Tag: Wayne Gray

Carolina Forest Civic Association Hears Abput RIDE IV Program

The Carolina Forest Civic Association members heard about the RIDE IV road program from Wayne Gray, Chairman of the RIDE IV Advisory Committee, during the association’s regular meeting Wednesday evening.
After Gray presented an overview of the RIDE IV planning process, one of the association members asked a key question. “Why does county council continue to approve all these rezonings when the county is already so far behind on roads?” the questioner asked.
The question strikes at the heart of the matter facing Horry County, as well as the need for not only the RIDE IV program, but also future road construction in the county.
According to information provided by Gray, Horry County, at its current state of development, needs an estimated $4 billion of new road construction to service the needs of county residents and visitors to the Grand Strand.
The 18 member RIDE IV committee, 12 appointed by county council and six appointed by the League of Cities, submitted three road project recommendations each for consideration by the committee. With some projects being recommended by more than one member, a total of 35 new road projects are currently under consideration by the committee for inclusion in the RIDE IV plan.

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Will Myrtle Beach Voters Select Continued Central Planning or Support the Overall Health of the City Economy?

The City of Myrtle Beach elections Tuesday could go a long way in determining the future success of the city.

The question is will the majority of voters continue to allow precincts serving the Dunes and Pine Lakes residents to determine the outcome?

Two years ago, voters seemed to be voting for change. What they got instead was a council of seven sheep who allow city manager John Pedersen to do whatever he wants.

After the election results of 2017, when Mayor John Rhodes and council member Randal Wallace were defeated and council member Wayne Gray chose not to run, Pedersen was overheard saying “Now I can run the city the way I want.”

And he has.

The first step was to put in place a ‘family friendly’ overlay zone on a section of Ocean Boulevard which was nothing but an attempt to run the Jewish merchants, who have been in business there for decades, out of business by claiming the CBD oil sold by those merchants was illegal. IT’S NOT!

https://youtu.be/uxG05FB7fzU

The second step was to increase the secrecy surrounding the city’s central planning for special districts such as the ‘super block.’

After the city secretly bought most of the properties in the ‘super block’ and threatened an illegal use of eminent domain to acquire the remainder, citizens were told it was going to be redeveloped with a new library and children’s museum as the anchor.

What we have seen is those properties acquired by the city are not listed for sale nor has the city issued a general request for proposals opening the redevelopment process up to anyone who would wish to locate a business there. Only cronies are allowed to make proposals on those properties.

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FOR MEANINGFUL DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT, THE PAVILION SITE MUST BE THE ANCHOR

I have been involved with downtown redevelopment in the City of Myrtle Beach for twenty years. As a matter of history, the Pavilion Area Master Plan (PAMP), adopted by the City in 1998, was the guiding document that birthed redevelopment district boundaries, and subsequent actions by the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation and City leaders.  The PAMP identified 5 districts in need of action between 16th Avenue North and 6th Avenue South, and from Broadway and Oak streets to the Atlantic Ocean. 

To date, there have been many accomplishments, mostly in the North Entertainment District.  These include the Boardwalk, SkyWheel, Plyler Park and related private development.  However, we all are acutely aware of the continuing difficulties that exist principally in the 75-acres bordered by 9th Avenue North, the Atlantic Ocean, Kings Highway and 3rd Avenue South, referred to in the PAMP as the Central Amusement District and the South Mixed-Use Area.  In addition, the retail centers along Main Street (The Superblock), Broadway Street and their intersections with US Highway 501, known as the Entry District, have defied new growth as planned.   

In comparing successful new developments throughout Myrtle Beach over the last 20 years — beginning with Broadway At The Beach and the Grissom Parkway corridor, Coastal Grande Mall and outparcels, Market Common, Grande Dunes, and continuing redevelopment of ocean-front resorts, the question that needs to be asked is:  Why haven’t the Central Amusement, South Mixed Use and Entry districts of our downtown experienced the same new development and growth?  There are many reasons: closure of the Pavilion, the Great Recession, changing retail demand, multiple absentee property owners, political will, insufficient public infrastructure, small lots, lack of public safety resources, and the list can go on.

One of the precepts of successful downtown redevelopment is that you start at the center with a major anchor project, and then build outward over time.   We have, by necessity, started at the north end and worked toward the other, only to find ourselves blocked by the middle from reaching the south end.  Why are we stuck in the middle?  …

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Gingrich, Myrtle Beach, Oil and Interstates

Incumbents Rule in Myrtle Beach City Election – Update

Three incumbents were swept back into office in the Myrtle Beach city election Tuesday with one council seat still up in the air pending votes from a malfunctioning voting machine.

Incumbent Mayor John Rhodes and incumbent council members Randal Wallace and Mike Lowder won re-election easily. Incumbent council member Wayne Gray trails challenger Jackie Vereen by three votes with the outstanding votes from the malfunctioning machine expected to be reported Wednesday morning.

Based on the results already in, and what I expect will be the result of the third council race, there are no problems in the city of Myrtle Beach perceived by the voters.

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Gingrich, Myrtle Beach, Oil and Interstates

Myrtle Beach City Council Election Gets Incendiary

Two bombs, actually explosive stories, were thrown into the middle of the Myrtle Beach city council election race Wednesday with potentially serious consequences for the incumbents in the few days remaining before next Tuesday’s voting.

Two separate stories carrying the explosives were filed by David Wren in The Sun News Wednesday evening.

The first story dealt with two trusts that incumbent council member Wayne Gray was appointed to oversee. The trusts were established by Gray’s uncle, William Rogers, to benefit Rogers’ wife and children.

According to Wren’s story, Gray borrowed $230,000 from the trusts over a period of years and was removed as the trustee in 2007. In 2008, Gray agreed to pay $92,500 to settle a lawsuit brought against him by his aunt, Debbie Rogers Idol. And documents regarding the case are missing from the Probate Court office in Conway.

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Myrtle Beach Government Fit for Middle Ages

As Myrtle Beach prepares for its 2013 city council elections, the city continues its regressive governance slide to more closely resemble an English town of the Middle Ages rather than a modern American town.

Four incumbents on Myrtle Beach city council filed for re-election last week. Incumbent Mayor John Rhodes was joined by incumbent council members Wayne Gray, Randal Wallace and Mike Lowder at city hall on August 22nd to file their candidacies.

Rhodes is seeking his third consecutive term, Wallace his fourth consecutive, Gray his fourth overall and Lowder his second.

And right now, those four plus challenger Keith Van Winkle may be the complete slate sent to the voters in the November 5th general election.

There was a time when Myrtle Beach elections were raucous affairs, but in the last decade, the town has gone back in time to match a more rigid, hierarchical structure.

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MBM Fundraising for Mayor John Rhodes

Fundraising efforts for Mayor John Rhodes 2013 re-election campaign have begun among members of the Myrtle Beach Mafia.

According to sources familiar with the effort, money raising calls as well as the establishment of a fundraising network of phone chains began Friday.

Rhodes as well as incumbent city council members Wayne Gray, Randal Wallace and Mike Lowder will be on the 2013 election ballot. Keith Van Winkle has announced he will challenge for a seat on city council and we are hearing former council member Chuck Martino is strongly considering another run.

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