Barefoot Landing submits first application for a Festival Zone

Prior to the April 1 North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, Council members met in executive session to discuss an appointment to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Council also received a legal briefing on a proposed Common Interest and Confidentiality Agreement between the City of Myrtle Beach and the City of North Myrtle Beach, a proposed confidentiality agreement between municipalities and Horry County regarding I-73, the Maritime parking lot and property acquisitions. Council took no action.

During the Monday night Council meeting, City Council recognized the Coastal Chairmen Wheelchair Basketball Team for its accomplishments. The team calls the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center home, holding weekly practices and league games there. The Coastal Chairmen went 14-8 in games during the 2018-19 wheelchair basketball season and placed second in the Carolina Wheelchair Basketball Championship game.

City Council tabled second (final) reading of a proposed ordinance to prohibit single-use carryout plastic bags at retail establishments in the city until its April 15 meeting. Between now and then, Council and staff will consider suggestions for refinements to the proposed ordinance received during an April 1 workshop.

City Council passed first reading of a proposed zoning ordinance text amendment to create an overlay district defining architectural, signage, landscaping, pedestrian amenities, lighting and parking standards for centers of activities.

The 2018 North Myrtle Beach Comprehensive Plan identifies important corridors in the city that would benefit from establishing design standards that encourage quality development. The five focus areas are Main Street, 17th Avenue South, 37th Avenue South, Sea Mountain Highway and Little River Neck Road. The proposed amendment rests on the concept that growth and development occurring in these areas over time should follow the community’s vision and take the form of walkable, mixed-use centers to serve local neighborhood and hospitality needs.

If adopted by Council, the amended ordinance would create an overlay district defining architectural, signage, landscaping, pedestrian amenities, lighting and parking standards for activity centers. Currently, these aspects are only identified in a Planned Development District (PDD).

City Council passed first reading of a proposed Zoning Map amendment to apply the Priority Investment – Focus Area Design Standards Overlay (PI-FADO) to 601 Main Street. The current underlying zoning of the 6.4-acre parcel is Planned Development District (PDD) for an approved but unbuilt project called Town Center on Main. Concurrent on the meeting agenda with the application of the PI-FADO was a request to rezone the property to Highway Commercial. The parcel is a prime candidate for application of the PI-FADO. Located at the entrance to Main Street, the parcel is highly visible to people in vehicles and pedestrians and has about 400 feet of frontage on Main Street.

City Council passed first reading of a proposed ordinance to rezone 6.4 acres of land at 601 Main Street from Planned Development District (PDD) to Highway Commercial. The property is vacant and undeveloped and was previously zoned Highway Commercial prior to creation of the Town Center on Main PDD in 2016. The purpose of the Highway Commercial zoning district is to provide commercial opportunities to the traveling public and areas where large scale commercial projects may occur with minimal impact on contiguous residential development.

City Council passed first reading of a proposed ordinance to amend Chapter 20, Land Development Regulations, of the City’s Code of Ordinances. Current land development regulations specify standards governing access and connectivity for commercial and high-density residential development in the city. These standards prohibit any corner lot having less than 150 feet of frontage on a heavily traveled street from having driveway access to that street.

City staff proposes a text amendment that allows driveway access to a corner lot from the more heavily traveled street when the frontage along that street is less than 150 feet at the discretion of the city engineer. When making an exception to this standard, the city engineer could require any design modifications to the site plan deemed necessary to maximize safe and efficient access. If the corner lot fronts a S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT)-owned road, SCDOT approval of the access would also be required. City requirements may be more restrictive than SCDOT requirements.

City Council passed first reading of a proposed ordinance that would result in a Non-Warranty Deed rescinding the Road & Drainage Dedication Deed dated October 17, 2018, and recorded March 6, 2019, at Deed Book 4189, Page 1558, Horry County Register of Deeds. To avoid exposing the city to future maintenance, ownership and liability, a deed dedicating these streets and drainage systems to the city is to be rescinded.

The Blackwater at the Dye Club townhome development utilizes privately owned and maintained streets and drainage systems within its subdivision. As part of the project closeout process, the subdivision’s private project engineers inadvertently recorded a deed dedicating these streets and drainage systems to the city. The deed was recorded in error and without the city’s awareness or signature.

City Council adopted a resolution approving the establishment of a Festival Zone on a portion of the Barefoot Landing shopping center. In March, the city passed final reading of an ordinance allowing the creation of a Festival Zone within shopping centers and/or resort destinations containing 10 acres or more of land. Barefoot Landing submitted the first such application for a Festival Zone, which is largely contained to the destination’s restaurants along the Intracoastal Waterway, also extending out to embrace a part of one end of the lake.