NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – DHEC held a meeting Wednesday night where the public was able to discuss a stormwater permit that could determine the fate of Ingram Dunes.
Ingram Dunes in North Myrtle Beach are the highest and oldest dunes on the coast of South Carolina, but for over a year, the privately-owned land has been under constant threat of being flattened and destroyed to become a housing development.
After a developer applied for a stormwater permit to begin the process of building the subdivision, the fate of the dunes went into DHEC’s hands.
DHEC has the power to grant the permit that would allow the developer to completely flatten the dunes and cut down the 300-year-old trees towering over; after hearing the public outcry, DHEC held a meeting where they could first hear the locals’ concerns face-to-face.
The possibility of increased flooding of the area was the biggest concern for the residents of North Myrtle Beach.
“What we think would be typical rain flooded the area of 7th Ave. and not only would the Hillside area be flooded, but also the boulevard section would flood,” says William Bailey who spent 20 years as a public safety officer in North Myrtle Beach. “This water would be so high it would stall out cars.”
Bailey was one of the 15 people who spoke to DHEC at the nearly three-hour-long public hearing.
Following Wednesday night’s meeting, residents say they felt their voices were heard.
“Tonight was a big step. Just to have them hold a public hearing was huge, so that’s a big step, but it’s one step. We’re in a marathon,” says Damien Triouleyre, who has been leading the group, Preserve Ingram Dunes for the past 18 months.
The next step is to wait until the City of North Myrtle Beach and the owners of Ingram Dunes agree on a price for the land.
“We just have to hope that nothing else happens in the meantime,” says Triouleyre.