North Myrtle Beach is growing. Here’s what the city is doing to accommodate the increase
In the next two years, North Myrtle Beach housing developments will be protected by two new fire stations.
The North Myrtle Beach city council allocated $12 million in their 2024 budget to fund Fire Station 7 and an emergency operations center. Station 7 will be on Watertower Road behind a UPS distribution center, where a number of developments are located.
Fire Station 6 was originally planned to be built first on Champions Boulevard, but was pushed to the next fiscal year due to the population and business growth where Fire Station 7 will be located, city spokesperson Ryan Fabbri wrote in a text message Wednesday.
Fabbri wrote that the city is building two new fire stations to accommodate the growing population and to make sure residents have easier access to emergency services. The stations will also lower insurance rates for companies who relocate to the surrounding area.
When driving on Watertower Road, up to five large housing developments are being built. While none of these houses are for sale yet, the city anticipates many people moving into those developments.
Barefoot Resort and Golf also reaches Watertower Road.
The emergency operations center will be built on Champions Boulevard, which will connect to Fire Station 6.
Champions Boulevard contains the North Myrtle Beach Sports Park and Park Pointe, a development of single-family homes with a median price of $313,990.
Emergency Operation Centers are used to streamline information between government agencies in order to deal with public health threats like COVID-19 and disasters, according to the CDC. North Myrtle Beach’s EOC will be able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, according to Fabbri.
Wilmington, North Carolina, and Horry County have EOC’s. Myrtle Beach has an emergency management division but it’s located inside its city hall.
In addition to the new fire station, the city’s budget is providing $1 million for two new fire trucks.
