The Entertainers to Perform in a FREE June 23 Concert at the Horseshoe on Main Street

The public is invited to enjoy a free June 23, 7pm-9pm concert featuring The Entertainers at the Harold Bessent Band Stand at the Horseshoe on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach. The Entertainers are a beach music band from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Patrons and concert-goers are encouraged to bring their beach chairs.

The free concert is part of the North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department’s Music on Main summer concert series sponsored by Anderson Brothers Bank.

About The Entertainers: Beach music has long been a tradition in the South, and The Entertainers are proud to have shared in that tradition for over 30 years. The Entertainers were founded in 1980 and scored their first regional smash hit with "Living For The Summer" that same year. This song helped propel the group to the forefront of beach music, which led to their playing the finest clubs along the Grand Strand, corporate conventions, and weddings and festivals from Washington, DC to Naples, Florida.

While staying true to their rhythm and blues and beach music roots, the group also satisfies the most diverse audiences by playing selections from the latest Top 40, classic rock & roll and country music. The group's years of performing experience and recording prowess culminated in the release of their latest album entitled, "The Inside Story". This record, which contains the #1 beach music hit, "Thank Goodness She Cheated" and classic beach and soul hits, will surely lead you to the dance floor with a smile on your face.

For day of event weather information call the “Rec Check” hotline at (843) 280-5594 ext. 3,  www.Facebook.com/NMBParksandRec, or visit their website http://parks.nmb.us.

NMB PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT HOLDS FREE JUNE 18, 10AM-3PM, “WILDLAND FIRE EDUCATION” OPEN HOUSE AT FIRE STATION #1 (2nd Avenue South)

Wildfires only happen in undeveloped, forested areas far away from residential neighborhoods, right? Absolutely wrong.

For example, on April 23, 2009 the city of North Myrtle Beach experienced a wildfire that began in Horry County, jumped a major roadway, then burned about 75 homes in the city limits. One of the main fire prevention issues that arose from that fire was the use of pine straw as a landscaping element next to structures. From that wildfire was also born the city of North Myrtle Beach Wildland Firefighting Team, and an annual focus on proper landscaping and other precautions that home owners and business owners can employ to reduce chances that their properties will be damaged by wildland fires.

On June 18, 10am-3pm, the North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Department will hold a “Wildland Fire Education” open house at Fire Station #1, 1018 2nd Avenue South. The public is invited to come to the open house, and encouraged to bring the whole family. Food and refreshments will be provided to all who come to the open house.   

The SC Forestry Commission will be on site with their interactive display. City fire and police vehicles will be on display. The Fire Marshal's Office will have their fire safety house set up and will provide tours of the house. Children can use a fire hose and spray targets.  

New for this year is an onsite a mockup of the exterior of a home, and through a live display firefighters will show the fire damage that can be caused by fire when pine straw is used as a landscaping material versus other safer materials. 

Understanding wildland fire safety is important to North Myrtle Beach and the Horry County area.

Rock Machine Performs in a FREE June 16 Concert on Main Street

The public is invited to enjoy a free June 16, 7pm-9pm concert featuring Rock Machine on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach.  Rock Machine performs rock music from the seventies through the nineties.

Patrons and concert-goers are encouraged to bring their beach chairs.

The free concert is part of the North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department’s Music on Main summer concert series sponsored by Anderson Brothers Bank.

 For day of event weather information call the “Rec Check” hotline at (843) 280-5594 ext. 3, www.Facebook.com/NMBParksandRec, or visit their websitehttp://parks.nmb.us

North Myrtle Beach High School Art Students Transform Trash Dumpsters into Works of Art

Trash dumpsters are not the most attractive objects, so a group of North Myrtle Beach High School art students and their teacher decided to put their creative talents to work on a few dumpsters and turned them into functional works of art.

With the assistance of North Myrtle Beach Recreation Programs Operations Director Gregg Barnhill, who also serves as staff liaison for the Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Committee, and Community Services Public Safety Officer Julie Smith, Tina Martin, a North Myrtle Beach High School art teacher and National Art Honor Society sponsor, organized an opportunity for her students to transform trash dumpsters located on Hillside Drive off Main Street into artworks in an effort to make a more beautiful environment.

