Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Exception Outdoor Dining topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Highway 9 restaurant granted cooler, awning and outdoor-dining exception after broad community support
Summary
The board approved variances for a walk‑in cooler and an awning built without permits and granted a special exception allowing outdoor dining and on‑site alcohol service with conditions for the Highway 9 Grill House. Multiple community members testified in support, noting the owner’s charitable work and community role.
Horry County approved a set of variances and a special exception for a longtime restaurant at 1800 Highway 9 that sought to legalize a walk‑in cooler and a metal awning and to allow outdoor dining and on‑site alcohol service under an existing special-exception framework. Staff noted the property sits on a double‑frontage lot with particular Highway 9 setback rules adopted in 2021; the cooler and awning were described as occupying former nonconforming locations tied to prior restaurant uses.
Applicant Joe Sutherland said the cooler location reflected a previous restaurant layout: “The cooler is, in the same spot that the cooler was from a previous restaurant.” Dozens of community members testified in support, citing the restaurant’s role in feeding volunteers, supporting veterans and providing local gathering space. The board approved the cooler and awning variances and granted outdoor dining and on‑site alcohol consumption under conditions limiting amplified sound, hours and event size.
Why it mattered: The approvals legalize built improvements and allow modest outdoor dining capacity while imposing conditions intended to protect neighbors and public safety; the board emphasized compliance with state and local laws and required future site‑plan changes for expanded occupancy.
