of bonds for the District this year.

The proposed ordinance sets up the mechanics for issuing and paying the bonds, and will be presented to financial institutions, which may have an interest in providing the financing.

Once a lender has been chosen, the final details of the Bonds will be set forth in a "supplemental Resolution", also approved by Council. After that, the financing can proceed to closing. No public hearing is required prior to the enactment of the ordinance.