orth Myrtle Beach council moves forward with special Cherry Grove district for dredging, public hearing set for Feb. 21

A Feb. 21 public hearing has been set now that City Council approved a resolution at its meeting Monday to begin the process of creating a special assessment district to dredge canals in Cherry Grove.

Council voted unanimously to approve the resolution, with Councilwoman Nikki Fontana absent. The vote does not guarantee the project will move forward as presented, but is a formality the state requires to create a special assessment district, which is what North Myrtle Beach wants to do with the area around channels along House Creek from 42nd Avenue North to about 62nd Avenue North.

The dredging is estimated to cost about $13 million, and the city’s main proposal is to charge the 700 parcels impacted by the dredging. That would mean a $24,000 bill for those property owners, which would be spread over 10 years.