The students chose to transform the dumpsters into aquariums of a sort, each one featuring different species of sea life that can be found in the ocean off our beaches.

Martin said that she and her students were “very excited to take on this art/community beautification project.” She also thanked Barnhill and Smith, and the city’s sanitation department for their cooperation and encouragement.

Students who participated in the project included Carly Kaufmann, Emma Keiner, Devin Conn, Jessica Beasley, Lizzie Jordan, Faith Jordan, Skyler Wallace-White, Alex Sophia, Kaylie Carpenter, and Aurora Downey.






RESULTS: June 6 City Council Meeting

During their June 6 meeting, the members of the North Myrtle Beach City Council approved a motion to issue a special event permit for a July 4, 9:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. professional fireworks display at the Cherry Grove Pier. The City of North Myrtle Beach and the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce are co-sponsors of this annual event.

City Council approved a motion to issue a special event permit for the parks and recreation department’s Music on Main concert series. The free concerts are held each Thursday, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., alternately at the Horseshoe (11 South Ocean Boulevard) and 202 Main Street from June 9 through October 6. The Music on Main concert series is sponsored by Anderson Brothers Bank. For a complete listing of concerts offered, visithttp://parks.nmb.us.

City Council passed second (final) reading of an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance text as it pertains to temporary, seasonal requirements for near-beach parking.

Like other coastal towns and cities, North Myrtle Beach is in need of more near-ocean parking opportunities for residents and visitors. The need increases annually as tourism attendance grows and as residential developments are added within and outside the city limits.

Some who own lots in commercial sections of the city, such as Main Street, would like to offer year-round paid parking opportunities within 1,000 feet or less of the oceanfront. These privately owned and operated parking lots might be attractive to residents and visitors who don’t mind a short walk to the beach or paying for the convenience. Providing relief from paving, curbing and landscaping requirements within such parking lots makes their development financially feasible.

City Council held a Public Hearing on the proposed Parkway Planned Development District Agreement. No members of the public addressed City Council on the proposed agreement.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Parkway Planned Development District Agreement. The amendment will be accomplished via an amendment to the Parkway PDD Development Agreement and two additional amendments regarding the portion of the land to be developed by Coterra Chestnut, LLC and the portion of the land to be developed by NGD Property I, LLC and NDG Property II, LLC.

The agreement is applicable to all landowners within the PDD. To view a copy of the proposed agreement, visitwww.nmb.us and access the June 6 City Council meeting agenda packet or email pcdowling@nmb.us and a copy will be sent to you.

City Council denied first reading of an ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance text, Sections 23-68.2, to create pruning standards within the tree preservation regulations.

The proposed ordinance was generated by a concern among city parks and grounds personnel that some property owners were “topping” their canopy trees while pruning them, which can result in the death of a canopy tree over time. City Council determined that the ordinance as proposed was too subjective and, as written, would be difficult to enforce.

Council passed first reading of an ordinance to rezone a 6.4 acre lot located on Main Street from HC (Highway Commercial) to PDD (Planned Development District).

Authorized agent David Glymph, on behalf of Cyn Mar Designs, Inc., submitted a petition for the rezoning of the lot, located between Barefoot Church and the BB&T bank on Main Street. It is also adjacent to a single-family residential neighborhood. The applicant wants to change the zoning district from HC (Highway Commercial) to PDD (Planned Development District). The development would be known as Town Centre on Main.

The property is vacant and unimproved. The Future Land Use Map in the City's 2010 Comprehensive Plan Update identifies the location with a "Highway Oriented Commercial" land use class. The proposed zoning district, PDD, is not a specifically recommended zoning district of this land use class, however, Chapter 6 "Future Growth" and Chapter 5 "Transportation" goals of the Comprehensive Plan support the request.

