MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Myrtle Beach city leaders are moving forward with plans to make Ocean Boulevard more “family friendly”, by restricting what businesses there can sell.
City Council introduced the idea of an Entertainment Overlay District last week. Businesses in the district would be prohibited from selling any sort of weapons, drug paraphernalia, and clothing with graphic language or images.
The district would encompass businesses anywhere from 6th Avenue S to 16th Avenue N. Some council members say the “smutty” merchandise is driving families away from the boulevard, and feel the people buying it, are often the ones who cause trouble in the are. Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes says he doesn’t want to force businesses in that area to comply with new zoning, and hopes businesses will voluntarily work with the city to create a more family friendly environment. “I’d like to look at the opportunity to come to an agreement, without having to go there. I want the businesses to look and say, ‘This is what we can do to help create the atmosphere that you want on the boulevard’,” said Mayor Rhodes.
Next, the ordinance will go before the city’s Planning Commission, who will try to work with businesses on that stretch of the boulevard to reach a compromise.