During
their October 5 meeting, the North Myrtle Beach City Council passed a
Resolution adopting the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update of 2015 as an
official City plan. The City’s current rating under the plan results in a
total savings of about $1.3 million
for North Myrtle Beach property owners who pay flood insurance
premiums. The City aims to maintain and, if feasible, improve its rating
under the updated plan.
For local
governments to remain eligible for future FEMA grants and funding the
city is required to prepare and adopt a Hazard Mitigation Plan. The
Hazard Mitigation Plan is also a requirement of the Community
Rating System (CRS) program in which the City participates. The Hazard
Mitigation Plan Committee, together with a consultant hired by the City,
has been holding meetings since February of 2015 to prepare the updated
plan.
On September 21
City Council held a public hearing on the Hazard Mitigation Plan
prepared by the committee. Berry Williams, the consultant, gave a
presentation at that hearing, along with some recommendations
for the next five years that could improve the city's preparedness for
floods and other hazards. There were no comments from the public at the
hearing.
City Council passed second (final) reading of an ordinance
to approve the sale of property to Santee Cooper and authorized 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 site was intended for 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, and Santee
Cooper will pay the same amount of money to the City.
Council passed second 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 wanted to change an
allowed single-use gas station to a three-unit commercial building,
which includes a gas station with parking and rear connector
adjustments, adding a drive-up window with two order lanes,
and a new connecting center lane providing access to Sea Mountain
Highway.
The commercial building will be split into three separate tenants, with
one unit to be used as a gas station/convenience store, one unit as a
restaurant, and one unit as a retail shop. The gas station/convenience
store will be 1,800 square feet, the restaurant
2,000 square feet, and the shop 1,600 square feet, for a total of 5,400
square feet. Additionally, there will be six gas pumps, consistent with
the approved plans.
Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend Chapter 20, Land Development Regulations to clarify when a financial guarantee may apply to final subdivision plats.
City staff initiated a text amendment to the Land Development
Regulations to clarify when a financial guarantee may apply to final
subdivision plats, if the final inspection and acceptance list has not
been completed to the City’s satisfaction. The request
is a housekeeping item, but approving the revision would ensure that
the public works department would not be exposed should a developer fail
to comply with the necessary protocols when seeking final plat review
and approval.
Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend Chapter 20,
Land Development Regulations to remove the availability of the local
street 40 foot right of way (two travel lanes, sidewalk, and
landscaping) cross-section in residential areas.
Within the 40 foot cross-section there is 20 feet of travel lane, 3 feet
of curb and gutter, 9 feet of tree lawn, and 8 feet of sidewalk. A
recurring issue occurs when public works department personnel must
respond to repair damaged water meters that have been
placed within the public right of way, but are also immediately
adjacent to private property. Property owners’ yards must be disturbed
in order to fix the meters. This results in extra work for the city in
order to resolve property owner concerns and complaints
about the work and its impact on private property.
The proposed amendment would no longer permit 40 foot public rights of
way in residential settings but would allow them in commercial settings.
Residential development would use the next available right of way
minimum width of 50 feet (22 feet of travel lane,
4 feet of curb and gutter, 16 feet of tree and lawn, and 8 feet of
sidewalk). This would allow for greater separation from private property
in residential areas.
Council passed first reading of amendment to the Land Development
Regulations text to change the definition of a minor subdivision by
including properties located in a flood zone.
Staff has initiated a text amendment to the Land Development Regulations
to allow properties located in a flood zone to be considered minor
subdivisions and reviewed at the administrative level, if the
subdivision otherwise meets the criteria for administrative
review.
In 2014, the regulations were revised to exempt properties possessing
flood zones located outside of the building envelope to be considered
minor subdivisions, but continued to identify those with flood zones in
the building envelope as major subdivisions.
The proposed amendment would alleviate the burden of Planning
Commission review, when the plat would otherwise be classified as minor,
and would allow city departments to officially determine if a property
meets subdivision regulations. These cases usually
involve small, three to four lot subdivision requests, and the existing
requirement for Planning Commission review places an unnecessary burden
on the applicant.
