North Myrtle Beach moves forward on new Grande Dunes development

As North Myrtle Beach annexed the land for a new housing development next to Grande Dunes, a conflict over a road between the two communities remains undecided.

On Monday, North Myrtle Beach City Council voted to annex 60.69 acres of land. The tract, west of the Intracoastal Waterway and just north of Myrtle Beach city limits, will become part of the Grande Dunes North development. A maximum of 888 homes – up from a previous suggestion of 858 – are slated for 241 acres.

However, the original golf home resort has had a complicated relationship with the new development to the north.

In March, some residents of the existing Grande Dunes protested the neighboring development, saying that new residents should not be able to use their road system and the private bridge connecting them to the U.S. 17 Bypass. George Johnson, division president for developer LStar Communities, said the only proposal for access between the two communities is a road leading to the Grande Dunes club and course. The road, he said, would not allow new residents onto the private bridge.

“All that has not been sorted out, but the connectivity with Grande Dunes is contemplated within the submittal [to North Myrtle Beach],” Johnson said. “However, we’ve got to work out the details with Grande Dunes and the adjoining neighborhood.”

The potential access presents problems beyond disgruntled residents. Mark Kruea, spokesman for the City of Myrtle Beach, said that LStar would have to submit a request to adjust its planned unit development. An access road to Grande Dunes would cross into an incorporated area of Myrtle Beach, and thus require another approval.

The dispute over highway access works both ways, however. For North Grande Dunes residents, the closest access to the U.S. 17 Bypass is from Highway 22, next to Barefoot Landing. Pat Dowling, spokesman for North Myrtle Beach, said that if North Grande Dunes is blocked from 17, original Grande Dunes will not be able to access Carolina Bays Parkway through the new development.

“It’s tit for tat,” Dowling said.

One traffic plan has been solved, however. North Grande Dunes and another new development, Waterside, will both help build a traffic circle at a three-way intersection on Watertower Road. The circle will ensure that incoming traffic is directed separately to both developments, Dowling said.

At its Monday meeting, the North Myrtle Beach City Council also passed the first reading of a zoning change to allow for Waterside, built by the N.C.-based Coterra Companies. The development, just east of Grand Dunes North, would include 212 single-family homes split into three neighborhoods — Pinnacle Ridge, Copper Meadow and Copper Creek.

Between Waterside and Grande Dunes North, a diversity of new home types will be available to North Myrtle Beach residents. Grande Dunes North will consist of single-family homes, including paired villas, town homes, cottages and estate homes.

The range of housing offered LStar more flexibility, Johnson said.

“We wanted to offer a different product at different price points, which will be more appealing to the full breadth of the full market that we serve,” he said.

The mediterranean-style homes will be “consistent” with the type of community in Grande Dunes, also owned by LStar. Johnson said the company plans to submit building plans to North Myrtle Beach immediately and begin breaking ground on the site this year.

Between Grande Dunes North and Waterside, over a thousand new homes could come to the south edge of North Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published June 22, 2016 at 7:56 PM with the headline "North Myrtle Beach moves forward on new Grande Dunes development."