MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Many associate Yaupon Drive in Myrtle Beach with crime, but people who live on the south end of Yaupon Drive are petitioning the city for a name change.
The area’s neighborhood watch organizer wants a distinction between the north end of the corridor where he says a lot of the crime happens and the south end, which is more residential.
“Most people in the city have heard the name Yaupon Drive and unfortunately it’s not in a good way, prostitution, drug arrests, robbery. Having a Yaupon Drive address is at this point, just not a good thing,” said Craig Teller.
Teller is the organizer of the South Beach Neighborhood Watch and he’s worked the past six years to clean up his section of Yaupon Drive
“We have very little crime down here, it’s very very different than what you find in the northern Yaupon corridor above the 19th Avenue,” said Teller.
Teller says he wants to rename the street “South Beach Drive” from 19th Avenue South to 29th Avenue South to avoid the stigma he says comes with the Yaupon name.
“We want it to reflect what it is, to let people know that we’re different than the Yaupon corridor we’re stigmatized with,” said Teller.
He thinks changing the name could improve property values, something resident Charlie Bellamy agrees with.
“I’m quite sure it could enhance home sales, and improve property values here as well, yes,” said Bellamy.
“If you can establish a positive name for your neighborhood that would be a good thing,” said city spokesperson Mark Kruea.
On Tuesday, City Council passed first reading of an ordinance that would allow the Planning Commission to withdraw a similar name another property owner was already awarded.
“South Beach Boulevard is on the books, but it hasn’t actually been used unfortunately there’s no provision to remove a name from the books currently and that’s what City Council gave first reading to this week,” said Kruea.
That change still needs to pass second reading, but Teller says he’s already passed a major hurdle by getting 75 percent of homeowners affected by the name change to sign a petition in favor of the new name.
“Very enthusiastically approving, nobody has opposed it,” said Teller.
Another change under consideration would create either a one way street or roundabout to physically separate the north and south ends of Yaupon Drive and that’s something city staff can decide on without city council’s approval.
According to Kruea, the cost would be less than $1,000 to change the street signs to accommodate the name change.
