Council approves first reading of Bahama Island phase 2 development agreement with unit limits and mitigation fees

The North Myrtle Beach City Council held a public hearing and approved first reading of an amended and restated development agreement for Bahama Island Phase 2, which limits the residential portion of the project to no more than 137 units and establishes several per-unit fees and off-site improvement triggers.

City staff summarized the principal terms included in the amendment: a per-residential-unit park enhancement fee of $400, a beach parking enhancement fee of $1,100 and a public safety enhancement fee of $3,600. The staff presentation said those fees are subject to an annual increase under the formula contained in the agreement and are payable at the time of application for a building permit.

The amendment also requires the developer to complete off-site road improvements at the Old Crane Road and Bowline Boulevard intersection and to widen inbound and outbound lanes and provide three separate project entrances from Bowline Boulevard. Staff said those off-site road improvements must be finished before the developer applies for the 40th building permit for a residential unit; that permit milestone triggers the road work requirement. The developer also must improve the portion of Severson Road within the city corporate limits from Bailon Boulevard westward to the city boundary, according to the staff summary.

Council conducted a public hearing on the development-agreement amendment; no substantive public testimony on the agreement was recorded in the transcript. After the hearing, a council member moved and the council approved first reading by voice vote.

Staff told council that a separate PDD amendment for related matters was under staff review and that staff had recommended a postponement of that PDD track; that postponement recommendation did not apply to the development agreement under consideration. The development agreement action was limited to authorizing the terms summarized at the hearing and allowing the interim city manager to execute documents associated with the first-reading approval.

The agreement now moves forward for subsequent readings and final action. The agreement text sets the unit cap, per-unit fees, and the 40th-permit trigger for off-site road work; timing and implementation of the off-site improvements will be governed by the agreement language and by coordination between the developer and city public-works staff.