Commission discusses reviving Legacy Business recognition and potential ordinance changes

Commission staff briefed the Horry County Historic Preservation Commission on renewed community interest in restarting the Legacy Business recognition program. Staff (S3) said the item had been tabled previously (11/24/2024) and that codifying the program into county ordinance would require a process that includes preservation commission approval and county council action.

"We were surprised to find Horry County was listed in the national article about the legacy business program," staff (S3) told members while reviewing options for criteria and implementation. Commissioners debated whether the age threshold for the program should remain at 50 years or be raised to 75 years to make the designation more selective. Commissioners also discussed whether a rebranded or relocated business should remain eligible so long as continuous service had not been discontinued.

Why it matters: a Legacy Business recognition is a public acknowledgement a long-standing business contributes to community history. Codification in ordinance would create a formal procedure and could change how nominations are evaluated. The commission noted that if the program is moved into county ordinance, county council review and a formal timeline would apply.

What’s next: The item remains a discussion topic; the member who tabled the item previously would need to bring it back for formal action and any proposed ordinance changes would follow county adoption procedures.