NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)- This week the North Myrtle Beach Planning Department conducted a series of Focus Group and Stakeholder Meetings to share what came from Phase I of the Visioning Process for the City’s 10 Year Comprehensive Plan.
The city held brainstorming sessions last year to get a better idea to determine what needs residents want addressed. Before city leaders moves to Phase 2 it wanted to review those plans.
“Our goal is really get down to the street and sidewalk level where people live and understand the key issues on their streets. And that’s why we want to get out and focus on these areas where people really relate. That’s where they see their neighbors,where they see other people come through the community. That’s where life happens,” Consultant Craig Lewis said.
The sessions focused on Sea Mountain Highway merchants, 37th Avenue South merchants, Little River Neck Road property owners, Main Street merchants and property owners and 17th Avenue South .
Organizers say more than 120 people attended. Some of the issues discussed were the lack of parking especially during the busy tourist season and need for more sidewalks to improve pedestrian safety.
The goal of the sessions is to give people a vision of what’s to come and make sure everyone’s goals align.
“Another one of the things we’re doing is developing a series of images that people can see change with and give people some choices and what the opportunities are. You drive Sea Mountain today and there’s this big ugly corridor that looks like every 5 lane road across the state of South Carolina. We’re going to give people some visualizations to see what could happen,” Lewis added.
The next steps in the 10-year Comprehensive Plan will be to compile all the notes from this week’s sessions and present it to City Council who has to approve it before any action can be taken.
