By Paige Sawyer

It’s a common part of just about any conversation. Georgetown is not business friendly. After hearing this repeatedly from several people, I decided to find out if what I was hearing were true.

I talked to several planners or council members in Cheraw, Conway, North Myrtle Beach and the Isle of Palms for information on their policies concerning sandwich board signs, encroachment permits and fees and sanitation pickup.

Georgetown had a policy that allowed sandwich board signs only in the core commercial district, which is the Front Street business district. The general commercial districts along U.S. Highways 521, 701 and 17 were governed by the corridor overlay policy and did not allow sandwich board signs. The purpose of the corridor overlay was to promote uniformity with signage, building design and landscaping along our three major highways and to protect Georgetown from looking like Myrtle Beach.

December’s council meeting changed this policy. Due to a tie vote, sandwich board signs are now allowed along Highways 521, 701 and 17. Businesses can now place a sandwich board sign next to the sidewalk or curb. I voted against this change to maintain the integrity of the corridor overlay and to prevent possible lawsuits against the city.

The town of Cheraw allows sandwich board signs in all of their business districts and along major highways. The town itself sometimes uses them to promote festivals and events.

In Conway, sandwich board signs can only be placed close to the door of a business in the downtown business district. A business located on a major highway in the Conway area can display a sandwich board sign next to their front door only. It cannot be placed next to the sidewalk, curb or highway.

North Myrtle Beach allows sandwich board signs only on their Main Street. They are not allowed anywhere else.

Businesses on the Isle of Palms can place sandwich board signs only in their primary business district. They are not allowed on the highways or anywhere else.

Restaurants in Georgetown can serve food, beer and wine on the sidewalk next to their business if they have an encroachment permit and pay an encroachment fee for liability purposes.

Cheraw does not allow sidewalk cafes at all. Restaurants in Conway can serve food, but no alcohol, on an adjoining sidewalk with an encroachment permit.

North Myrtle Beach allows outdoor sidewalk cafes only when approved by their Board of Zoning Appeals and with strict provisions as to what can be sold.

The Isle of Palms does not allow any restaurants to have outdoor cafes or commercial sidewalk sales of any kind.

Georgetown has seven-day sanitation pickup in the Front Street Business District. Businesses located on Highways 521, 701 and 17 have either twice-a-week pickup for their roll-outs or contract with a private company for dumpster service. Residents throughout our city have twice-a-week pickup, along with once-a-week curbside recycling.

Cheraw has once-a-week sanitation pickup for both commercial and residential customers, with recycling for both.

Conway picks up twice a week for downtown businesses and provides once-a-week pickup for residential customers, with recycling for both.

Individual businesses in North Myrtle Beach contract with private contractors for commercial pickup while offering once-a-week residential pickup with recycling.

The Isle of Palms provides two compactors in their business district for businesses to individually deposit their refuse. During tourist season, they provide twice a week residential sanitation collections and once-a-week during the rest of the year.

Two of the people I spoke with were very complimentary of Georgetown’s refurbished Harborwalk and the new Wayfinding signage, while all four also spoke about several citizens in their towns continuously complaining about not being business-friendly.

Paige Sawyer is a member of Georgetown City Council.