North Myrtle Beach approves creation of tax district for Cherry Grove dredging

The North Myrtle Beach City Council voted Monday to create the Cherry Grove special tax assessment district, which is a major step in completing a controversial dredging project.

North Myrtle Beach has spent years examining the impact of dredging channels in and around Cherry Grove’s Ocean Boulevard strip and the center of finger channels along House Creek from 42nd Avenue North to about 62nd Avenue North.

Some of the more than 700 landowners whose properties would be impacted by the dredge have told city officials they would have liked the city to look at alternative ways of funding the project instead of placing the $24,000 tab on landowners over a 10-year period.

But city officials forged ahead with the plan to create the assessment district. It argued property owners along the finger channels would be impacted most because of the work so they should foot the bill.

City Council voted 7-0 in the two readings of the ordinance required to make the measure official.

The waterways were man made in the late 1940s and early 1950s and are no longer navigable at low tide. The overall project is expected to cost more than $16 million.

Owners of properties in the district will receive notices that will advise them of a time and place they may be heard to contest assessments.

A property owner who wants to appeal their assessment must provide notice of the appeal in writing to the city manager by 9 a.m. May 22.

There will be two appeals hearing opportunities for those who have provided written appeals to the city manager: 9 a.m. May 11 and 9 a.m. May 22 at City Hall, according to the city.

After council hears presentations by those contesting the assessments, it will vote whether to continue with the assessment.

So far, the city has already spent $1.25 million on litigation and research related to the dredging project. North Myrtle Beach officials also plan to spend $800,000 on the initial dredging and another $800,000 if a follow-up dredge is needed in a few years.

This story was originally published April 7, 2015 at 10:29 AM with the headline "North Myrtle Beach approves creation of tax district for Cherry Grove dredging."