City approves new name for section of Yaupon Drive

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Some residents on Yaupon Drive in Myrtle Beach got a long-awaited change on Tuesday – a new name for their street.

Myrtle Beach planning commissioners approved a new name for the section of Yaupon Drive from 19^th to 29^th Ave S. The new name will be Sand Dunes Drive.

This change will take effect immediately. Some people who live on the south end of the street hope changing its name would help to get rid of its bad perception.

“It’s not going to change the culture as much as it will change the perception,” said Julie Booth, one of the applicants. “The perception is what is so bad now, because of the long-standing stigmatism of Yaupon.”

The change has been in the works for about eight years. In 2018, residents had gathered enough names on a petition to support it. But a tie vote by the planning commission negated the petition.

Under city code, a name change also required the construction of a traffic circle to visibly break up the sections. The traffic circle was approved for the area of 19th Avenue South in 2018.