Council workshop probes alley widths, density and phasing in proposed Indigo PDD revisions

At a North Myrtle Beach City Council workshop, council members, planning staff and the developer reviewed proposed revisions to a planned development district (PDD) for a multi‑phase project often referred to in the meeting as the Indigo project, focusing on alley (private right‑of‑way) widths, driveway maneuverability and an offered reduction in overall density.

The developer’s representative, Mister Hughes, presented two main alternatives for the private driveways and setbacks intended to address backing and turning: keep the current 20‑foot private right‑of‑way and add 2.5‑foot easements on each side (creating more clear public/resident use), or adopt a 25‑foot right‑of‑way while keeping 5‑foot setbacks so the building footprints would not move. Hughes said the discussion “all really comes back to these driveways” and described the options as ways to give more room for vehicles to back out without shifting house footprints.

Why this matters: council members said alley width and the length of dead‑end alleys affect daily maneuverability for residents and visitors, emergency vehicle access and the marketability of units if they are sold as fee‑simple lots. The project team presented campus‑style alternatives used elsewhere in the area and said they had already reduced the overall project density compared with earlier approvals.

Most important facts

- Current proposals…