Ingram Dunes Natural Area in North Myrtle Beach Open to Public

On October 24, 2019, North Myrtle Beach City Council and many others gathered at the 7.24-acres Ingram Dunes Natural Area to recognize those who contributed to the purchase of the property on June 4, 2019.

The purchase price was $2.5 million.

In her remarks, Mayor Marilyn Hatley said that:

"Everyone, from the largest donor to the smallest, is responsible for our being here today. However, there are those without whose involvement we would not be here today.

"We owe the South Carolina Conservation Bank and its board of directors a large debt of gratitude. The board worked with the City as we went through extended negotiations for this unique piece of land. We thank the board for staying the course, and we thank them for the conservation bank’s $500,000 investment Ingram Dunes.

"I would like to thank our City Council members for committing the City to its $500,000 contribution. While many people in our community loved the idea of preserving Ingram Dunes, I can tell you that not so many of our taxpayers loved the idea of committing significant taxpayer funds to this project. However, Council understood the value of this land to the community and stayed the course.

"Even with those two major contributions," Mayor Hatley continued, "we were still $1.5 million short of the funds needed to buy this land. I know we can all agree that when the family of Charles Ingram stepped forward to announce that it would contribute $1.4 million to the purchase of this natural area, this was the turning point in all of our efforts. Without the generosity of the family of Charles Ingram, we would not be celebrating here today."

The city also received 71 donations from the public. The donations ranged from $10 to $16,039. They closed the funding gap.

Mayor Hatley thanked the members of the Horry County delegation, from the federal to the local levels, for their help in securing funding.

"Journeys like the one that led us all here today do not just happen," Mayor Hatley said. "Someone always rises up and lights that first spark, encouraging others to embark on a worthwhile journey. We thank Damien Trioulerye and Jane Vernon for having been early leaders in the effort to preserve Ingram Dunes. They introduced us to the unique natural value of Ingram Dunes."

The Ingram Dunes Natural Area is managed by the City's Parks & Recreation Department. Parks Division employees will maintain the property but will not add much to what is already there.

The Ingram Dunes Natural Area honors the family of Charles Ingram. Members of the Charles Ingram family attended today's event but preferred not to speak. As Mayor Hatley put it, "They are comfortable in letting Ingram Dunes speak for itself."

The address for the Ingram Dunes Natural Area is 915 Hillside Drive South. It is across from Hillside Commons. 

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC/NC Metropolitan Area Tops USA Today's list of "50 Affordable Cities Where Everyone Wants to Live Right Now"

According to USA Today, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, 24/7 Wall Street identified the 50 most affordable metropolitan areas Americans are moving to. The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC/NC Metropolitan Area topped the list. Our Metropolitan Area includes a portion of NC.

In each of the metropolitan areas on the list, the overall cost of living is lower than the national average, and typical housing costs are more in line with area incomes than average across all cities. Additionally, between 2010 and 2018, far more people have moved to these cities than have left.

Statistics offered for our metropolitan area include:

-- Total population: 480,891

-- Population growth due to net migration, 2010-2018: +28.0% (+105,460)

-- Cost of living: 8.1% less than the national average

-- Median home value: $194,700

-- Median household income: $51,580

Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Citywide Cleanup Day is November 2, 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

DATE: Saturday, November 2

TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

LOCATION: North Myrtle Beach Sanitation Transfer Station, 2^nd Avenue South

City of North Myrtle Beach residents are encouraged to participate in the Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Annual Citywide Home Cleanup Day on Saturday, November 2, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

To participate, city residents must transport their items to the North Myrtle Beach Sanitation Department Transfer Station located on 2nd Avenue South. Once on 2nd Avenue South drive toward the Intracoastal Waterway past City Hall and the Aquatic & Fitness Center. The drop site is then on the right hand side of 2nd Avenue South.

The annual home cleanup day provides North Myrtle Beach residents with an opportunity to clean out their closets, attics, garages, and storage sheds. During the event, residents may discard unwanted items, including appliances, TVs, electronics, furniture, paint, pesticides, chemicals, oil, old tires and more. No construction debris or medical waste is accepted.

The cleanup event includes document shredding. Shred 360 provides document shredding at the cleanup drop off site at the 2^nd Avenue South Sanitation Transfer Station from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. These rules apply:

1) Document shredding is available for North Myrtle Beach residents only.

2) Limit to a maximum of three (3) bags or boxes of documents/paper only.

3) No combustibles. No metals. No glass.

Please make an effort to donate usable furniture and appliances to the Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries or local churches. Many of these organizations pick up donated items.

Special Collections: The City provides a special collection service for furniture, appliances and other bulky items. Place these items at curbside for pickup. This service is not regularly scheduled but provided on an as-needed basis. Please call the Sanitation Division at (843) 280-5500 prior to placing such items at curbside to ensure prompt pickup.

The Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Commission, the North Myrtle Beach Sanitation Department and the City of North Myrtle Beach sponsor this event.

The Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Commission offers a community based volunteer program to educate and empower the North Myrtle Beach community to personally improve the environment and enhance quality of life and community pride through beautification, litter prevention and recycling.

Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.

Four North Myrtle Beach City Employees Earn Awards

Left to right: City Manager Mike Mahaney, Timothy Wagner,
John Griffin, Davis Livingston, and Lent William

During the October 21 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting, four City employees received Longevity Awards. Longevity Awards go in five-year increments to employees who consistently provide excellent customer service.

The award winners are Operations Manager/Solid Waste Lent Williams (40 years of service), Superintendent/Pumping Stations Davis Livingston (35), Sergeant John Griffin (15), and Heavy Equipment Operator Timothy Wagner (5).

North Myrtle Beach City Council Recognizes Team Shark 843

Mayor Marilyn Hatley joins team members for a celebratory photo

During their October 21 meeting, City Council members recognized Team Shark 843 for its recent team and individual performances at the wakeboard nationals.

The successful team represents Shark Wake Park 843 located on the lake at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex.

Team members appearing at the Council meeting included Charlie Pfahler, Will Hall, Ethan Bellamy, Kyle Bohack, Regan Bohack and Jake Bohack.

Results - October 21 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting

City Council approved a special event permit for the annual North Myrtle Beach Christmas Parade scheduled for Saturday, December 7, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on Main Street. The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and the City of North Myrtle Beach work together to present and manage the annual parade. City Council passed second (final) reading of an ordinance amending section 7-172, Form and Condition of Permit, regarding sidewalk cafes. To satisfy concerns raised by SLED and the S.C. Department of Revenue, Section 7-172(12) of the City’s Code of Ordinances now reads: “The serving and consumption of beer, wine and liquor in the sidewalk encroachment pursuant to this article is limited to patrons within the sidewalk encroachment area designated for the permittee.” The City also amended Section 7-172 to add subsection (13) which provides: “All tables authorized for use in the sidewalk encroachment area shall have non-moveable signage, which is permanently affixed to the table and visible to all, which identifies the table as belonging to the business for which the encroachment permit has been issued. The area of the sidewalk authorized for use as a sidewalk café shall be designated and marked by the City. All tables, chairs and or other items authorized to be placed within the designated encroachment area shall remain at all times within the designated encroachment area of the sidewalk.” City Council removed from the table and postponed until after a soon-to-be scheduled Council workshop second reading of an ordinance to amend the Robber’s Roost Planned Development District (PDD), revising standards for the Neighborhood Overlay Zone pertaining to porches and recessed garages. At City Council’s previous meeting, at the applicant’s request, City Council tabled second reading of the proposed ordinance. The amendment would affect the residential portion of the PDD. The proposed amended architectural standards would: -- Delete the requirement for garage doors to be recessed from the front facade, allowing garage doors to protrude forward from the front facade no more than two feet. -- Require a minimum of 24 feet of driveway between any garage door and the front property line. -- Revise the minimum width of porches to require 25 percent of the frontage of the facade facing the street or a six-foot minimum when a third garage bay is part of the home design. City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend Chapter 21, Article II, Section 21-40 - Annual Parking Fee Exemption, to include parking decal placement specifications. Parking decal placement is problematic for parking enforcement personnel due to inconsistent placement and failure to use provided adhesive by some vehicle and golf cart owners. There is no legal provision to for the City to issue a citation for either violation, and there is no effective way to encourage compliance. The proposed ordinance would require that decals for all personal vehicles be located and adhered, adhesive side to designated surface and area, as follows: -- Regular vehicles to the inside of the windshield, on the driver’s side, in the bottom part of the window -- Motorcycles with windshields to the outside of the windshield, in the bottom left corner -- Motorcycles without windshields to the fork -- Golf carts with windshields to the outside of the front windshield, on the driver’s side, in the bottom part of the window. -- Golf carts without windshields to the front of the cart beside the state decal. During the meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley appointed a committee comprised of Mike Bessant, Kevin Blayton, Pete Brooks, Bob Cavanaugh and Rob Kayton to develop a plan for educating residents, businesses and visitors about the City’s ordinance prohibiting the sale, use or distribution of single-use carryout plastic bags by retail establishments within North Myrtle Beach. The ordinance goes into effect January 1, 2021. City Councilman Bob Cavanaugh serves as chairman of the committee.

North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Presents Mini Golf Trophy to City Council Team

During the October 21 City Council meeting, North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Cheryl Kilday and North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Director of Public Relations & Governmental Affairs Pete Brooks presented City Council members J.O. Baldwin, Bob Cavanaugh, Fred Coyne and Nicole Fontana with a trophy for their second place finish in the October 8 Hole in Fun Mini Golf Charity Tournament.

Left to right Pete Brooks, Cheryl Kilday, Nicole Fontana,
Fred Coyne, J.O. Baldwin, Bob Cavanaug

The tournament benefits the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

This was the first time the City entered a team in the fundraising event.