The 100 foot wide city park proposed for the Towers on the Grove project in North Myrtle Beach sparked the interest of Steve Avinger, Jessica Keith-Avinger and Dennis Stevens from Conway. In the last meeting on this project, Avinger had spoken of the value of having the ADA compliant beach access cross over available for all kinds of visitors to the beach.

Avinger pointed out, “It’s not just for those in wheelchair but also for the mother trying to get a child in a stroller out on the beach.”

Continuing he said, “I would like the city to also include a matted surface that can assist people to move to the water from the cross-over across the loose sand portion of the beach to the hard compacted sand.”

These mats would assist people who utilize canes, walkers, scooters, crutches or manual or powered wheelchairs and increase the person's stability, ease of movement, and their impressions of safety.

These Conway visitors will have to wait a little longer for their access to a city park as the North Myrtle Beach Council tabled, for the second meeting in a row, the Towers on the Grove project because of concerns about density. At the previous meeting, the developers had reduced the number of units from 733 to 720. Council compared the density of units in Towers in the Grove with a much larger development and found that Towers had a much higher unit density.

After modifying the Beachwood project for density, access and transitional heights the North Myrtle Beach Council approved, Monday, on first reading the project and sent it back to the Planning Commission for review based upon these changes.

At the Monday Council meeting, George Gregory, developer representative, said, “We have worked with the staff to make the recommended changes. Changes include a horn-activated gate (from Pinewood) for public safety, an easement for a future connection and/or utilities and a multi-use path. A significant buffering plan between single family and commercial was asked for and included.”

Council wanted assurances that the Town Center would be in phase I to avoid the problems encounter with Barefoot Resort’s Town Center which was in later phases and struggled to be viable.

Continuing, Gregory talked about public benefits, relating, “We are happy to do our fair share. Council wanted to see park space, contribution for fire truck, public safety officers and access to the beach for [Beachwood] residents. Based upon based decisions on other PUDs, our contribution would be around $6 million.”

Local resident, Cynthia Lover spoke to the Council and the developer about her concerns.

Lover began by complimenting both parties, thanking them for taking into nearby resident’s concerns. Highlighting, Lover said, “Particularly about buffer zones, transitions from [single family homes] to [larger structures] and no thru streets.”

“But concerns remain,” she said, “The 150 foot hotel with four towers is like looking at Barefoot Towers in the middle of North Myrtle Beach. What is it going to look like from Hwy. 17? If we start sprinkling towers within the city, it becomes a North Myrtle Beach issue, not just a PUD issue.”

Council then asked her thoughts as a resident where the emergency access should be provided. Love replied, “The logical decision is Airport Road.”

On Tuesday, the North Myrtle Beach Planning Commission approved the changes in a seven to zero vote.