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Local business owners and residents urge council to delay fast-tracked beach vending trial
Summary
Residents and several local business owners told the Town of Sunset Beach council the proposed pushcart vending trial is being rushed, risks giving one operator an unfair head start, and needs clearer limits on hours, permit caps, merchandise and public-safety restrictions before approval.
Gary Massey, who operates a business on the island, told the Town of Sunset Beach council he opposes a proposed beach pushcart ordinance and its short timeline, saying the process and timing "smells a little fishy" and warning a 17-day window between passage and when the trial would take effect would give a single business an unfair advantage. "If you pass this ordinance, it will have a detrimental impact on several island businesses and only benefit one who already has brick and mortar on the island," Massey said.
Other speakers amplified similar concerns. John of the Sunset Beach Trading Company criticized the notice and application timing, saying the trial is "less than one month away" and asking when applications will open so local businesses can prepare. Tracy Jones asked how the town will evaluate whether the trial succeeded and requested performance measures and clearer rules about where carts may operate and whether alcohol sales are permitted.
Supporters of permitting, including Drew Sellers of Sunset Slush, told the council vendors have proposed beach vending for decades and argued vending can enhance the beach experience. "We are pro-capitalism—we are here for all businesses, especially local businesses," Sellers said, offering to answer questions about how his operation runs.
The draft ordinance details several limits that commenters highlighted: proposed hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; a maximum cart footprint referenced in comments of about 10 feet long and 5½ feet wide with an apex allowance discussed around 20 feet in the draft; and permissive language about allowable merchandise and a cook apparatus that speakers said could broaden the program beyond snack and cold-drink sales.
Residents asked the council to add guardrails before starting a trial: a clear cap on the number of permits or carts, a definition of eligible applicants (several speakers urged limiting eligibility to brick-and-mortar businesses located in town), specific permitted hours that reflect peak demand, and explicit prohibitions or conditions for amplified music and alcohol sales. Massey warned that without such limits the beach could become "less like a beach and more like a carnival."
The council did not take a recorded vote on the vending ordinance during this forum; public comment was the primary agenda item. The meeting adjourned after public comment by procedural motion.
The next procedural steps and any formal vote on the ordinance were not recorded in the public-comment transcript; residents asked the council for clearer timelines and open application windows so local businesses can respond.
