How a SC surfside town hopes to rid nuisances, violence with new rules for nightclubs
Hoping to stem a string of criminal activity and address COVID-19 issues, one Horry County oceanfront community has OK’d a series of new rules for nightclubs and concerts.
Residents welcomed the new rules, but said the clubs’ behaviors had little impact on their daily lives.
Atlantic Beach passed a new ordinance related to nightclubs and concerts during its Monday meeting, town officials said.
The new ordinance consists of 14 pages of rules and regulations for nightclubs and concert promoters. There are three clubs currently in Atlantic Beach, Town Manager Benjamin Quattlebaum said. They are Thee Dollhouse, a strip club along U.S. 17, Pearl’s Cabaret, a club off U.S. 17, and Off The Hook, a club along 2nd Avenue.
The new regulations require security staff, based on the number of patrons, at each of the clubs. The businesses also must have working video surveillance systems. All clubs would need to get a permit from the town, and it could be revoked if there are ongoing issues of violence at the club, according to the rules.
Club owners will also be required to make sure there are no so-called “nuisance” activities near the club. That includes issues such as littering, making loud noise and loitering. Clubs also must close by 2 a.m. and all patron should be off the property by 2:30 a.m.
Any club wanting to hold a live performance with more than 100 people in attendance will be required to obtain a second permit at least 15 days in advance.
The rules will not impact Memorial Day weekend Atlantic Beach BikeFest as Quattlebaum said there is a separate ordinance that governs special events.
Quattlebaum said the town passed the ordinance to address concerns with COVID-19 spread in large areas. The community also wanted to curtail some of the criminal issues at clubs in recent months, he said. Shooting, assaults and robberies are some of the crimes connected to the clubs in recent months.
“We think it will be effective,” he said.
Some of the high-profile incidents in the last year include:
- A shooting a Pearl’s, aka Club Drip, in November 2019.
- An alleged strong-armed robbery outside of Off The Hook in November 2019.
- Jewelry stolen during a rap concert at Pearl’s in January.
Quattlebaum said residences were supportive of the new measures designed to rid some of the long-standing complaints in the six-block town.
Desiree Smith lives in Atlantic Beach and said she heard the music, as well as a few gunshots coming from the area near Off the Hook. She also said she sees people at the club around 6 a.m.
But, Smith said, she wasn’t concerned with the club’s past behaviors, though she was glad the rules now exist.
Courtney Beck lives on 2nd Avenue, a few blocks from Off The Hook. She said she can feel the bass from the club while she lies in bed hundreds of feet away. Still, she said it doesn’t bother her too much.
A couple of months ago, there were three consecutive weekends where Beck said there were gunshots from the area near Off the Hook. While it was concerning at that time, the area has calmed down in the months that followed.
“It hasn’t popped off since then,” she said.
Like Smith, Beck said she wasn’t too bothered with the club’s noise, though she did think the new rules were a good change.
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 8:02 AM.
