Prior to their July 16 meeting, the members of the North Myrtle Beach City Council met in executive session for a legal briefing regarding the City of North Myrtle Beach vs SLF IV/SBI Sandridge LLC, et al Case Number 2017-CP-26-05918. Council took no action.
During the July 16 City Council Meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley presented Sheryl Randall with a Proclamation honoring her retirement from Horry County Schools after 30 years of exemplary service. Sheryl also has a long-standing and strong history in the North Myrtle Beach area as an active member of the community.
Sheryl began her service with Horry County Schools in 1988 and served as the North Myrtle Beach Middle School Director of Chorus during her time with that school. Sheryl’s commitment to inspiring each child in her care to develop an understanding and love for music has helped bring the joy of music to many children who would not otherwise have had that opportunity.
Through her own musical performances and those of the North Myrtle Beach Middle School Choir, which she directed, Sheryl shared many wonderful moments with the community.
Sheryl and the North Myrtle Beach Middle School Choir have also played important roles in the annual North Strand Community Prayer & Praise Event.
We wish Sheryl the very best in retirement.
City Council passed first reading of a proposed ordinance amending Chapter 20, Land Development Regulations, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of North Myrtle Beach.
Prior to second (final) reading, City Council will hold a workshop session on the proposed ordinance. The workshop is scheduled for July 24 at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall.
Planning & Development Department staff proposed a text amendment to the Land Development Regulations to address additional points of access into and out of residential subdivisions.
Under the proposed amendment, residential developments containing between 30 and 50 lots or dwelling units would have to provide one separate fire apparatus access road as required by the latest edition of the South Carolina Fire Code, in addition to one improved primary access road.
Residential developments containing between 51 and 249 lots or dwelling units would include a minimum of two improved primary access roads.
Residential developments of 250 or more lots or dwelling units would provide a minimum of three separate and improved primary access roads.
The proposed amendment allows fire apparatus access roads to be located within a private easement but all primary access roads must be located within a public or private right-of-way. In exceptional cases, the City’s Planning Commission may wave requirements.
The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on June 19 and voted unanimously to recommend approval to City Council. No members of the public commented on the proposed additional accesses.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to adopt the proposed 2018 Comprehensive Plan.
The South Carolina Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994 requires local governments that adopt land use controls such as zoning and subdivision/land development regulations to develop and maintain a planning process. One aspect of this process is adoption of a comprehensive plan every 10 years to provide the vision directing and planning the future of the community. The Planning Commission prepares this document and reviews the comprehensive plan at least once every five years.
The nine elements required by the State for inclusion in the City’s comprehensive plan are population, economic development, natural resources, cultural resources, community facilities, housing, land use, transportation, and priority investment. The community facilities, housing, land use, and priority investment elements are required components of the comprehensive plan and provide legal support for the City's land development and zoning regulations.
The Planning Commission, assisted by staff, has been working on the re-evaluation and update of the comprehensive plan since the spring of 2015. The community participated in this process in two phases. Seamon Whiteside and Urban Edge Studio led the first phase and Stantec the second. The first phase occurred in May of 2015, focusing on interactive stakeholder meetings. Stantec held stakeholder meetings in May 2016 and focused on collaborative design work.
The Planning Commission and City Council conducted a joint June 21, 2017 workshop to review the draft comprehensive plan. The Planning Commission unanimously adopted a resolution recommending that City Council adopt the 2018 comprehensive plan at its June 19, 2018 meeting.
To view or download the proposed 2018 Comprehensive Plan, which offers many explanatory photos and graphics, visitwww.NMB.us and look under “Press Releases.”
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Mayor Hatley informed those in attendance that City Council will hold a July 30, 2:00 p.m. workshop at City Hall to discuss plastics bags and a variety of ordinances enacted by other cities to ban them from their beaches. Some members of the public have asked Council to consider such a ban.
Mayor Hatley indicated that, if after considerable study the City were to head down that road, it would most likely be in a gradual or phased-in manner, so that businesses would have time to adjust financially, residents and visitors would have time to become familiar with a new process, the Police Department would have time to determine how to enforce such a law along with all of the other beach-related laws it is expected to enforce, and other impacts could be understood and accounted for.
Although the public can attend City Council workshops, they are not public hearings. Workshops are intended for Council members to be able to discuss among themselves key issues that require more time than regular meetings allow. If there is time toward the end of a workshop, the Mayor may call on members of the public for their comments.
