The Prince Resort Gets Pool Approved...

Pool to be built closer to shore

Oceanfront setback line moved seaward for 17 story project at Cherry Grove

By SAMMY FRETWELL
sfretwell@thestate.com

Condominium projects are changing the character of Cherry Grove, long known for homey beach houses and a residential family atmosphere.

Developers of a 17-story condominium project at North Myrtle Beach received state approval this week to build closer to the seashore than S.C. law previously allowed.

An administrative law judge approved moving an oceanfront setback line seaward for the Prince Resort because taxpayers have paid to widen the beach at Cherry Grove.

Setback lines keep development back from the beach. But extra sand from a $20 million beach renourishment work buffers the property from the ocean, say state regulators, who recommended moving the line. The ruling allows developers to build an in-ground pool, a spa and a lazy river in front of the oceanfront condo tower, Prince project manager Larry Brumfield said.

Administrative law Judge Ralph K. Anderson III’s decision continues a recent trend of loosening building restrictions at Cherry Grove because of the renourishment.

Cherry Grove, a narrow sand spit at the upper tip of North Myrtle Beach, is one of the most flood-prone areas of the state’s coast. It’s among the main areas in South Carolina for repeat flood insurance losses after hurricanes and other storms.

But S.C. regulators say more than $20 million in publicly funded beach renourishment justifies allowing intense development closer to the ocean.

Five years ago, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control moved setback lines 50 to 100 feet seaward at Cherry Grove, opening the door for high-rise condos, including the Prince Resort.

In this case, the judge’s ruling Monday moves the line another 25 feet toward the beach at the Prince Resort for its pool, according to DHEC.

Jimmy Chandler, a lawyer who follows state coastal law, said it is a bad idea to build close to the beach because of storm threats to buildings and future beach erosion. He predicted the ruling would lead to similar requests.

“It’s not the best policy for the state to follow,” Chandler said. “All we’re doing is making things worse when we do things like this.”

Brumfield said the development his group plans is not significant. The Prince Resort tried to persuade the Legislature last spring to change state law to allow for the pool, but the bill didn’t pass.

“Hopefully we’ll do a good job, and we’ll be good citizens, I promise you,” Brumfield said.

Setback lines govern how close development can be to the beach. Property owners can petition the administrative law court to move setback lines seaward, although that rarely has happened statewide. The state also will reset setback lines during a normal review every eight to 10 years.

Reach Fretwell at (803) 771-8537.

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More stories about losing the old style of Myrtle Beach proliferate in the papers.
Here's some opinions pro and con from The State in Columbia..

Locals fear loss of area’s charm
By SAMMY FRETWELL
sfretwell@thestate.com

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH — Kathryn Bassett doesn’t like what’s going in Cherry Grove but figures she can’t do much about it.

Signs of intense development surround the beach cottage her family built 50 years ago.

Across North Ocean Boulevard, workers are constructing a mammoth parking garage and a multistory condominium project. Down the street, they’re putting up a 17-story tower at the Cherry Grove pier. Heavy trucks rumble up and down the two-lane road in front of her house.

For Bassett, a quick-witted 90-year-old with a warm smile, it won’t be long before the small beach community she loves becomes a crowded resort.

“I think it’s all stupid,” she said. “We always thought we had a family beach. We don’t have a family beach anymore.”

More change is expected as developers supplant beach houses with high-rise projects in Cherry Grove, a sand spit at the tip of North Myrtle Beach. Looser state rules for oceanfront development have spurred much of the change since 2000.

More condominiums mean Cherry Grove will lose the homey beach-cottage character that has long defined its seashore, longtime residents and visitors say.

“We love Cherry Grove, but we don’t like that,” Sandy Hoffman of Chapel Hill, N.C., said, nodding at the high-rise down the beach from her rented home. “I was shocked when we drove in this year. That wasn’t there when we came last summer.”

