Council gives go ahead to airport expansion

CONWAY—It was a packed house at Tuesday night’s Horry County council meeting as residents, business owners, and other concerned citizens crowded in to council chambers to hear votes on a number of issues.

In the third and final reading of one ordinance, council voted 10-1 to amend the fiscal year 2009 budget to authorize and provide funding for the design, construction, financing and administration of the terminal capacity enhancement project at the Myrtle Beach International Airport.

“What we’ll do now is take that vote to Washington and show the people where we need to get money from, that we’re united as a community this time, we’ve got resolutions from the cities, from our legislative delegation, from the chamber and golf holiday, everybody’s saying now’s the times and this is the project and that’s what they’re looking for in Washington,” Horry County Council Chairman Liz Gilland said. 

In the immediate future, Gilland said she’s more confident in securing federal money for the project than state money.

“I have a feeling they’ll be a lot of money into transportation and that bodes well for us because we are at the top of the pile, because we will be absolutely ready for an infusion of dollars and can spend it immediately on the terminal and on I-73,” Gilland said.

Representatives with MB Kahn, the firm hired to plan the airport terminal expansion, said the vote means they can move forward. 

Rick Ott, with MB Kahn said it is likely going to be the spring of 2010 before you see any construction at the airport. 

“We’re going to hire architects and engineers to actually get the work started and get the drawings done and barring no major hurdles, we’re going to be moving right ahead.“ Ott said. 

Ott added he is confident they will be able to secure the funds for the projected $135 million project. 

“The timing may not be this year, it might be next year or the year after, but we anticipate the funding to be there, the state legislature understands how important the grand strand economy is to the overall health of the state,“ Ott said.  And if all goes according to plan, Ott said the airport terminal expansion project is expected to be complete by August of 2012.

The next step is for the construction company to present a detailed design to the Myrtle Beach community appearance board so they can get building permits.
 
Ott said that will likely happen in late February or early March.

Also at the council meeting, residents in the Myrtle Trace community got one step closer to having full control of their neighborhood. 

That subdivision is located between Highways 501 and 544, near Burning Ridge Golf Course.  Residents there are fighting for their community to be gated, saying it’s for the safety of those who live there.  The county would have to relinquish control of the roads that run through the subdivision for the gates to remain.  At the meeting, council approved a settlement agreement, in a 6-5 vote, to allow the community to privatize their roads.  A third and final reading is scheduled for the next council meeting.

Council members also approved the first reading for an amendment to a zoning ordinance that targets bike weeks.  Among other things, the ordinance would severely limit the number of vendors that can gather in any one location and exactly where they can set up.  The ordinance would also set permit prices for vendors during both of the spring rallies.  Before second reading on the ordinance, council members plan to hold a workshop.