Panama City, FL, a town that has an almost single-minded orientation toward expansion, is applying for the $48 million federal airport grant money Myrtle Beach is forfeiting. As frequent fliers into Myrtle Beach in the past, we have seen one airline after another either eliminate or cut back on service. Prices for flights from our home in Connecticut to the Grand Strand have risen steadily to the point that we drive the 16 hours to our vacation home 40 minutes south of the airport.
Some cities in the south are not ready for prime time, incapable of building the infrastructure (roads, airports, hospitals) to accommodate the population expansion that has been predicted for years. Put Myrtle Beach in that category when you are considering a home in a golf community. There is still much to like about the area - the assortment of golf courses is second to no 100-mile stretch in the nation - and new hospitals and shopping centers have filled a prior need in recent years. But until the city and county officials can reach an accord to solve the airport issue, local part-time residents may find the car a much better option than the plane.
You can read the details of the airport fiasco in a Myrtle Beach Sun News editorial today.