Some neighborhoods in Horry County could get a little louder if a proposed change in the county's special event permit section of the noise ordinance is passed.
Concrete batch plants want to be able to be stay open past 9 p.m. - the current cutoff time - so they can work on county road projects.
It's a battle between growth and charm. As the county expands, road work needs to be done to keep up. Dave Downey says the batch plant is already an nuisance in his neighborhood and he isn't looking forward to the possibility of work being done around the clock. "Not only the rest time you have into the evenings, but for the sleep. There's always a possibility, a good possibility, property values could go down as much as 50% if they're allowed to operate."
Downey adds his neighborhood was in place before the plant, so he and his neighbors should have first preference.
County Council Chairman Liz Gilland says there will be no perfect answer.
Public Safety Director Paul Whitten presented a measurable rating system to judge which batch plants would be best suited to do the work with the least amount of disruption to the community. It's one way to find a median between noise level and quality of life.
"It gives everybody an opportunity. Some will have to spend a little more money on sound mitigating factors and things like that, but they can become eligible," says Gilland.
"We highly recommend that the County Council would require these batch plants put up at least a 14 foot block wall with insulating material on the inside to buffer the noise," adds Downey
Gilland goes on to say council doesn't want to be reactive when issues like this arise, but they are intent on finding a solution.
The road projects that need to be done at night are the Backgate overpass, the Highway 31 extension, and the airport terminal.
As for the rating system Whitten has come up with, the batch companies scores will not be revealed until after the final vote. The third reading and final reading of the noise ordinance amendment is scheduled for November 16th.
