The future of high-rise development in south Myrtle Beach is uncertain because of a new radar system that will guide traffic at local airports.
Several high-rise projects are stalled as the area waits anxiously for the Federal Aviation Administration to determine whether radar signals will be blocked by the new construction.
As high-rises creep farther south along the coast, they could create a man-made mountain range of sorts that causes blind spots for the new radar system and safety risks at Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach airports.
The FAA has reviewed the safety of building heights in the city for years, but the new radar could suddenly change the rules for developers.
Buildings as far north as the Pavilion, which is a key area for city redevelopment, could be affected and high-rise projects filed earlier this year could be forced back to the drawing board.
"If the FAA gets very serious about these regulations, the majority of the south end will have to come up with new ways to make the [development] numbers work," City Planner David Peete said. "We're all kind of in a wait-and-see mode."
For now, answers are hard to come by. The FAA must first research the radar's coverage area before making height decisions, according to the city, developers and Horry County. FAA officials working on the project could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
The FAA decided to upgrade the radar in 2004 and chose a spot for it at the airport, Airport Director Bob Kemp said.
The radar is an improvement to airport operations, offering air traffic controllers more reliability and weather data, and will guide planes in and out of both Myrtle Beach International Airport and Grand Strand Airport in North Myrtle Beach, Kemp said.
As rumors and concerns swirl, the county is trying to get FAA officials to give a local presentation on the radar as soon as possible, he said.
Meanwhile, developers are eating the costs that come with stalled projects.
Architect Tom Pegram is working on a 21-story tower project on 21st Avenue South that is now in limbo due to the new radar.
The tower is planned between two existing 20-story towers and received an initial nod from the city. But the new radar has thrown the height into doubt and the project must wait on the FAA to make a new determination while costs escalate.
"It is creating a problem in time. The construction costs keep increasing each month because of the cost of steel and concrete," Pegram said. "I am not in a panic mode myself. I feel comfortable with the FAA that we can work things out."
He estimated there are six to eight high-rise projects in south Myrtle Beach that are stalled due to the radar.
The FAA has no authority to stop construction of the projects but the area has a strong financial incentive to follow its advice on building height -- something the city has done, said Charleston attorney Mark Fava, an aviation law specialist who consulted Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. on the new radar's effects.
The FAA bases future airport funding, especially for costly expansion projects, on whether local governments follow the agency's guidelines, Fava said. The airport is a key component of the tourism industry and the county has been working on building a new terminal for years.
"I think the next step is everyone needs a little more information," Fava said.
Horry County attempted to allay concerns this week. Much of it is "misinformation," County Attorney John Weaver said.
The new radar will not affect business at Myrtle Beach International Airport and is not likely to block development in the city, Weaver said.
The FAA will consider various solutions, such as redirecting the approach of air traffic instead of blocking new construction, he said.
"There will always be a solution and it will not affect the number of planes" using the airport, Weaver said.
Others, such as County Councilman Marion Foxworth, are concerned the radar could cause friction between the city and county and open old wounds over airport management.
"To me, the biggest danger is rupturing a fragile peace," Foxworth said.
Three years ago, Foxworth said he helped negotiate with City Council members an end to arguments over a new terminal at the airport and construction of a new city thoroughfare, Harrelson Boulevard.
City Councilman Randal Wallace said he doesn't want acrimony between the two governments; both have an interest in new development and safe airport operations.
"You've got a situation where we have to work together to get to the next step," Wallace said. "We need to work together to grow this economy and diversify."
Copyright: The Sun News -- 7/26/06
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