Here’s when Myrtle Beach residents can give their input on a proposed sex, swingers club
Myrtle Beach planning officials are looking for public input to decide if a swingers club should be permitted to operate within city limits.
Chris Abram, owner of You Know Where in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is requesting swingers clubs be allowed to operate in the wholesale/manufacturing district, a district predominantly located along Seaboard Street where tattoo parlors and strip clubs are permitted. A public hearing is scheduled Tuesday afternoon.
Abram said he’s interested in expanding his business to Myrtle Beach to accommodate area residents who frequent his private members-only establishment.
Currently, a swingers club is not included in the city’s zoning code. With the application before the Planning Commission, officials are compiling research to create a definition for swingers clubs in order to make a text amendment to the zoning district.
While Abram hasn’t purchased a storefront, he said he’s willing to open his business wherever the city allows.
You Know Where, which opened in its current location in 2011, was established to serve as a private, on-premises adult social party where people can explore their sexuality.
With a nightclub atmosphere, the establishment features a dance floor, stripper poles and two DJs, while also permitting nudity throughout the facility. The back portion of the club contains several areas, including private rooms and themed rooms, for people to “play” or have sex. The club, which serves soft drinks, allows clients to bring their own wine and beer.
While nudity is allowed throughout the establishment, unauthorized touching is strictly prohibited.
The club also requires clients fill out an application, tour the 12,000-square-foot facility and watch a presentation of the rules, Abram said. Those who violate state law or the clubs rules will be kicked out.
What’s next?
Per the application, a public hearing is required prior to commissioners making a recommendation to city council.
Following the commission’s recommendation, the proposal will then go before city council, which will vote to either approve or deny the zoning text amendment. The proposal would need to be approved upon two readings by city officials, but if denied, no changes will be made to the zoning code, and the business won’t be permitted to operate.
Abram has said he doesn’t expect city leaders to approve his application, but hopes they can see past the misconceptions regarding the swinging lifestyle. However, that doesn’t seem likely.
Mayor Brenda Bethune previously told The Sun News that she doesn’t believe a swingers club would support or elevate the city’s desired family-friendly image as officials work to revitalize the downtown. Bethune also took to social media criticizing swinging as a “disgusting business.”
Councilwomen Mary Jeffcoat and Jackie Hatley also used social media to express their opposition to the proposal.
“Just because the Planning Commission and the City Council are required by law, to hear a request, does not mean that we will approve it,” Jeffcoat said in a an Oct. 16 Facebook post. “This kind of club has no place in our City!”
With Myrtle Beach residents critical of the establishment, claiming it’ll bring an influx of crime, drugs, prostitution and human trafficking to the city, the establishment has seemingly remained obscure to Fayetteville officials, including Mayor Mitch Colvin, who was unaware of the club’s existence upon inquiry.
“We leave the decision on whether the presence of such a club is good or bad to others,” Fayetteville Communications Director Kevin Arata said. “To this point, the business has operated in Fayetteville without incident of notoriety, and consistent with all city ordinances.”
The public hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the City Service Building on Oak Street.
