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Late Friday night in a parking lot on Myrtle Beach's Ocean Boulevard, a commotion ensued, and police were on the scene almost immediately.

Officers pulled up swiftly on bikes and in patrol cars, partly thanks to a northbound lane closure reserved for first responders.

It鈥檚 part of Myrtle Beach Police Department鈥檚 鈥淪ummer Emergency Vehicle Access Plan鈥� 鈥� a traffic pattern that closes the northbound lane of Ocean Boulevard from 16th Avenue North to 9th Avenue North.

Assistant city manager Josh Bruegger says the lane closure allows for a quicker police response time.

鈥淲hen the traffic pattern is set up, our response time is about 30 seconds faster,鈥� Bruegger said. 鈥淭hat may not sound like a lot, but when you鈥檙e waiting on police because you need them, 30 seconds is a big deal.鈥�

The boulevard is completely closed to traffic from 8th Avenue North to 9th Avenue North.

That complete closure is hurting some business owners.

Reid Bozell, general manager of 8th Ave. Tiki Bar & Grill, said the traffic pattern costs him between $3,000 to $5,000 a night on the weekends.

鈥淚t screws up our sales really, really bad,鈥� Bozell said, adding that he has been forced to pivot to booking private parties to try to make up for the lost revenue. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e driving south on Ocean Boulevard, you鈥檙e getting turned away at 9th Avenue, so we鈥檙e missing all that traffic and now we鈥檙e only getting foot traffic.鈥�

Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said she doesn鈥檛 believe closing the Boulevard from 8th to 9th drastically hampers business, saying she thinks most customers would be on foot.

鈥淧ersonally, I believe that cars driving by are not stopping to go anywhere, they鈥檙e cruising,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he people that stop in to visit the stores on Ocean Boulevard and go eat at restaurants are the ones who are parking and walking around. That鈥檚 my perspective on it, that鈥檚 what I believe. But I am very open and eager to hear what they have to say about it.鈥�

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On that closed block from 8th to 9th Avenue, police are posted up with patrol lights on, watching pedestrians and staying ready for situation that may arise. The large presence of police is intended to decrease crime by increasing police visibility.

But the increased presence may have a counter-impact on business, says Baywatch Bar and Grill general manager Kelly McDaniel.

鈥淚鈥檝e had people come to my restaurant saying they feel like they鈥檙e visiting the hood because they shut this down and there鈥檚 more traffic, blue lights. They鈥檙e wondering why it鈥檚 being shut down,鈥� McDaniel said. 鈥淎nd of course tourists don鈥檛 know why it鈥檚 being shut down. They鈥檙e just visiting. People are scared to come down this far because they see the road鈥檚 closed.鈥�

Bethune said violent crime is down 50% in the city, and that public safety is the most important duty of the city. She said having a high police presence in a busy area like Ocean Boulevard is needed during the summer months.

鈥淧ublic safety absolutely is first and foremost, and it鈥檚 spring break right now. We just came out of Easter weekend, and a lot of people were in town,鈥� Bethune said. 鈥淪o we are going to have high police presence when there are a lot of people in that area. That鈥檚 not a bad thing. That鈥檚 a good thing.鈥�

Bozell with 8th Ave. Tiki Bar & Grill also said he鈥檚 worried about the optics of such a large police presence right outside of the business.

鈥淚t looks like a war zone,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t looks like a military installment is outside.鈥�

Just as business begins to ramp up as tourist season starts, the traffic pattern gets underway, and business slows again, McDaniel said.

She saw a 40% drop when the traffic pattern began this year, she said.

鈥淭his year, before they started shutting it down, we were doing really well. And of course when they started shutting it down, our customer base backed up. So it hurts our business,鈥� McDaniel said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nuisance.鈥�

The effects of the closure aren鈥檛 just south of 8th.

Vic Shamah, owner of Duffy鈥檚, The Bowery and operator of Peaches Corner, said the traffic pattern has had an impact on his businesses as well.

鈥淚t looks like a crime scene out there. It looks like there鈥檚 something going on. It looks like it鈥檚 not safe,鈥� Shamah said. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 driving down with my family and I turn onto the Boulevard and I see that, the first thing I ask is what鈥檚 happening there? It鈥檚 a bad image.鈥�

Sitting outside of Duffy鈥檚 wearing an MBPD hat, Shamah said he鈥檚 very supportive of the department and understands the justification for the traffic pattern, but that it could be done better.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a time and place for everything. It鈥檚 not justified at all times. It鈥檚 not justified on every weekend and it鈥檚 not justified until 2 a.m.,鈥� Shamah said. 鈥淚 believe we do have to keep the safety here. I鈥檓 agreeing with the police department and the city about safety, but I鈥檓 not agreeing with the way it鈥檚 done.鈥�

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Starting at 4 p.m., the lane closure also starts a bit too early, Shamah said. That has impacted Peaches Corner especially, a longtime Ocean Boulevard staple serving hamburgers, hot dogs, peach slushees and ice cream for lunch and dinner.

鈥淚 know it effects business. I operate Peaches Corner. Not even 11 o鈥檆lock, they鈥檒l be ready to close. That place should be open until 2, 3 in the morning,鈥� Shamah said.

Daddio鈥檚 Ice Cream, another business south of the blockade, has not seen much of an impact from the traffic pattern, says manager Jo Baroody, who supports the traffic pattern because it helps first responders, even if it backs traffic up a little bit when leaving work.

鈥淚t would not affect me because people park and walk a lot in my location,鈥� Baroody said.

Daddio鈥檚 is on the corner of 7th Avenue and Flagg Street where there are many public parking spaces.

MBPD spokesperson Randolph Angotti said the seasonal change is done to enhance emergency response times, increase police presence to improve public safety and provide extended visibility to officers to proactively address potential concerns.

Bethune said she has heard complaints regarding the traffic loop from a business owner and wanted to discuss the matter further, but a meeting never materialized.

鈥淚 heard from one business owner, and I encouraged him six months ago to let鈥檚 put together a group. Let鈥檚 have a roundtable meeting with the business owners that are concerned and let鈥檚 discuss this,鈥� Bethune said. 鈥淚 encourage them to reach out to me. Most of them have my phone number. They have my email. I鈥檝e asked this one business owner to put this group together. We鈥檙e eager to talk with whoever has concerns, but if we don鈥檛 know who you are, and if people are going to go straight to the media without trying to discuss it with us, it really becomes futile to get anything done. We really need to be collaborating and working together, and that takes communication on both parties.鈥