Cherry Grove property owners may dredge on city’s permit
Dredging the silted canals in Cherry Grove has been a long, frustrating preliminary process, but the important cleaning is scheduled to begin later this year. And some property owners’ ruffled feathers may be smoothed by legislation moving through the S.C. General Assembly.
The legislation, introduced by state Sen. Greg Hembree of Little River, will allow property owners on the canals to dredge from their property to the main city-dredged channel using the city’s permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This saves property owners the hassle and expense of obtaining their own permit. At week’s end, Hembree’s bill, already approved by the Senate, was approved by the House with a minor technical change and returned to the Senate, which is expected to give the final nod this week.
Securing one’s individual permit includes a $1,000 fee, which would be an additional financial blow for property owners wishing to dredge out to the 24-foot channels. Over their objections, property owners in the Cherry Grove Improvement District will pay special assessments of as high as $23,596 over 10 years, or nearly $2,400 a year.
Dredging is complex and costly. It is also quite obviously necessary in the canals dug years ago in Cherry Grove marsh and House Creek, off Ocean Boulevard from 42nd Avenue North to 62nd Avenue North. The canals have not been dredged, so silt has built up for more than half a century. Interest in dredging dates to at least 1971 and city officials have actively studied the matter for more than a decade.
The city of North Myrtle Beach has invested considerably in the dredging project, including a three-year lawsuit to determine ownership of the canals. The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the state owns the center of the canals, but that had no bearing on paying for the dredging. Years prior, the Corps of Engineers made clear it would not foot the bill. The state or federal government should not dredge canals in an entirely residential area; dredging is the responsibility of the property owners directly affected.
The city formed the Cherry Grove Improvement District that includes 650 properties. Two dozen properties are excluded and the city will pay an estimated $600,000 – in effect the special assessment for the excluded properties. Not surprisingly, the city heard all sorts of objections, many centered around the cost. Some property owners complained that their property will lose value because when the silt is removed they can no longer market their property as oceanfront.
Owners of undeveloped lots said their property no longer meets the requirements for houses. Still other owners wanted channels wider than 24 feet. As the City Council approved the district, Councilman Bob Cavanaugh noted the process has been long and tedious, but the district will enable the dredging which is important to the future of Cherry Grove marsh.
City spokesman Pat Dowling says the project is on track for bids to be sought in May or June and dredging starting in November through April 2017. He notes that property owners wishing to dredge cannot make side contracts with the city’s dredging contractor. And homeowners must follow all the requirements of the Army Corps of Engineers.
By this time next year, the benefit of dredging should be evident – navigable water to the Atlantic Ocean even at low tide.
This story was originally published March 5, 2016 at 10:24 PM with the headline "Cherry Grove property owners may dredge on city’s permit."