Why the last of North Myrtle Beach’s untouched dunes could be destroyed
Local advocates are putting pressure on North Myrtle Beach officials as the deadline looms for the city to purchase Ingram Dunes.
Over 40 members of Save Ingram Dunes attended Monday night’s city council meeting with a few expressing the importance behind the city closing the sale on the 9.4 acres of North Myrtle Beach dunes, which sits at the corner of Hillside Drive and 10th Avenue South.
“We’ve come so far, as we all know, we’ve been working on this for two and a half years,” said Damien Triouleyre, leader of Save Ingram Dunes, who with his group has held demonstrations and raised money in an effort to preserve the land and fend off developers.
“I just urge us, I urge you, to find a way to fund this,” Triouleyre said. “It would be a shame to lose that state grant, but it would be an even greater shame if the Ingram Dunes were bulldozed because that’s what will happen.”
While the city was awarded a $510,000 grant from the South Carolina Conservation Board in February to help purchase the $3.1 million property, city officials have until May 1 to solidify a deal with the Ingram Dunes property owners or the grant must be returned.
“By May 1, we have to inform the Conservation Bank as to whether or not we have a solid deal to purchase, and if so, we must close on the property by June 28,” city spokesperson Pat Dowling said. “If we do not have the ability to purchase by May 1, the grant money awarded goes back into the Conservation Bank for use in their future grant request.”
Along with the grant, the city has committed $500,000 to the purchase with an additional $40,000 in donations from individuals and groups held in escrow, Dowling said.
“The property owners have been gracious and forthcoming throughout all of this, providing the city with time to explore all possible funding sources,” Dowling said. “The city recently made another purchase offer to the property owners.”
But with a little over $1 million in hand and just under a month left for the city to secure the land, Triouleyre said it would be devastating to see the property bulldozed and developed into a single-family development.
“You’ve got to save some of the natural heritage we have here,” activist Morgan Livingston added.
The owners, along with developers DDC Engineers, proposed construction of 31 single-family homes, which would result in tearing out or replanting of trees, six of which are live oaks that are 24-inch caliper or larger, Dowling said last spring.
Triouleyre suggested officials use a portion of the $6 million gained this year with the city paying off the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex to make up the difference, but Mayor Marilyn Hatley said the council has an obligation to use that money to reduce the tax base.
“To be a truly great city, it’s not just about having low taxes. This is a great city. To be a great city we need to have parks and green space,” Triouleyre said. “(If Ingram Dunes is saved), this will be one of the greatest things this city has ever done.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2019 at 5:08 PM.
