Council amends Pawleys Island business commons plan to allow up to three food trucks; Councilor Mercado recused

On second reading the council approved Ordinance 24‑57 to amend the Pawleys Island Business Commons planned development to allow up to three food vendors (food trucks) at a time on Parcel 2, subject to conditions recommended by staff.

Planning Director Holly Richardson told council this constitutes a major change to a planned development and noted staff recommended limiting food vendors to three at a time, requiring two parking spaces per vendor, and requiring each vendor to obtain a vending permit from the zoning administrator; vendor units must be mobile (trucks or mobile structures) and cannot consume parking spaces required for the restaurant. Richardson also said the county issued a change of tenant approval to retrofit the Parcel 2 structure into a restaurant/brewery and that two building permits had been issued to retrofit that structure.

Councilors asked questions about potential impervious area and the dimensions of truck pads, downstream flooding concerns for nearby development, duration and type of vendor permits (90‑day or one‑year), and whether alcohol service on the premises could affect operations. The transcript records that Councilor Mercado recused herself from participating in discussion and voting on this item; she left the chamber. The item was moved and seconded and the motion passed as recorded in the meeting transcript. The planning commission had unanimously recommended approval during its November hearing.

Notes: the transcript records the passing motion with an ambiguous roll‑call phrase transcribed as "Those pass 7 6 0," which appears to indicate unanimous approval; Councilor Mercado was not present for the vote due to her recusal.