City Council met September 21 at City Hall for a 6:15 p.m. executive session and a 7:00 p.m. meeting.
During the executive session, City Council discussed the appointment of one member to the Planning Commission and one member to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and a proposed residential development for the Possum Trot Golf Course. City Council took no action.
City Council adopted a Resolution appointing North Myrtle Beach residents Scott Jackson and Ray Sessions and City Planner Dawn Snider to the Mitigation Planning Committee. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mandates that municipalities participating in the Community Rating System (CRS) program formally establish a Mitigation Planning Committee to help in the formulation and adoption of a hazard mitigation plan.
City Council adopted a Resolution reappointing William McGonigal and Cynthia Lover to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
City Council passed second (final) reading of an ordinance repealing Article III, Towing and Wrecker Services, from Chapter 22 of the NMB Code in its entirety and adopting new language for Article III, Wrecker Services and Non-Consensual Towing, Chapter 22.
The new towing ordinance contains language, among other changes, providing:
“Before towing a vehicle from private property without authorization from the vehicle owner, the private property owner or agent of record shall first call the public safety department for a police officer or other official within the department to appear at the location of the nonconsensual tow. Upon arrival, the police officer or other official within the department of public safety shall provide an authorization number and a form provided by the city, to be signed by the private property owner or agent of record and the wrecker service.”
The new towing ordinance also prohibits any wrecker company or operator from charging fees of any kind (such as administrative fees, processing fees, or fuel surcharges) other than the fees set forth in the ordinance, for the owner of the vehicle to retrieve the vehicle towed by the wrecker company or operator.
The changes to the towing ordinance are for the purpose of the City exercising its public safety powers to ensure that the public security, general welfare, health and order of the city are adequately protected from price gouging and unscrupulous towing owners/operators.
The new ordinance contains language allowing for the suspension/revocation of the business license for any towing company/operator, if the towing operator has, among other things, failed to comply with the provisions of Article III.
The effective date of the repeal and replacement of the ordinance is November 1, 2020, allowing time for the public safety department to collect the necessary “agent of record” information and for the City to educate the public on the content of the new ordinance.
Interested persons may obtain a PDF copy of the new ordinance by emailing pcdowling@nmb.us.
City Council adopted a Resolution authorizing an agreement between SCDOT, Horry County and the City clarifying maintenance responsibilities for public roads within the City limits.
The Horry County RIDE program, along with other State funding, resulted in the construction of new roads and the relocation of existing roads throughout the County. Several of these roads are within the jurisdictional limits of North Myrtle Beach. However, there was no clear assignment of maintenance responsibilities once the road projects were completed. This led to some confusion when members of the public submitted maintenance requests. The City has not been able to perform maintenance activities, because it was not involved in the funding, design, or construction of the roads.
The agreement between City, Horry County and the SCDOT resolves the longstanding maintenance issues. The City will assume maintenance responsibility for certain public roads, as detailed in the agreement. The SCDOT will maintain the bridges and associated structures that carry these roads over SC 31 and SC 22.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend Chapter 23, Zoning, of the Code of Ordinances of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. [ZTX-20-05]. The proposed amendments identify the City Clerk as secretary to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and they state that a majority of the quorum of the board of zoning appeals would be necessary to reserve, affirm or reject any matter presented to the board for decision. The board expanded from four to seven members last year.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend Chapter 20, Land Development Regulations of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. [STX-20-02].
City staff proposed a text amendment to the Land Development Regulations that would clearly apply access standards to all forms of development and allow the Planning Commission to consider exceptions for site-specific development plans and minor subdivisions in addition to major subdivisions. Currently, only major developments and subdivisions go before the Planning Commission, leaving other forms of proposed development without the opportunity to seek exceptions.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to annex and zone 6.47 Acres on Bellamy Road and US Highway 17 N [Z-20-10].
Kenan Walker, authorized agent for InSite Conway, LLC, petitioned the City to annex about 6.47 acres of property on Bellamy Road and US Highway 17 N, identified by PINs 350-11-01-0138, 350-11-01-0143, 350-11-01-0144, 350-11-01-0145 and 350-11-01-0146. The petition reflects the requested City zoning district of Highway Commercial (HC). The area identifies as Highway Commercial on the City’s Future Land Use Map, and the proposed HC zoning designation is a recommended zoning district for the area.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to annex and zone one lot of 23.39 acres on Anne Street (a.k.a., Tom E. Chestnut Road) [Z-20-8].
Chestnut & Sons, Inc., property owner, and authorized agent, Amanda Elliot, petitioned the City to annex the lot identified by PIN 357-00-00-0006. The lot is unincorporated and zoned CFA (Commercial Forest Agriculture) by Horry County. The petition reflects the requested City zoning district of R-1A (Single-Family Residential Low-Medium District). The Future Land Use Map identifies the area as Marina Mixed Use, and the proposed zoning designation, R-1A, is a recommended secondary zoning district for the subject area.
City Council tabled first reading of an ordinance to annex and zone 171.24 Acres on Possum Trot Road [Z-20-12]. Council will hold a Wednesday, September 23, 1:30 p.m. workshop at City Hall on a proposed residential development for the site. The workshop is not a public hearing but it is open to the public. City Council members do not vote at workshops.