MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Myrtle Beach planning commission voted to not recommend that city council make proposed changes to allow for a swingers club on Tuesday.
The decision came after planning commission held a public hearing on the proposed swingers club. Two Myrtle Beach residents spoke out against the plans.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard the term, ‘Dirty Myrtle,’ is this something that’s going to help rid us of this title, or reinforce this title?” William MacFareline, who lives in Myrtle Beach said.
“We need to attract professionals here, we need to attract highly-educated people of upper incomes, we need to attract industry here, we need to attract the type of people that will build that and lead those types of things, and when I look at this type of business, this is not one of those businesses,” MacFareline added.
A club owner in Fayetteville asked planning commission to change its zoning code to allow for a swingers club in Myrtle Beach in October. Planning commission gave the plans a negative recommendation on Tuesday.
“I think we are talking about a Myrtle Beach image, and we use the term over and over, family-friendly, and I think based on the information we have here that this is not a fit for Myrtle Beach,” Sally Howard, a member on the planning commission said.
Other planning officials said the club owner’s proposed zoning ordinance amendment would put too much of a strain on city workers and the city’s fire department.
The man who wants to open the swingers club in Myrtle Beach says he wasn’t surprised by the commission’s reaction.
“The city doesn’t want us, I understand, I would prefer to just go somewhere else,” Chris, the owner of YKW in Fayetteville said.
However, Chris says he disagrees with one point MacFareline said during the public hearing.
“Like I’ve said from the beginning, we have doctors, lawyers, nurses, politicians, police officers, military personnel, I have people who own their own businesses who are multimillionaires who come to my club, so if he wants to make comments that only lower class people come, I’m sure his neighbor is one of those people that do attend these parties,” Chris said.
Even though planning commission did not accept the proposal, Myrtle Beach city council will have the final say on the issue during a future meeting.