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Council approves annexation and developer-funded improvements for 64.46-acre Champions Boulevard project
Summary
The council approved annexation of 64.46 acres on Sarcona Highway and a related development agreement that includes a $250,000 developer contribution toward intersection improvements, developer-funded signalization, restrictive covenants limiting certain uses and a 35-foot height cap in a defined area; residents raised questions about timing, stormwater and wall maintenance.
At second reading the North Myrtle Beach City Council approved annexation of 64.46 acres on Sarcona Highway and a development agreement authorizing the city manager to sign on the city's behalf.
The city attorney outlined key changes since first reading, including a public-benefit commitment that "the developer shall contribute to the city on or before the second anniversary of the effective date of this agreement, the sum of $250,000 representing the portion of the cost incurred by the city for the installation of a future pedestrian and or vehicular improvements" near Champions Boulevard, Park Point Avenue and Citizens Circle, and a developer obligation to install a full-function traffic signal at the project's primary access subject to city-engineer and South Carolina Department of Transportation approvals.
The agreement records restrictive covenants that the developer agreed to include in recorded covenants, conditions and restrictions (CCRs). The transcript shows the developer agreed to exclude certain uses — "adult entertainment businesses, cemeteries, crematoriums" — and limited building heights to no more than 35 feet in a specified area backing up to the Park Point neighborhood. The covenants also grant adjacent property owners associations in Park Point and Park Ridge third-party beneficiary rights to enforce those specific restrictions, while the city retains enforcement rights under the agreement.
Residents who spoke during the public-comment period raised concerns about whether the development agreement should be finalized before annexation, who would enforce the agreement and how long developer obligations would endure. One resident asked who would maintain an eight-foot cinder-block wall between the development and the neighborhood; staff and a representative noted that the developer would maintain the wall in perpetuity and that the CCRs would address ownership across parcels.
Staff also confirmed stormwater plans and traffic studies must be submitted and approved during site-plan and master-plan review, and that any phased construction requires per-phase stormwater calculations and review by the city. The agreement sets a 10-year performance window for certain development milestones but does not create a phased performance bond requirement.
Following the staff presentation and public comment, the council voted in favor of the development agreement and authorized the city manager to execute the document.
Next steps include final engineering design and coordination with SCDOT for off-site roadway improvements and the city engineer's review of specifications described in the agreement.