The purpose of the PDD zoning district is "to encourage flexibility in the development of land in order to promote its most appropriate use; to improve the design, character and quality of new development; to facilitate the provision of streets and utilities; and to preserve the natural and scenic features of open areas."

The proposed PDD is seen as an extension of the ongoing transformation of Main Street. Its prime location could encourage increased commercial and recreational activities along the Main Street corridor. Town Centre's architecture would reflect regional influences of the South Carolina lowcountry and would provide an attractive streetscape with an urban feel while maintaining a friendly, casual resort ambiance. The concept provides extensive pedestrian-friendly walkways within the development and many connections to existing city sidewalks. A proposed central plaza would adjoin the sidewalk along Main Street to engage the passerby with over 400 linear feet of highly visible and attractive frontage and access.

The proposal represents a mixed-use, connected, walkable and livable neighborhood designed to integrate into the existing community fabric.

As proposed, there would be 14,800 square feet of lease space, featuring mix of retail, office and dining. A freestanding 3,400 square foot restaurant, providing a focal point for the development and a venue to enjoy the natural water amenity located there, is also proposed.

The proposal includes 26 three-bedroom 2,553 square foot single-family attached townhome residences. Residences would be offered in both a mixed-use setting and straight residential land uses.

There would be a total of 20 1,728 square feet condominium units, for a total of 34,560 square feet of interior living space. The multifamily residences would be two-story condominium units located above ground-floor commercial lease space. The units would be accessible by elevator and stairs from the main plaza level.

The proposed project would be completed in seven phases, with the first phase to include the construction of seven three-bedroom attached townhomes and roadways providing connections from Cedar Avenue and Main Street.

Prior to second reading, City Council has asked the developer to provide a more precise development time frame, to reorganize some of the proposed development phases, to consider moving the location of the freestanding restaurant to a different location on the lake so that it is farther from and less intrusive to an existing residential neighborhood, and to ultimately achieve a consensus from an adjacent residential neighborhood over a proper method for screening of the property.

City Council tabled until its June 20 meeting the second reading of an ordinance to annex and zone one lot located adjacent to the Parkway Group PDD (PDD), which is located west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Council wants to wait until an associated Development Agreement has been approved before giving second reading to the proposed annexation and zoning.

City Council tabled until its June 20 meeting second reading of an ordinance for a major amendment to the Parkway Group Planned Development District (PDD) to allow changes to the previously approved phase known as the Waterway Hills Tract and to add a newly annexed area known as the Wilson Chestnut Tract. The area is referred to as “Grande Dunes North” in the PDD, which is located west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Council wants to wait until an associated Development Agreement has been approved before giving second reading to the proposed ordinance.

City Council tabled until its June 20 meeting second reading of an ordinance to amend the Parkway Group Planned Development District (PDD) to allow changes to the previously approved residential tracts known as Seashore Farms and L.L. Chestnut, referred to as “Waterside” in the PDD. Council wants to wait until an associated Development Agreement has been approved before giving second reading of the proposed ordinance

Mayor Marilyn Hatley Names June 5-11 as “National Garden Week” in North Myrtle Beach

On June 1, Mayor Marilyn Hatley presented a proclamation to representatives of the Driftwood Garden Club setting aside the week of June 5-11 as National Garden Week in North Myrtle Beach.
L-R: Driftwood Garden Club Vice President Peggy Bias, Club Member & City Clerk Merideth Smith, Mayor Marilyn Hatley, Driftwood Garden Club President Joan Schuster, Club Members Emily Stephens and JoAnn Johnson.
Mayor Hatley’s proclamation notes that gardeners have a “passion for nurturing the beauty and resources of the earth through the planting of seeds, the care of all plants, and the riches of their efforts.” It also says that “gardeners advocate the importance of all creatures, large and small, that share our world and their roles in a balanced and productive ecology.” Gardening promotes a healthy lifestyle that lasts a lifetime, helps reduce stress from other areas of life, and teaches that rewards can come from diligent efforts. Mayor Hatley said that garden clubs are important to every community because they ensure a continued focus on preserving and enhancing natural beauty within the community. 

