Horry County Infrastructure & Regulation Committee Meeting - June 10, 2026
Horry County Infrastructure & Regulation Committee Meeting - June 10, 2026
The Infrastructure & Regulation Committee met on June 10, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at the Horry County Government & Justice Center. The agenda included updates on stormwater capital improvements, an overview of the Parks and Recreation Department, recognition of the Historic Preservation Commission’s Certified Local Government status, and a discussion on short-term rental regulations. Several resolutions and ordinances were considered and voted upon.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Becky Warren, a resident of Harbor Town (SF-10 neighborhood), spoke in strong opposition to short-term rentals (Airbnb/VRBO) in her community. She reported three existing short-term rentals, incidents of noise, parking issues, litter, and safety concerns. She urged the committee to consider high business license fees and accommodation taxes as enforcement mechanisms, noting that current ordinances are difficult to enforce.
Discussion Items
- Stormwater CIP Update (Brandon Wagner): Staff reported April 2026 statistics: 39 miles of ditches cleaned, 400 ft of storm drain pipe installed, 120 work orders, 124 service requests, 340 construction inspections, 460 engineering plans reviewed, 51 easements received, 480 water quality samples collected, and 70 oyster baskets added to the Myrtle’s Inlet Reef (now the largest man-made oyster reef in SC). Five completed or upcoming capital projects were highlighted: Hemingway Chapel ($282K, 85% RIA grant, county share $50K, reduced flooding for 12 homes), Jones Road ($635K, 85% grant, county $95K, reduced flooding for 5 homes and a church), 57th Place ($361K, 85% grant, county $54K, protected emergency access), Highway 9 ($3.1M, 85% grant, county $450K, reduced flooding for 5 homes and protected evacuation route), and McCormick Road ($1.5M, 100% grant, expected to reduce flooding for 35+ homes). Total project cost $5.5M; grants covered $4.8M (87%), county contribution $700K (13%).
- Parks and Recreation Department Overview (Ray Dunham, Nicole Herrera): The department has 48 full-time and 70 part-time staff, 532 volunteers. Assets include 700 acres of parks, 33 parks, 27 boat landings, 37 infields, 14 multipurpose fields, 23 playgrounds, 6 recreation centers (with 2 under development). Economic impact from field/room rentals in 2025 was $2.4M. Athletic programs had 4,320 participants. Sponsorships generated $15K. Grants obtained: Green Sea Floyd Playground ($78K), Socastee ($5M), Garden City Playground ($84K), South Strand bathrooms ($84K). Upcoming projects include South Strand pickleball courts (opening ~6 weeks) and Socastee recreation park (completion fall). The department also provides emergency shelter. The committee discussed potential for private-sector partnerships to host tournaments.
- Acknowledgment of Historic Preservation Commission CLG Status (Rajiv Myana, Ben Burroughs): The commission has maintained Certified Local Government status since 1987, the only county in SC with this designation. Recent achievements include National Register nomination for Atlantic Beach Historic District and local surveys. The CLG grants access to federal funds. The committee recognized the commission’s work.
- Short-term Rental Regulations (Heather Davis): Staff presented regulatory options ranging from low enforcement (1-3 additional staff) to high enforcement (5-8 staff). Discussion centered on zoning amendments, occupancy limits, parking, local contacts, and legal challenges of entering residential property. Committee members expressed interest in addressing the issue incrementally, possibly through zoning overlays or promoting HOA covenants. Staff will bring back recommendations at a future meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar – Approval of Minutes: The minutes from April 14, 2026 were approved unanimously.
- Resolution A – Tree Mitigation Funds: Approved allocation of $3,295.60 from the Tree Mitigation Fund to Carolina Forest Middle of the Road for median beautification. Current fund balance is $20,000.
- Resolution B – Community Benefit Funds: Approved allocation to Friends of the Green Sea Library for supplies and equipment to support community programs (seeking $20,000). Multiple committee members pledged contributions.
- Resolution C – Parks and Recreation Month: Approved designation of July 2026 as Parks and Recreation Month in Horry County.
