Prior to their October 1, 7:00 p.m. meeting, the members of the North Myrtle Beach City Council held a 6:30 p.m. executive session to discuss the annual performance evaluation of the city attorney and to receive a legal briefing regarding the Sandridge Development Agreement. No action taken.
During the October 1 meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley issued a Proclamation in support of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Advocates for Children Week October 21-27. The North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club is affiliated with the GFWC.
Since the early 1900s, GFWC members have played an intricate role in advocating for the health and well-being of children with prominent club women such as Jane Addams and Julia Lathrop paving the way for the implementation of improved child labor and juvenile court laws.
GFWC members also educate, advocate and engage in projects concerning the well-being of children via health, social and safety programs by working to ensure protection from harmful situations and by encouraging healthy physical and emotional lifestyles.
The North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club advocates for children by supporting Tools for Schools, the Children’s Recovery Center, the Autism Foundation, the USO United through Reading Program, and more.
Each year during the fourth week of October, GFWC and its affiliated local clubs in Horry County stand with parents, grandparents, educators, community leaders, and others in emphasizing the important role that children play in our lives by raising awareness about issues that impact children directly.
City Council gave special recognition to North Myrtle Beach businesses that contributed food, shelter and other assistance to the City’s public safety department and other City staff and their families during Hurricane Florence and its extended aftermath. The businesses included BBQ House, Cherry Grove Pharmacy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dodge Store, Elliott Realty Company, Goodfellas, North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, Olive Garden, Outback, Papa Johns, Spiros Pancake House, Together Resorts, Turtle Market, Waffle House, Walmart Incorporated, and Wild Wing Café.
City Council approved a special event permit for the October 6, 8:00 a.m. Breast Friends Forever (BFF) Run at Barefoot Resort & Golf. This family-friendly Grand Strand Running Club event offers a 5k and 10k run/walk. Its purpose is to create awareness and raise funds for breast cancer research and treatment, celebrating those who are fighting and surviving breast cancer and honoring the memory of those who have passed on. Proceeds from race registration and fundraising will benefit local cancer organizations.
City Council approved a special event permit for the Fun in the Sun Classic & Collector Car Event on Saturday, November 3, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Main Street from Hillside Drive to Ocean Boulevard including the Horseshoe.
City Council adopted a Resolution naming the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce as its direct marketing organization (DMO) for fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019). The City will receive accommodation tax (A-Tax) funds from the State of South Carolina for FY 2019. State Law Code Section 6-4-10(3) requires that the first $25,000 of A-Tax funds goes to the City’s general fund, and then 30 percent of the A-Tax funds goes to a qualifying DMO selected by the City for the purpose of out of area tourism marketing. At the time City Council passed its FY 2019 Budget, a DMO was not determined.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to reallocate $264,000 in accommodations tax (A-Tax) funds to the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. After 30 percent of A-Tax funding is set aside for use in out-of-area tourism marketing, remaining A-Tax funds are available for the City to use to address a wide variety of local tourism-related needs. In the past, the City has provided significant funding for various tourism-related activities, such as the Chamber’s Visitor Center. Council did not select an amount for use by the Chamber during its FY 2019 Budget retreat held in February. In order to provide the Chamber with accommodations tax funding within the current fiscal year, an ordinance is required to make the budget adjustment.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Zoning Code to add definitions for “short-term rentals” and “sleeping areas.”
During a July 24 Council workshop, staff presented information on short-term rentals, followed by a discussion of proposed strategies to manage them. Council asked staff to prepare definitions of "short term rental" and "sleeping area” in order to insert them into the Zoning Ordinance as placeholders for the more detailed management proposal that will follow.
Staff’s proposed text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance creates these new definitions for short-term rental and sleeping area:
· Short-Term Rental: Any residential unit offered for lease for a period of 90 days or less.
· Sleeping Area: a sleeping area is any room (including bedrooms) that is not a kitchen, a hallway not exceeding seven feet in width, a mechanical room designed primarily for containing HVAC equipment or hot water heaters or electrical panels or similar, a bathroom, a closet not exceeding 70 square feet in size, or an elevator or stairwell.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Town Centre area in the Barefoot Resort Planned Development District.
The applicant and authorized agent for Barefoot Village Investments, Inc., Sands Winchester and Joe Morrison, have submitted a proposal to revise the portion of the Town Centre area of the Barefoot Resort Planned Development District on vacant land alongside the Intracoastal Waterway and marina. Known as Barefoot Cottage Village, this area is identified as Future Residential Development on the approved master site plan.
According to the information submitted, Barefoot Cottage Village is a residential neighborhood reminiscent of the simple life of small town America. The project includes 5.9 acres of wetlands and buffer, 19 designated common open green spaces covering 1.5 acres, a 2.5-acre pond, and 4,500 square feet of neighborhood amenity center and administrative office space.
274 in-common cottage units are proposed. All lots are commonly owned with no fee simple lot ownership. Cottages would range in size from 510 square feet to 1,292 square feet. Proposed minimum building separations would be 10 feet from wall to wall, with eaves protruding no further than 12 inches. These separations are less than the 15 feet currently required, but more than the 8 feet allowed for single-family elsewhere in Barefoot Resort.
The master site plan illustrates residents having at least two parking spaces per unit, with 377 surface and on-street parking spaces and 174 parking spaces available below the raised cottages.
According to the developer, the intention is to create housing that is affordable to "essential workers" in a community, i.e. police officers, firemen and women, teachers, nurses, medical personnel, and others, as well as those seeking smaller homes for year-round or second home use.
City Council passed first reading of the ordinance but noted that a workshop will be held prior to second reading so that Council members may discuss the size of the proposed cottages, determine how to deal with the impact of the proposed development on oceanfront parking, and learn more about how the village would be configured.
Council members also discussed their continued interest in seeing more commercial opportunities developed within the Barefoot Resort PDD.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to annex and zone two lots on Riverside Drive. The property owner has petitioned the City to annex 1.92 acres of property located on Riverside Drive identified by TMS Numbers 131-11-01-006 and 131-17-01-012 and PIN 311-16-04-0009 and 311-16-04-0010. The petition also asks for the two lots to be zoned R-1 (Single-Family Residential Low-Density). The subject area is identified as Residential Suburban on the Future Land Use Map; the proposed zoning designation, R-1, is a recommended zoning district for the subject area.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend Section 9-2 of the Code of Ordinances entitled, Day of General Election. The Horry County Election Commission has requested that the City amend its ordinance regarding election day so that the City's election day coincides with other County-wide municipal elections as follows: "The time for general elections shall be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd number years. All newly elected City Council members or newly elected Mayor shall be inducted into office at the next regular City Council meeting following their election."
During the public comment portion of the meeting, City Council agreed to provide about $73,000 in additional funding to the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce to help kick-start a fall tourism marketing campaign.
Because tourist visitation has dropped significantly in the wake of Hurricane Florence, businesses are starting to feel the pinch, placing the businesses and the jobs of their employees at risk. A significant portion of City revenue is also tied to a healthy economy.
