Horry County Council defers vote on potential tax improving private road
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County Council voted to defer a resolution that would allow a special election to be held in July to potentially create a special tax district that would repair a private road near Legends Drive off Highway 501 in Horry County.
The deferment action was taken in executive session at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Those who live near Legends Drive claim the private road has not been maintained by the owner and they have tried to find multiple solutions since the early 1990’s and believe a special tax district is the only way to fix the road.
Many neighbors recently signed a petition for the special election that allows residents to vote on implementing a tax to repair the road. They said not maintaining the road is dangerous for the community.
The county elections commission said almost 500 votes were certified from the petition and just over 1,200 voters are in that district.
Some residents said they would pay around $200 a year to go towards funding the $2.4 million it would cost to fix Legends Drive.
Thomas Tiscione, a resident, said a neighborhood committee spent five months researching solutions.
“This is the only solution that we see to provide safety for the entrance road into our community,” Tiscione said. “Legends Drive is literally falling apart beneath us.”
The meeting was packed mainly by people who live near Legends Drive. Four residents spoke for the special tax and four others spoke against it.
One person who opposed to the plan said residents shouldn’t be responsible for repairing the road. He used an analogy about his roof needing to be fixed.
“Whose responsibility is it to fix my roof,” Dwight Greer said. “Is it me or do I go around to my neighbors with a tin cup asking for donations to fix my problem.”
Councilman Michael Masciarelli, who represents District 8 which includes Legends Drive, said residents should be allowed to vote, but voted to defer the resolution to allow more time for county lawyers to make sure everything is covered.
“You know being a new councilman I just wanted to make sure that when this goes through or doesn’t go through, that no information was missed, there was no unturned stone, there was no bias in either way, that it was fair.”
Council plans to vote on the resolution at its next meeting. If it passes, residents will vote on the resolution in July. If majority vote in favor of the resolution, then it will go back to council for three readings.
Other council agenda items:
A first reading was passed to relocate Coastal High School off River Oaks Drive and build a new Coastal Middle School. The school is currently located in Socastee.
The land was previously requested to be used as a new shelter for the Grand Strand Humane Society, but after many neighbors spoke against it, the application was pulled.
An ordinance to prohibit nighttime activities near Rosewood Boat landing passed third and final reading.
Also, a purchase agreement for DC Blox, a cable landing station, to expand land at Myrtle Beach International Airport passed third reading. It currently operates near Market Commons and is a digital hub for the East Coast.
A rezoning request to add 26 single-family homes to a current neighborhood with 72 homes off Highway 17 Bypass and Las Olas Drive near Myrtle Beach passed third reading as well.
The developer has wanted to expand the land since 2020, but the county said it has been denied multiple times because of community opposition.
Staff members recommended disapproval at a recent county planning commission meeting, but the commission voted for 8 to 1 in favor of the project.
A rezoning request to build more than 110 residential homes on 30 acres of land off Mineola Avenue in Little River was deferred until August.
Councilwoman Jenna Dukes who represents District 1, said she wants to give the developer more time to address concerns like traffic.
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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work, here.
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