Myrtle Beach removed benches along its busy boardwalk over the summer. New ones are here.
Myrtle Beach is following through on a promise to install new seating along its boardwalk after removing benches this summer.
The benches were a topic of concern and discussion. The city removed the seating due to complaints from business owners that people were spending too much time idling on them. Those experiencing homelessness here believe the removal was to drive them away from the tourist areas.
Here’s what you need to know about the new seats on the Myrtle Beach boardwalk
The city on Nov. 16 unveiled a new circular designed bench in bright shades — there are 100 of them that are being delivered, with no date yet for when they might arrive.
The boardwalk for many years had traditional benches, ones that would be seen in many towns around South Carolina. Over the summer during renovations to the boardwalk, those benches were removed. The City of Myrtle Beach plans on installing something new and different.
Cost information on the project was not immediately known.
Images shared to the city’s Facebook page Nov. 16 show cushion-style seats rather than traditional benches. The post was shared more than 200 times and more than 300 likes in the first seven hours after it went live.
Why the seating downtown matters
Keith Vanderhorst, who is experiencing homelessness and was near the boardwalk, said he was upset by the city’s decision.
He believes Myrtle Beach and the state of South Carolina do not care about homeless people, he said.
“It’s a little bit like parking spaces, where creating turnover is a good thing,” city spokesman Mark Kruea told The Sun News in July. “You want people to be able to use the benches (spaces) without monopolizing them.”
Vanderhorst, who said he has knee problems from a car accident, said making it more difficult for people to rest while walking downtown in a city filled with older visitors and children didn’t make sense to him.
“You can walk, but how far you gonna go if you in pain,” he said.
Horry County in 2020 had the second highest counted population of homeless people with 589, according to a state Interagency Council on Homelessness report.
This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 4:39 PM.