Thursday, November 21, 2024
Congratulations to Myrtle Beach City Council on its 56-24 victory in Tuesday’s forced annexation referendum.
When it comes to creative ways to get around the intent of the law, or to create a new one, Myrtle Beach City Council stands preeminent.
Attaching commercial property to a residential annexation referendum, a decision in which the commercial property owners had absolutely no say, was a brilliant coup.
Strip clubs and helicopters, two of the issues that have been high on the county’s agenda for the last couple of months are far from being settled.
The Gold Club working to open its second location, Gold Club II, at the former location of the Doll House on restaurant row, received a letter of zoning compliance for the new location October 1. The compliance is for a restaurant/nightclub.
The letter from the county specifically states that “an adult entertainment establishment is prohibited at this location.”
Horry County drew first blood in what looks to be a long and protracted battle over its adult entertainment ordinances when a federal judge refused to issue a temporary restraining order Monday.
The judge ruled against a petition by the Gold Club for the order against the county’s two new adult entertainment ordinances, which received final approval September 3rd.
This means the new ordinances remain in effect and the county is free to enforce them, at least until further court action is taken.
By a vote of 9-2, Horry County Council approved third reading of its new adult entertainment ordinances Tuesday night.
Horry County Council is putting its faith in Tennessee attorney Scott Bergthold to prevail in federal court to keep these ordinances in effect.
One thing to make clear is that adult entertainment establishments will continue to operate in Horry County. This ordinance will not end the industry in the county.
The only question is how many tax dollars the county will transfer to Bergthold in the process.
Horry County Council will consider third reading of the new adult entertainment ordinances Tuesday night.
Expect the ordinances to pass by a fairly wide margin.
By passing the new ordinances, all strip clubs and adult bookstores/novelty shops in the unincorporated areas of the county will be out of compliance and subject to closure.
Does this mean the end of strip clubs and adult retail businesses in the county area? NO!
After the meeting between county government officials and members of the Carolina Forest Civic Association on adult entertainment sites Wednesday night, we received the following email from Todd Martin, Corporate Spokesperson for Adult Entertainment Video, LLC:
Press Release
Representatives of our organization were in attendance at tonight’s Carolina Forest Civic Association meeting. Janet Carter offered, yet again, another vague and misleading presentation. She cannot identify specific parcels of property on the Carolina Forest 501 corridor, yet she continually refers to them. While these overly broad, Constitutionally defective proposed ordinances were discussed, the folks in Carolina Forest did not receive one bit of clarification or further information than what has already been reported by the media.
It is and has always been the position and vision of Airport Express Video that “if” this adult entertainment ordinance passes we want to do everything within our power to be a proper corporate citizen, including relocation of our business, if that is what Planning Director Janet Carter, and the County’s Top Gun legal counsel Scott Bergthold would like to see happen.
In that regard they have left us with only one viable option and this is the 501 Corridor area of Carolina Forest. We have never said, suggested or indicated that we planned to relocate “inside” of Carolina Forest proper, due solely to the fact that the development agreement prohibits that until 2017.
Of course once that agreement expires then presumably it would open up several more developable locations for the clubs and stores which sell adult related merchandise. Having been a part of this community for many years, we truly feel that all property from Highway 31 West to the Carolina Forest Wal Mart is truly Carolina Forest, regardless of what specific roadway you are physically on.
Adult entertainment locations will be the topic of discussion at the Carolina Forest Civic Association Wednesday night.
Scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Carolina Forest Rec Center on Carolina Forest Boulevard, the meeting will allow Carolina Forest residents to be briefed on how they are facing the “Fork in the Road.”
Carolina Forest has become ground zero on the clash between quality of life for residents of one of the fastest growing spots in the county with tourism interests if the county’s new adult entertainment ordinances receive third reading approval.
There seems to be a growing trend in Horry County that is prevalent throughout the nation. Government staff is working against Horry County Council members, and in its own interests, instead of working for council to institute policy decisions.
Helicopter amusement ride leases, adult entertainment regulations, solid waste actions have all recently had instances where county staff pushed its own agenda against the wishes of council and the better interests of the county in general.
A recently renegotiated lease with Huffman Helicopters, in which staff was directly instructed to include designated flight patterns to limit flight patterns over residential areas is missing the key inclusions.
Horry County passed second reading of its new adult entertainment ordinances at its regular meeting Tuesday night bringing its day in court closer.
Passage of third reading seems assured next month and as council chairman Mark Lazarus said, the next day he expects the current adult entertainment establishments operating in the unincorporated areas of Horry County to be in Florence filing for injunctive relief.
While all of the current adult entertainment businesses will be out of compliance with the new ordinances, adult entertainment will not be removed from the unincorporated areas.
Speak Up…