RESULTS – May 23 Special Called North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting

During their May 23 Special Called Meeting, the members of the North Myrtle Beach City Council passed second (final) reading of the city’s FY 2017 Budget. The city’s budget year runs from July 1 to June 30.

The budget includes Governmental Funds (general fund, special revenue funds, capital improvement funds, debt service fund) expenditures of $54,088,271 and Enterprise Funds expenditures of $39,727,931 for a total of $93,816,202 in budgeted expenditures for all funds.

The budget is $13,656,195 million more than the fiscal year FY 2016 budget, due primarily to various street improvements, major water and sewer projects, storm water management improvement initiatives and other projects.

The budget includes a property tax increase of two mills, which will generate about $750,000 annually, primarily to help pay for four new public safety employees and their related equipment, and for enhanced paving and maintenance of the city’s roads. An increase of two mills in the property tax equates to $8 annually for each $100,000 of residential home value.

With the two mils property tax increase, the city’s property tax rate is 41.3 mils, which includes 6.2 mils that will be cut in October 2019 when the bond issue for the construction of the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex has been paid off. It is still the lowest tax rate in Horry County and one of the lowest in the state.

Currently, Surfside Beach offers a property tax rate of 46.2 mills, Briarcliff Acres 50.8 mills, Horry County 50.87 mills, Aynor 60.8 mills, Myrtle Beach 74.5 mills, Conway 82.4 mills, Atlantic Beach 84.5 mills, Loris 115 mills, and the Horry County School District 133.1 mills.

The budget also includes a $2 increase in the city’s monthly storm water management fee, which will be applied to local storm water improvement projects and will also help fund the next ocean outfall project at 18th Avenue North, construction of which is scheduled to begin in FY 2019 at a cost of about $11 million. The city will have about six ocean outfall projects remaining after the 18th Avenue North project has been completed, and the fee increase will also help to begin to fund those projects.

The storm water management fee was $6 per month for a single family home and has increased to $8 per month. The $4 per month storm water fee for a condo unit was $4 per month and has increased to $5.50 per month.

Some additional highlights of the FY 2017 Budget include the bond issue for the Cherry Grove dredging project; a final payment on a $1.2 million platform fire truck; in-house capital improvement projects; more than $1.5 million in road paving projects; the widening of Ocean Boulevard in the Crescent Beach section; placing overhead utilities underground in the same area; and improvements to 11th Avenue North.

The budget also includes some funding for the start of about $1.7 million in localized storm water improvement projects. The projects represent the city’s response to storm water drainage challenges that arose during the historically heavy rains experienced in North Myrtle Beach during September and October of 2015. Projects that will most likely have to be contracted out have been prioritized into four groups. A fifth group was created that includes projects the city may be able to accomplish using in-house personnel and equipment. Thus far, City Council has determined that the city may be able to tackle many of the storm water projects included in the first two priority groups during FY 2017, with the rest being accomplished in FY 2018 and FY 2019.

The continued addition of sidewalks and multipurpose paths in the city is also part of the budget. Since 1995, the city has installed 34 miles of sidewalks. The FY 2017 Budget includes additional sidewalks and paths for the East Coast Greenway along Water Tower Road near Barefoot Resort & Golf.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance text as it pertains to temporary, seasonal requirements for near-beach parking.

Like other coastal towns and cities, North Myrtle Beach has always been in need of more near-ocean parking opportunities for residents and visitors. This need increases annually as tourism attendance grows, and as residential developments are added within and outside the city limits.

Some business people who own lots in commercial sections of the city, such as Main Street, would like to be able to offer year-round paid parking opportunities within 1,000 feet or less of the oceanfront. These might be attractive to residents and visitors who don’t mind a short walk to the beach and paying for the convenience.

These would be privately owned and operated parking lots. Allowing these property owners to have relief from providing paving, curbing and landscaping within such parking lots may mean the difference between their being able to afford to offer additional parking or not.

City Council also met in Executive Session for a legal briefing regarding the Sandridge Development Agreement. Council did not take any action concerning the agreement.