Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

2026 planning commission meeting for the city of Myrtle Beach. Call this meeting to order. We'll start with roll call. Phil, here. Sharon, Here. Joe, Here. Lawrence,

Here. Bonnie Ann, Here. Zeb, Here. Danielle, Here. and Paul. Here. Very good. We'll move on to the minutes from April 21st. I have some minor corrections I'd like to make. Okay. Do you want to make a motion? On page three, uh item one, recommend to add that um at our last meeting that zone director made and informed applicant that based upon the lot sizes that were requested, the width would not accommodate current manufactured homes. lengths facing facing the streets. Second item is on page four, um the due communication from commissioners to change from vice chair Staley discussed to vice chair Staley asked questions about the school district. And then last item is that during discussion, uh senior planner Armstrong confirmed that the presentation was sent to the zoning right team and Kimley-Horn. So that With that, I'll make a motion to approve based upon those amendments. Second. Motion by Phil, second by Zeb. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Moving on to matters of business, STN 2604, 27th Avenue, Caitlin. This is a request from Nathan McMillan to name a new drive off 27th Avenue North servicing 28 townhomes, Oak Shore. Here is the proposed drive. All right, and that is it. Do you have any questions? I would say

Oak Shore has has meet meets the requirements. Yes, it does. Okay. I move that we approve the name. Second. Motion by Zeb, second by Paul. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Moving on STN 2605, 28th Avenue North, Caitlin. This is also a request from Nathan McMillan to name a new drive off 28th Avenue North servicing 14 townhomes, Sea Oats. And here is the proposed drive. And that is all. The The name you stated does not require like Sea Oats Drive or Sea Oats Way or you would just be Sea

the So the suffix will will be um put on by staff. Oh, okay. Okay. But there'll be a suffix on it. Yes. Okay. Make a motion to approve. Second. Motion by Phil, second by Zeb. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Pre-fin 2606, Ellington Street, Taisha. This is a request from Eric Wilson, agent, to subdivide approximately 0.45 acres of Ellington Street zoned RMH MH into three parcels ranging from 6,568 square feet to 6,482 square feet. Um highlighted in blue is the parcel. Here we have the aerial view. Here we have the location in the zoning map. Here we have the plat showing the lot A, B, and C. If you have any questions, I'm here to answer. I assume that the square footage requirements are met. Yes, sir. Does this require notice to be posted in the neighborhood? Uh we'll put a sign out on the property. Yes. A sign has been put out on the property. Yes, subdivisions do require that. Okay. Okay. So that's People have had the opportunity to notice it. And you received nothing, correct? Nothing. No comments. Yes, no comments. Any other questions for staff? Anything from the applicant? Any questions for the Okay. All right. Commissioners, motion to approve. Second. Motion by Joe, second by Paul. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries.

Moving on TEX 2605, multi-purpose event space and creative space, Cameron. Yes, a request from Sarah McColl to amend the Myrtle Beach zoning code article 14, section 14-7C to include multi-purpose event creative space as a conditional use within the light manufacturing district. This amendment seeks to allow industrial structures to host assembly uses including but not limited to private events, photography and film sessions, and podcast recording provided they meet specific safety and parking standards at article 15. Again, the request to TEX 2605 to include multi-purpose event and creative space as a conditional use within the light manufacturing district. As we discussed at the workshop meeting for this one, this is um a bit heavier of a lift because of a lot of moving parts to this one. So initially when down, there was a comprehensive guide to all planning definitions. Um wasn't anything for multi-purpose event and creative space. The closest that was in the book is a flex space. So you'll see in section 203, the change would be a building or parts of a building suitable for or capable of being changed to accommodate a variety of permitted uses and designed to be used on a short or long-term basis. Uh as part of the request, this is a conditional use. Applicant had provided some conditions for us to kind of parse through and to go over. Um to be frank with the board, I'm not comfortable necessarily with where these conditions are sitting right now. I think there's so many things that can be done in this space that the conditions that are listed in the amendment before you or the zoning ordinance, um I think need to be worked out further. Uh so the first condition is that parking shall be calculated at a rate of one space per 250 square feet of gross floor area. Second, a flex space must include sprinkler and alarm systems as described in the approved fire code for the city of Myrtle Beach. Three, no onsite alcohol sales or consumption is permitted. Four, no onsite overnight storage of property or equipment shall occur outside of the building. And finally, all activity associated with the flex space must occur inside the flex space and shall not be conducted in parking, travel, or landscape areas. So that was an attempt to get some

things on the books to kind of help put some guardrails on the uses that could go on in here. As part of the request, these are all of the LM zones in the city that you see here in green. LM on the other side of the airport close to the um area. You have the Dividend Loop area, the old AVX area, and then a few in the center of town, and then up by the Solid Waste Authority plant. Findings of fact, this is subject to a public hearing, but I'm happy to answer any questions from planning commission. Um if there was a you recommended for the denial. If it was denied, when how would they be able to be able to come back if Kimley-Horn can't find a solution or you all didn't you don't How does that affect that? Yes, so the applicant would be uh barred from coming back to planning commission for a year without material or substantial changes to the ordinance. However, if this is a request as part of the zoning code change, that wouldn't affect this at all. We could move forward with a change to the zoning code that would update or reflect some of the changes that are asking for here before that one-year clock. The one-year clock is only for the applicant making the same request of the same item. So if they wanted to do So if further maybe work with people instead of another alternative that they could have done. Uh we did discuss at workshop having it continued to allow for a longer period of time so staff and the applicant can work together through this one. Um in the meantime, I worked with zoning right. I had put this before Kimley-Horn. Um this is something that they said, you know, they have seen operate in other places but not necessarily in like an LM district. That's kind of They typically see these more in mixed use areas. So they had some considerations to provide back to us on that. So they're doing their due diligence on that right now. Thank you. If you could elaborate a little on how they swung more in line on basically with what the fire came up with and also from the zoning perspective for parking and whatever. I guess my last is do we look at this I hate to set a precedence for something like helping in one of the