- Resolution D – Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule Amendment: Approved corrections to the fee schedule, including new inspection fees for zoning enforcement.
- Resolution E – Land Donation for Singleton Memorial Park: Approved acceptance of ~6 acres in Forestbrook from the Singleton family for creation of “R. Grant and Elizabeth G. Singleton Memorial Park.” The county will construct roads and infrastructure.
- Ordinance A – Release of Spoil Easement: Approved release of a spoil easement to Chris Manning Builders LLC, following established procedures.
- Ordinance B – Lease with SC DMV: Approved renewal of lease for office space at the Ralph Ellis Complex.
- Ordinance C – Development Agreements Amendment: Approved amendments to Chapter 15, Article VI of the Code of Ordinances to align with current practices and state law.
- Ordinance D – Zoning Board of Appeals Variance Authority for Buffers: After discussion, a motion to require a minimum 20-foot buffer (no reduction below 20 ft) failed. The committee then voted to send the ordinance as drafted back to the Planning Commission for further consideration.
Meeting Transcript
On our meeting for the month of June, and as always, we'll start with an invitation and a pledge of allegiance. And if we could all stand, please. Let us pray. Praise God. Heavenly Father, we're thankful for the opportunity to give here today. Encourage our hearts and uplift us and keep the hand upon all of us. Direct us and guide us according to thy will. Doing by thy word and thy spirit. Help us, O Lord, so that we might be able to continue to help others. Yes, I will through our work here. And in all things, we ask in Christ's name. Amen. Attention to the flag, a pledge of allegiance to the flag. United States of America and the Republic. For which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice to all. Thank you very much. We have one for public input. Miss Becky Warren. And if you'll come forward to the microphone, please, and if you'll state your name and subject five minutes. Thank you. Good morning. How are you? My name's Becky Warren. I live at 1435 Shoreline Drive in Harbor Town Subdivision in Myrtle Beach. And I am here representing our neighborhood because we're concerned about short-term rentals. We as a community are very concerned about these short-term rentals in our peaceful neighborhood. It affects we are an SF 10 according to the county records. There are approximately 27 SF 10 neighborhoods in Ory County. And let me see, 18 are developed, which includes Harbor Town. So that might be a way to go to list that no short-term rentals could be in an SF 10, or you could make it an SF 10 east of the waterway. Either way, our covenants and restrictions were put in place by the developer of Harbor Town, Mr. Edgerton Burrows in the late 1970s and early 80s. And he's put in our covenants and restrictions to maintain the peace and tranquility and sense of community in our neighborhood, which we would like to continue to do, and short-term rentals are affecting those three things. There are currently three homes doing vacation rental by owner or Airbnbs with a host in Harbor Town. I have the addresses listed if you're interested later. We believe there is more to come in the county in our in our community if you don't put a stop to it, and you are the ones who can stop it. There are developers buying up homes in Harbortown that are for sale, and they are turning them into Airbnbs. We've had multiple incidents where police have had to be called due to disturbing the peace, blocking our streets because the houses don't have enough parking for the number of people that are renting the houses. Not to mention the litter in our neighborhood. People wandering the neighborhood, oddly looking in people's garages like they're casing out the neighborhood, which is a little scary to the residents who live there. And the list goes on and on, and I'm not going to waste my less than five minutes now on that. Short-term renters don't care about the neighborhood they're renting in or what they do or how it affects the long-term residents who have invested their lives and money in their home and community. We even had someone who was training an attack dog off-leash in the yard of the Airbnb. Which is right across the street from me, and my granddaughter was there, so that was a little scary that day. But the people who own the Airbnbs are on their honor to do that. There is no way to enforce that. So that's the frustrating part for me, along with other things. But I I thought about a resolution, because I don't want to stand up here and complain without a resolution. If you can't do anything to enforce an ordinance to stop the Airbnbs and vacation rental by owners, then what you could do is make them pay an enormously high business license to the county, a higher accommodation tax to operate, and a special tax for being in a neighborhood subdivision.
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