Despite protests and tears, superblock bars will close at 2 a.m.

Bar and nightclub owners made an emotional appeal Tuesday to Myrtle Beach City Council but the panel approved an ordinance to close superblock bars and clubs at 2 a.m.

Carolina Ferrera, who identified herself as a bartender at Pure Ultra Club, the site of a shooting Saturday that left five injured, cried as she described her employer as a “family” and said the ordinance will unfairly punish business owners around the area. The superblock includes Nance Plaza, and is bounded by U.S. 501. Main Street, Broadway Street and Ninth Avenue North.

“All of us depend on this, and this doesn’t happen at Pure. This is our first thing. This a horrible thing,” Ferrera said as tears broke through her speech. “This does not happen to us. Please reconsider.”

Ferrera said Hector Melendez, the owner of the club, is still unaware of the incident because he is recovering from a medical procedure. She added that the club would “close for a little while.”

Other superblock representatives also came, including Ronald Ronda, the manager of Pure Ultra, Victor Tataru, the owner of Club There, and George Clay, the owner of St. George bar at 503 Eighth Avenue North, adjacent to the superblock.

Clay argued a ban on superblock parking from 2-6 a.m., instituted immediately after the shooting by City Manager John Pedersen, would only serve to push business to nearby clubs and bars. He suggested instead targeting problem bars directly under the city’s nuisance ordinance.

Councilman Mike Chestnut also suggested a more targeted approach Tuesday afternoon, saying he was concerned about unnecessarily affecting bars that had not had problems.

“If I heard some of these guys right today … they’re going to be out of business anyway, whether or not we revoke a business license,” Chestnut said. “I don’t think anyone’s going to be able to survive 61 days.”

Superblock bar and club owners have said that their most lucrative hours are often after 2 a.m., when patrons filter in from Broadway at the Beach and other areas.

The argument proved moot as council approved the emergency measure, which took effect immediately after it passed and will continue for 61 days before lapsing. Chestnut was the only dissenting vote.

If the measure is approved in a second reading, however, it would become permanent.

Mayor John Rhodes and councilman Randal Wallace previously told The Sun News that they supported the measure. Councilwoman Mary Jeffcoat said Tuesday she was worried about first responders being endangered in the area, and most of council said violence in the area had gone on long enough.

“Sometimes there just comes a time when you got to draw the line, and this is the time,” Councilman Mike Lowder said. “We’ve got folks working every day to try and make something else of the superblock area.”

Pedersen also unveiled a plan in a Tuesday morning workshop that he said would target an area where gang activity allegedly takes place. Police have said the Saturday shooting was gang-related activity.

The area near the Carver Apartments, Futrell Park and Spivey Street in the Booker T. Washington neighborhood, Pedersen said, is a locus of gang activity. He suggested to council putting a fence on the edge of Spivey where cars are able to pull off, “so there wouldn’t be any area to hang out like there is now.”

“I think enough is enough on this one as well,” Pedersen said.

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Despite protests and tears, superblock bars will close at 2 a.m.."