During the September 21 North Myrtle
Beach City Council meeting, five City employees were recognized for their
service to North Myrtle Beach
taxpayers and visitors. Earning awards were Brendon Bellamy (20 years service), George Willard (15), Victoria
Downey (10), Sean Hoelscher (5), and Joshua Kinney (5).
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L-R:
City Manager Mike Mahaney, Brendon Bellamy, George Willard, Victoria Downey,
Joshua Kinney, Sean Hoelscher
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City Council issued a proclamation declaring October 12-16 to be First Book of Horry County Week in North Myrtle Beach. First Book, through innovative approaches, tackles the single biggest obstacle to the development of literacy—access to books—and nationwide has provided more than 130 million books to children in need, increased access to needed materials for educators and administrators, and helped to elevate educational opportunities for the nation’s most disadvantaged youth.
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| L-R: Mayor Marilyn Hatley and First Book of Horry County volunteers |
First Book of Horry County has since 1998 provided more than 50,000 books to children in the Grand Strand area. First Book also awards grants to local programs with a literacy component, providing a steady diet of books to children.
Children and
adults who are illiterate or have low literacy skills face poor education, employment, and health
outlooks. Many will not graduate from high school, will earn barely enough income to stay above the
poverty level, and will be more likely to engage in criminal and anti-social behaviors. Over the
course of their lifetimes, each such person will cost the United States more than $250,000.
City Council passed second (final) reading
of an ordinance to rezone .61 acres off Little River Neck Road near the City of North Myrtle Beach Water Tower
from HC (Highway Commercial to R-3
(Mobile Manufactured Home Residential). City staff requested the change to
clarify the location of the HC zoning
district as originally designated when the city was first incorporated in 1968. The rezoning lessens the area of
HC zoning by establishing the new HC zoning
district approximately 300 feet into the parcel from the edge of the Sea
Mountain Highway right of way.
Council passed second reading of
an ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance text to change the development standards for
mixed use within the Highway Commercial (HC)
zoning district. In May 2015,
City Council approved an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance text to limit the amount of multifamily
allowed by-right within the HC zoning district. The revision allows a single residential unit to be constructed
above a commercial use within HC, which was
staff’s original intention.
Council approved a motion to appoint Mike
Eddings to the North Myrtle Beach Election
Commission.
Council approved a motion to
appoint Woody Caine to the North Myrtle Beach Election Commission to serve out the one year remaining on
Susan Trexler’s term.
Trexler resigned from the Commission
because she has moved outside the city limits. Commission members must live within the city limits.
Council approved a motion to approve an
event permit for the 2015 Endless Summer Festival,
which will be held on Saturday, October 31, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., on Main
Street. The festival offers live
music, arts and crafts, food, and more.
Council passed
second reading of an ordinance to lease
a portion of the Lake located at the
North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex to Apex Wake Parks, LLC for the
operation of a cable wake park
amenity. The cable system will pull people on water skis, wake boards, etc., over the leased portion of the lake.
The term of the lease will be for a period of ten years with an option by the lessee to extend the lease
for two additional renewal terms of 10 years per renewal term. It is
anticipated that the cable wake park will open in March 2016.
Council conducted a public
hearing regarding the City of North
Myrtle Beach Hazard Mitigation Plan.
At the request of the
applicant, Council withdrew from the agenda first reading of an ordinance to amend the North Beach
Plantation Planned Development District phase III Tower (Oceanfront Villas) within the "Oceanfront Towers.”
Council passed
first reading of a request to amend the
Surf Estates Planned Development
District (PDD). Nick Nye, authorized agent for Cherry, LLC, requested an
amendment to the Surf Estates PDD to
allow changes to the previously approved Commercial "8" portion of the project. Specifically, the owner
wishes to change a single-use gas station to a
three-unit commercial use including a gas station, with parking and rear
connector adjustments, adding a drive
up window with two order lanes, and including a new connecting center lane providing access to Sea Mountain Highway.
The proposed commercial building would be split into
three separate tenants, with one unit to be
used as a gas station/convenience store, one unit to be used as a restaurant,
and one unit to be used as a retail
shop. The gas station/convenience store would be 1,800 square feet; the restaurant 2,000 square feet, and the
shop 1,600 square feet; totaling 5,400 square
feet.
Additionally, six gas pumps are proposed,
consistent with the approved plans.
Council members discussed ingress and egress to the
property at length, and also asked that,
prior to second reading, Nye provide architectural renderings for the
commercial building that offer a
look more in keeping with nearby residential
development.
Council passed first reading of
an ordinance to approve the sale of property
to Santee Cooper and to authorize
the City Manager to sign the documents necessary for the transaction.
In 2012, the City purchased property from Horry County
for future expansion for a water tank
site, a wastewater pump station site, and a future electric substation site.
The latter portion of the property
was intended for a future sale to Santee Cooper. Santee Cooper is now ready to purchase the site. The City acquired
the site from Horry County for $79,000, the same amount proposed for sale to Santee Cooper.
