MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Some people who live in Myrtle Beach hoped changing the name of their street would get rid of its bad reputation, but for now, the city’s planning commission turned down the plan.
Residents wanted to change the south-end of Yaupon Drive to South Beach Drive; and while the planning commission didn’t reject a name change outright, they say some changes are needed before moving forward.
“We’re a little bit frustrated and if we would have been successful yesterday that would be great but we’re in this for the long haul,” said Craig Teller, the coordinator of the South Beach Community Neighborhood Watch.
Teller has worked the past 6 months to get the name change passed because he says Yaupon Drive has a negative association with prostitution and crime.
He says he will continue his efforts to rename the section from 19th Avenue South to 29th Avenue South to avoid the stigma that comes with a Yaupon Drive address.
“Yaupon unfortunately has gotten a bad name, but those crimes are being committed not on this end but up on the north end,” explained Teller.
On Tuesday his plan to rename the south end to was delayed, but did not die.
“The neighborhood can brainstorm and come back with some ideas, the city supports the idea of establishing a separate identity for the area,” said Mark Kruea, Myrtle Beach city spokesperson.
Part of the problem was that a similar name was already taken and the current property owner doesn’t want to give it up.
“It needs to not sound like or be like another name that we already have on the books, there is a convention that says you don’t confuse the public by having two streets that are named similarly,” explained Kruea.
The commission also did not get the minimum number of signatures to recommend the change, but Teller says he’s already working to solve those issues starting with find a name that isn’t already on the books.
“First we’ll work very closely with city and staff to find a name, and then we’ll get approval from the citizens along Yaupon for the approval for that name,” said Teller.
He says he’s confident the name change will still happen, “we’ve got to work with the city to address those issues, but we’re very optimistic that we will move forward,” Teller said.
Another issue is that unless the whole street is renamed, some kind of physical transition needs to be created to separate the south and north ends.
A roundabout has been discussed and Teller says he’ll continue working with city staff to find a solution.