Zoning board again denies new helicopter tour company in North Myrtle Beach

A helicopter tour company trying to open a new business in North Myrtle Beach was denied Thursday for a second time this year by the board of zoning and appeals.

Steve Powell, an engineer with Venture Engineering working with Myrtle Beach Helicopter Tours, said he and his client will continue to explore options for bringing the company to North Myrtle Beach.

“There’s a market here for this,” Powell said. “Here is a tourism-based economy. My client has been in this industry for 30 years. He’s been doing a good job. He’s good business man and a good neighbor. North Myrtle Beach should welcome him.”

The company owner, Sam Groome, also owns a helicopter tour company in Orlando.

The Board of Zoning and Appeals voted 4-1 to deny the request to grant a special exception to the zoning to allow the company to launch from land near U.S. Highway 17 and Windy Hill Road Extension behind a Walgreen’s pharmacy. Board member Robert Terrell voted against the motion to deny.

In June, the board unanimously denied a request from the company to locate a launch pad about 500 feet south on land along U.S. 17.

The area is zoned highway commercial, allowing for amusement parks and rides of all types. Paul Blust, zoning administrator with North Myrtle Beach, said the helicopter tour is classified as a ride and requests to build rides must go through the board.

Board member Cynthia Lover, who made the motion to deny the request, said she felt the helicopter tour company presented noise issues as well as safety issues not only with the flights, but with causing a visual distraction to drivers on U.S. 17.

“I believe it will also hurt property values and would be limiting to businesses that might want to go in vacant properties [nearby],” she said.

About 150 residents filled North Myrtle Beach City Hall council chambers and the hallway outside – all opposed to the helicopter company.

About 10 residents were called at random by board Chairman Dan Moore to speak about the company’s request, and cited issues ranging from noise to invasion of privacy from those in helicopters flying above people’s homes to disturbing animals in the nearby marsh.

Joy Sparks, a resident at Barefoot Resort, said she was concerned with plummeting property values the helicopter company could cause.

“[Powell] told you about the amount of money the city would make with bringing this company here,” she said. “What I’m going to bring to you is how much are you going to lose in real estate value? I think this is going to effect the value of all of our property.

“You’re getting ready to list your property and all of a sudden this helicopter is here. People are going to say, ‘I don’t want to live here with all this noise,” she said.

Powell said he was discouraged that the board voted against he request again. He said he believed the new location – just south of the end of Grand Strand Airport’s runway and within the line of sight of their air traffic control tower – was the best one in the city for the company.

Powell said he was pretty sure he and his client would continue to find a way to bring the business to the area, whether it was in North Myrtle Beach or somewhere else.

“Any time you have 150 people show up to a public meeting ... it’s very difficult for a board or commission to go against that amount of people,” he said. “Helicopters are an allowed use in that zone. They took the position that they don’t want the helicopter business in North Myrtle Beach.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 7:50 PM with the headline "Zoning board again denies new helicopter tour company in North Myrtle Beach."