MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – A solar farm near Myrtle Beach’s airport has received approval from the Community Appearance Board.
According to a permit status report dated February 26, the solar farm received the approval on February 7. The farm would be located at 2630 South Kings Highway.
“We haven’t had that much in the city in terms of a farm,” said city planning director Carol Coleman. “I’ve seen a lot more panels going on houses.”
The city’s planning commission talked about Santee Cooper’s proposal during a technical review meeting in July. Santee Cooper would lease the land from Horry County, which owns the airport.
Coleman said glare from the panels shining towards airplanes doesn’t appear to be an issue in the early proposal.
“They’ve probably vetted that out,” she said. “I don’t know that they would have anything that would cause reflections or anything along those lines. The first time I heard about it, that was my concern, is it going to be an issue?”
This wouldn’t be the electric company’s first solar farm on the Grand Strand.
Santee Cooper opened up the 10-acre Bell Bay Solar Farm earlier this year, with about 6,000 panels off U.S. Highway 701 near Conway.
Santee Cooper also has a small farm on Mr. Joe White Avenue in Myrtle Beach.
The proposed farm would require park land near the airport to be rezoned. It would go from “parks, recreation and conservation” to “highway commercial.”
