ALONG THE STRAND
A three-month-old law allowing Horry County residents to ban
fireworks on their private property is gaining popularity, and some
property managers say it is cutting down on nuisances along beach
areas.
Twenty-nine properties, mostly high-rises and campgrounds on
unincorporated shorefront areas north and south of Myrtle Beach, put
up warning signs this summer and had police help to keep revelers
from shooting off rockets and other pyrotechnics.
Property owners and tourism officials have said the unsanctioned
fireworks, which are popular with some beachgoers, create a noise,
safety and litter problem that hurts the image of the area's biggest
tourist draw.
Despite initial concerns, the bans have not created a large
increase in calls or an enforcement problem for police in the past
three months, County Police Chief Johnny Morgan said. Statistics on
the numbers of calls or citations weren't available Monday.
Last week, 18 more owners banned fireworks on their property and
adjacent public property, including beaches. That brought the county
total to 47.
"I would say that there was probably minimal change on the Fourth
[of July]," said Ray Davis, director of safety and security at the
Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort on Beach Club Drive. "During the other
days of the week, I would say there was a significant reduction in
this area."
The resort had hired a security officer to work from 9 p.m. to 2
a.m. during the summer to try to keep fireworks away from the
property but did not have to do that after the ban was granted in
June because most people heeded the signs and moved down the beach,
Davis said.
Residents in unincorporated Horry County now have the power to
regulate fireworks thanks to a state law passed this year with the
help of Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach.
Allan Eoff, property manager for the Brigadune on Shore Drive,
said before the ban he had to clean fireworks debris off the roof of
the 18-story condominium building. That's not necessary anymore.
There are 19 fireworks stores in the county, and there was
concern before the ban that it could cut into their livelihoods.
The reduced use of fireworks around beachfront properties has not
affected sales at Mr. Fireworks on U.S. 17 near Shore Drive,
according to salesman Mike Timms.
"We haven't really been able to tell any effect up until this
time," Timms said. Most customers are visitors from out of state and
take the fireworks with them when they leave, he said.
Bill Hunt, salesman at Phantom Fireworks on U.S. 501 just outside
Myrtle Beach, said he supports owners who ban fireworks around their
properties and doesn't expect the bans to hurt his sales. "Actually,
our business increased 30 percent this year," he said.
The county had been concerned the wording of the state law would
be hard for the already stretched police force to enforce. Morgan
said the law has not been a big problem for the department.
"I think a lot of people are heeding the [posted] warnings,"
Morgan said.
Eoff said he was only aware of two incidents when the Brigadune
called police for support in enforcing the ban, not counting the
Fourth of July, which caused many more disturbances there and calls
to police.
The few times county police were requested at the Hilton Myrtle
Beach Resort, it took about 30 to 40 minutes for a cruiser to show
up and the police were successful in quelling the disturbance, Davis
said.
The next big test of the bans is likely to be New Year's Eve,
which rivals the Fourth of July for the number of fireworks set off,
Morgan said. New group opts in
At public hearings last week, representatives of the 18
properties lined up to have County Council members review and
approve their applications.
The properties were then entered into the county's electronic
mapping system, which allows police to quickly access information on
areas covered by bans if they are called. The whole review process,
designed by the county Public Safety Division, takes applicants
about 20 minutes.
"It is very quick," Councilman Bob Grabowski said. "I think the
longest part is filling out the application and ordering the
signs."
The new law is not ideal because once the border of a ban is
established, revelers can move to adjacent areas that don't have a
ban and continue setting off fireworks, said Grabowski, a member of
the county Public Safety committee who reviewed the
applications.
"There isn't a darn thing anyone can do about that," he said.
"For the most part, the people are very happy that they have
something" that allows them to regulate fireworks.
Security guards at A Place at the Beach on Shore Drive have
shooed fireworks users from their property but don't have authority
over neighboring beachfront, said Kent Gautier, office manager.
The 18 new bans approved last week fill some of the beachfront
gaps.
Woody Perry, security chief at Renaissance Tower on South Kings
Highway, was among the 18 property representatives who was granted a
ban. He said fireworks use was rampant around the condos this summer
and Fourth of July.
"It won't be like that next summer," Perry said.