Cherry Grove still has rows of cottages and small motels. A handful of condominium projects have developed over the years, but — for the most part — the little community reminds many people of how the Grand Strand used to be in the 1950s and ’60s.

Year after year, people rent weathered beach houses with names such as “McLeod Castle,” “Whistling Whale,” and “Seacapades.”

Because the state and city have eased oceanfront development rules since 2001, much of the beachfront is open for large-scale projects in an area that previously allowed only beach houses. Dozens of beach cottages are for sale as landowners seek to cash in on the condo boom.

At least four major oceanfront projects are under construction or planned at the heart of Cherry Grove, from 19th to 45th avenues. Some second-row development is tied to those projects.

Property along that stretch is valued at $95 million on the Horry County tax books, but it is expected to rise.

MORE CONDOS

Those rising land values will dictate more high-density development in Cherry Grove, said Brian Haggerty, whose Atlanta company is developing a condominium building where beach cottages stood.

Having favorable rules for building — in this case, less-restrictive oceanfront setback lines — has been a key to the redevelopment craze at Cherry Grove.

“The setbacks are critical in any development,” Haggerty said. “It’s not how much land you buy, but how much land you can build on.”

Lincolnton, N.C., residents Gary and Susan McConnell, whose family owns a beach house near the Cherry Grove Pier, said they have plenty of fond memories of the community, but it’s time for change. Projects such as the Prince Resort will spruce up the area’s image, they said.

“We were delighted when we found out,” he said. “Something like this coming in will obviously be well maintained and would enhance this area.”

Next to the cottage, Greg Hartness, of Parkersburg, W.Va., rents at 2600 N. Ocean Blvd. are empty lots that once held beach cottages.

“Cherry Grove is beach houses,” he said. “But it’s kind of hard not to see the construction cranes around here.”

Haggerty’s company, Vision Investment and Development Inc., will build a $20 million condominium project (The Grove) on the site, with units selling for nearly $500,000. County records show the four beach houses on the property sold last year for a combined $6.8 million.

Bassett hopes to hold onto her land. But real estate agents might one day wear her down.

She was recently offered $3.5 million for the beach house her husband built. She doesn’t remember how much her family paid for the land, but oceanfront lots in the 1950s could be purchased for $1,000 or less.

“Cherry Grove used to be the place to live, but now it’s just getting bigger and bigger,” Bassett said.

Note: Some project news may be dated and obsolete.

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Atlantic Beach May Join the Condo Craze Now

Atlantic Beach Today

Posted on Sat, Jul. 23, 2005

Plans for oceanfront condominiums excite Town Council
By Brock Vergakis
The Sun News

Wide-open space in Atlantic Beach sits next to a high-rise building in North Myrtle Beach. Developers have proposed building large condominium complexes in the small town. One developer recently purchased six oceanfront lots; another has three such lots.

(Snippets from Article)
A Virginia development company that has a statewide reputation for investing millions to revitalize downtowns is considering the waterfront there for a possible condominium project. Combined with the condominium project presented by The Kelly Group this week, the two projects move redevelopment hopes forward.

The Marathon Development Group Inc. of Norfolk, Va., has recently purchased six oceanfront lots in Atlantic Beach, which has struggled for decades to revitalize itself after desegregation and nearly went bankrupt in the 1980s.

[The Kelly Group] committed to major redevelopment in Atlantic Beach and has said it's willing to fund a boardwalk that would stretch the entire length of the town and cede control to the city. The Strand Capital Group, which has partnered with The Kelly Group, owns adjoining property in Crescent Beach and Windy Hill and would like to see Ocean Boulevard opened up and connected to Atlantic Beach on both ends.

Uncertain condo market

It's unclear how much any condominium in Atlantic Beach might cost.
Loyd Daniel of the Strand Capital Group, which is helping fund the Kelly Group, said the four-bedroom, four-bath condominiums would sell at similar prices as neighboring communities.
See Complete Article in The Sun News

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