Could Myrtle Beach open the beach to the public amid the coronavirus? Here’s what we know
Access to beaches in Myrtle Beach could re-open to the public on May 1, nearly two weeks after S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster allowed beaches to open statewide.
The city’s Beach Advisory Committee held a meeting via conference call on Friday recommending City Council consider a proposal that calls for public beach access and adjacent parking lots to open to the public, with several stipulations to curve the spread of the coronavirus.
“We feel there’s a therapeutic value to opening the beach,” Chairman Steve Taylor said. “It’s also symbolic for us to taking baby steps to returning to some sense of normalcy.”
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Committee members voted on a proposal that suggests the 138 beach crossovers and 74 beach parking lots with city limits open on May 1, with the urgency for law enforcement to enforce social distancing guidelines and monitor parking lots to limit the possibility of large crowds gathering.
Violators would be subject to fine or penalty, Taylor said, adding that city leaders would need to determine how many people gathering would be considered a violation.
“That should be a citywide decision, not a beach advisory decision,” Taylor said. We feel that the dispersement of crowds and strict enforcement of social distancing rules is key.”
Additionally, committee members suggest beach patrol increase their presence to ensure the public adheres to all beach ordinances, along with new social distancing regulations. One officer would be designated to the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily between 64th Avenue North and 70th Avenue North, according to the proposal, noting those areas as “hot spots” for large crowds.
Fire Department or ocean rescue would be permitted to patrol designated areas with mobile crews, while lifeguard franchises would need to be staffed and prepared for the May 1 opening, the proposal states. The beaches would remain in a double red flag until May 15, with no swimming allowed beyond waist deep.
Surfing, paddle boarding, kite boarding would be allowed in normally zoned areas, the proposal states.
City residents with decals would be allowed to park in all beach access lots within city limits, with paid parking enforced in lots south of 30th Avenue North, according to the proposal. Only residents with city stickers would be allowed in parking areas from 31st Avenue North to 80th Avenue North, according to the proposal.
“(We have) no concerns,” Police Chief Amy Prock said. “We are prepared to continue to follow up with our manpower and address concerns that come up in our community.”
On Monday, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster canceled a two-week-old executive order that closed all public access to the beaches of South Carolina, giving local jurisdictions the authority to enact their own rules regarding beaches. While the public access has been closed off in Myrtle Beach, beaches have been open but only to those with private accesses.
Following McMaster’s announcement on Monday, Myrtle Beach officials noted they would keep the accesses closed off to the public until further notice while North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Horry County lifted restrictions. Surfside has limited beach access to walk, running, biking and exercise-only.
Georgetown County public beach accesses and the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk are scheduled to remain closed until May 15.
The city of Pawleys Island will keep public beach access closed through noon Monday, at which time town council will meet to determine what to do thereafter.
With Myrtle Beach the top tourist destination in Horry County, Mayor Brenda Bethune has previously said she’s being cautious in wanting to ensure the safety of the community, while avoiding any risk of seeing a second peak in coronavirus cases over the summer. She added that while she wants to see beaches and business open, the city will need to have well-thought out plan first.
Myrtle Beach City Council will discuss on Tuesday during a virtual meeting either extending, canceling or amending current emergency orders that required short-term rentals, accommodations services, hotels and public access to the beach to close.
“City Council will meet to consider several things that do go to the heart of re-opening the economy at their meeting on Tuesday,” City Manager John Pedersen said. “That larger discussion is going on and I think this is a critical component of it.”
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 3:52 PM.