other areas we as you showed on your maps all those are not zoned as what I thought it was. The current space I mean obviously in the LM LM district your parking is nominal because you're basically looking for warehouse space you're not looking for people space. The building she's talking about if it went by your suggested parking requirement would it even have enough parking? I doubt it. I mean so you're going to run against that again in any LM location that they're not going to have sufficient parking to accommodate a situation like that. Where we ended up with 1 to 250 is that is what an assembly hall would call for. Um so to use an assembly space to keep that consistent we went with the 1 per 250. So I don't know really of any building in LM that would meet the 1 to 250. Truth be told. I mean that's my biggest concern is you're you're really not going to meet it in any LM district space because they're designed for warehouse space they're not designed for people space. Yeah I mean this is to me like this would be something perfect for an abandoned grocery store spot in a retail center or something like that you know or not necessarily a full size grocery store space but ancillary space to a retail center you know kind of a logical place to put this. Kind of what Lawrence was saying a question for staff. When when you're doing an assembly hall are there different building codes that come into play? Yeah there are. Between warehouse versus assembly hall where you're going to have so many so many people. Generally an assembly hall area similar to a church or a casino or something like that would fall under the category known as A2 and anything over 5,000 square feet requires an alarm system, sprinkler system and other life safety measures and I don't think that the warehouses

are I think they're built to an A3 standard A1 or A3 whatever the more relaxed one is that don't require that at 5,000 square feet. So I don't think any of the warehouses will have any of the most of the warehouses won't have that life safety measures that you need for an assembly hall. Yeah probably not going to accommodate restroom. Yeah You've got probably going to have one or two rooms in warehouse space and that's it. Well I mean they're meant for equipment. Right. Take 10 guys to come and pick up and drop off the equipment. Okay. Anything else from commissioners? I will go to the applicant. Mr. Cole do you have anything to add? No. Okay. This is a public hearing if anybody in the public cares to speak. Seeing nobody in the public I will close the public meeting and bring it back to commissioners. Um at one time we had a surplus amount of like retail space like shopping center spaces and stuff like that and I I cuz I a few years ago I remember we even looked at maybe allowing um some of it to be used for uh storage uh you know uh maybe it might be worthwhile I don't know if we still have any surplus of that but if there is it might be you know a place to look at maybe seeing if this could work in a place like that. Yeah we don't have time. I think I think my earlier comment Kimley-Horn's recommendation has been it doesn't necessarily fit in the area that's being requested right now. They see these more in mixed use areas so along what you're talking about you know if I think of any of those the the shopping plazas or anything that have vacancies that's generally what they're in. So that would make sense. A food lion Cuz they'll have the parking and everything. Now I think the parking requirements are probably close to what what you're proposing right there

already. Um Well actually it's what five spaces per five per per per thousand per 5,000 And then for shopping if they're 20 over 25,000 square feet it's 1 to 500. So but closer to the

Depending on depending on what else is there I guess you might What the applicant presented last time was a the great thought and from a business standpoint they're able to make it successful you know a wonderful thing to have that's just we're limited in where the request is at. Well that Walmart shopping center you know has that healthy store that never opened it's been sitting in that space and sitting there empty for 20 something years maybe longer. Um and the certain parking there for it cuz it's just not being used. So something like that would be maybe something to look at.

[clears throat] Um given the circumstances I move that we don't approve the proposed change in use for this type of zoning but that we also ask staff to further examine it and work with your consultants. I second. Motion by Zeb second by Lawrence. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. All right communications from staff. Uh nothing job related just wanted to let y'all know we just had a small round of applause our planner Gabe Porter got engaged LAST WEEK. HEY! [applause]

SO YOU HAVE A DATE? NO. WE'LL GET TO THAT WE'LL [laughter] get to that. Don't pressure Phil. I just wondered. Other than that nothing? I congratulations. That's uh that's the way a planning commission board is supposed to operate. Everybody talked everybody was not talking their opinion they were talking the facts of the matter. You were throwing good things on the table to consider. It's a hard thing to do whenever you've got a bad idea in a good location. Um but that's what you got in this situation. And every point that y'all made were points that we as a staff had discussed up. Um Um just as this good a good as a staff to see that our staff reports are being looked at our staff reports are being processed and that everybody's coming in here factoring in the applicant but you're also factoring factoring in the responsibilities that we have as department of planning and zoning. That's much that's very much appreciated very much appreciated. Anything else from staff? Communications from planning commissioners? I got awesome news yesterday. Yesterday had to go for my Charleston um visit make sure that I'm still cancer free. I got this space in the new world Charleston. AWESOME.

[applause] AND AUSTIN'S A NEW DADDY. [applause] MOM AND BABY are healthy? Nice. How is Austin and baby starting? Two is a lot different than one. The dynamic's kind of a little disappointing. So it's it's not like it's not like daughters where the second one makes it easier. Not yet. [laughter] I think that comes later when they can entertain themselves. Um Myrtle Beach Classic this weekend? Should be a good time I don't have anything else. Motion? I motion to [laughter]

Motion from Danielle Second. Second from Paul. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries meeting adjourned.