A contentious Market Common housing plan is heading for a vote. Residents vow to fight it.
A controversial bid to put hundreds of homes in the center of Market Common picked up support from Myrtle Beach’s planning commission — but opponents vow to carry their fight into City Hall.
The privately operated MarketWalk, if approved by city leaders, would blend 203 town home and cottage-style properties on annual leases at the intersection of Farrow Parkway and Phillis Boulevard.
“The proposed project is simply not the best use of the land, nor will it enhance the livability of the people who already live here. With due respect to our friends in the county, we do not need another Carolina Forest between the 17s,” Paul Meunier, president of 109-member The Reserve homeowner’s association said at a March 7 commission meeting.
The commission, which started reviewing the MarketWalk application in October, unanimously recommended city council allow the venture to move forward.
Backed up against the International Technology and Aerospace Park, or ITAP — future home to a DC BLOX data center that will make Myrtle Beach a transnational hub of high-speed internet access — several Market Common residents said development of the property should be halted as the local economy takes shape.
“We all understand that land must be developed, and it will be. It’s probably the last parcel of major land that’s going to affect forever what we do in Market Common. I think it needs a pause,” resident Raymond Adams said.
Market Common residents and visitors have packed the previous three planning commission meetings, sometimes shouting down members as they discussed the issue.
In a rare step, assistant city manager Brian Tucker addressed would-be speakers reminding them of Myrtle Beach’s civility policy. He said extra police were on hand at the planning commission’s request following an undisclosed threat of physical violence at its previous meeting.
“It’s contentious, and we understand that. We understand there are lots of and lots of opinions and perspetives,” Tucker said.
The land where MarketWalk may be built was never meant to stay open. Early plans called for a 180,000-square-foot retail area, which morphed into a hotel with a 2017 change to Market Common’s master plan.
That concept never took off. Walter Warren, an engineer representing developer Thomas & Hutton, said market studies showed that residential use was most appropriate for the area. Market Common is permitted for a total of 1,680 homes. There around 800 currently.
“Market Common analyzed this very thoroughly ... This was the highest and best use of the property.”