Council approves backing out of annexation

By Kaye Collins

The Loris City Council met on Monday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. in council chambers.

Present at the meeting were council members Joan Gause, Andrea Coleman, Carroll D. Padgett, Jr., Kelli Gerald and Tonya Suggs. Councilman Lewis Hardee was not present due to a health issue. City Clerk Melinda Price, Treasurer and Interim City Administrator Angel Neighbours, Planning and Zoning Director and Code Enforcement Division Meredith Holmes and City Attorney John Zilinsky were not present, Brad Smith from the firm sat in for Zilinsky.

Council unanimously approved the minutes from the regular council meeting held on Monday,  Aug. 4, the minutes from the Monday, Aug. 25, Public Hearing and the Special Council Meeting held on the 25th.

The mayor’s report included the repainting of parking lines along Main Street and Meeting Street and crosswalks were repainted due to the repaving, the curbs also received a fresh coat of paint. “We ended up being responsible for the repainting of the streets,” said Mayor Mike Suggs. The construction on Highway Business 9 continues with a slight traffic pattern change reminding drivers to be aware especially at Loris Elementary School. He thanked the Loris Chamber of Commerce for hosting the Loris High School Pep Rally. It was a nice event and he was glad to see the community gather to support the Loris Lions and the high school fall sports teams. Mayor Suggs thanked Samantha Norris, executive director of the chamber. He said it was great from start to finish.

Lt. Robert Rudelitch reported that the Loris Fire Department responded to 100 calls in the month of August. Their roster is 29 volunteer members. Training has begun on the new ladder truck.  Rudelitch mentioned that he has materials to distribute regarding upcoming events and community outreach initiatives. The first event, Fire Prevention Week, which has been celebrated for a century, is scheduled for the first week of October. The LFD will provide schools with posters that highlight safety tips related to cell phone battery safety, proper disposal of old batteries, and more. Additionally, the LFD will conduct an open house on Tuesday, October 7, at the Public Safety Building from 6 to 8 p.m. “Even though it falls on a school night, we have adjusted the timing to accommodate children’s attendance,” he stated. They are also organizing a poster and creative writing contest for children, encouraging them to create posters about fire safety, while those who opt to write about fire safety will have their work displayed in schools, with a trophy awarded for the winning school to showcase. Furthermore, the LFD will participate in the Bog-Off event in October to promote fire safety.

The suggested Heritage Lakes subdivision located near Loris High School will not be incorporated into the city. On Monday, September 8, Loris Mayor Michael E. Suggs declared during the city council meeting that the annexation request, which was scheduled for its first reading, has been retracted. The council reached a unanimous decision with a vote of 6-0, deeming the matter resolved.

The withdrawal of the annexation did not deter community members from expressing their discontent regarding the proposed development during the public comment segment of the meeting. Glenn Arrington presented the council with several large aerial maps of the 359.97-acre area, effectively illustrating before and after comparisons.

“They’re doing all these things and it’s wrong,” Arrington said. Suggs and the council examined the maps carefully and requested copies from Arrington. “You’re showing me something I didn’t know about until right now,” Suggs said.

Joshua Franklin addressed the council, proposing that they organize forums to clarify the positions of each council member and the mayor on various issues. “I strongly encourage the council to collaborate with the county to monitor these developers closely, as they will not cease their activities,” he remarked to the council. “I am aware that these developers will attempt to maximize their profits and promote their agenda at the county level.” He emphasized that the council serves the citizens of Loris and highlighted the necessity of uniting their influence with the county council.

The suggested ordinance aimed to include the tract within the corporate boundaries of Loris as R-1.4 residential. It is situated to the east of Heritage Road, to the south of Loris Lions Road, and to the west of Highway 66.

In a separate action, the council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance to rezone roughly 18.8 acres from Industrial to Planned Development District, situated in the southern corner of Highway 701 and Meadow Street behind the IGA. The initial reading of an ordinance to change the zoning of roughly 3.8 acres from R-1.4 to C-2 general business, situated on the southern boundary of Main Street, received unanimous approval.

In the last item of business on the agenda, the council voted unanimously to grant the mayor the authority to sign the survey plats for the old Loris High School site on behalf of the city.

Melinda T. Price was presented prior to the meeting as the newly appointed City Clerk for Loris. Price was elected to this role on August 25. She has a 19-year tenure at Truist Bank in Loris.

The meeting concluded at 7:15 p.m. following a short executive session, which yielded no reports.