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Bicyclists in North Myrtle Beach may have to keep their bikes off the sand during the day in the summertime if city council decides they are a safety concern.

The topic appeared on the council's agenda at its most recent meeting, but was tabled. Council plans to discuss the item in a workshop setting.听Council voted to not discuss the possible ordinance until a public workshop because 鈥渃ouncil thought it should be brought up one more time,鈥� councilman J.O. Baldwin III said during the Dec. 5 meeting.

鈥淭onight, we had a lot of residents calling in wondering what was going on. Everybody kind of seemed to have forgotten about this. We had talked about this earlier on in the summertime,鈥� he said.

The proposed amendment to an ordinance would , according to public documents.听The proposed change seeks to ban the use of 鈥渂icycles, tricycles or similar human, gas, or electric powered wheeled vehicles."听

The amendment would also ban those two-wheel vehicles on dunes or dune areas.

Documents state that bicycles and electric bikes on the beach are a safety concern.

鈥淩ealizing the recreational opportunities all bicycles offer, staff does not want to totally exclude citizens from using them on the beach,鈥� the document reads.

The city posted on their website and on social media on May 18, 2022, that .

The post cited the ordinance that motor vehicles 鈥渙f any nature or description鈥� are prohibited on beaches, with the exception of government and emergency vehicles.

Riding horses 鈥渙r any other animal鈥� on North Myrtle Beach public beaches is also always prohibited.

Kelly and Eric Williams, owners of , are concerned about the amendment鈥檚 mention of 鈥渆lectric powered wheeled vehicles.鈥�

鈥淚 think all bikes should be restricted from the beach during peak times. We don鈥檛 want our clients on the beach when it鈥檚 busy. It鈥檚 just as dangerous for them,鈥� Kelly Williams said. 鈥淏ut the city added these words in, 鈥榚lectric powered wheeled vehicles,鈥� and what that did was it created huge speculation amongst the residents of North Myrtle Beach that handicapped people cannot be on the beach because they can not use their powered wheelchairs.鈥澨�

The city of North Myrtle Beach does not have the authority to ban wheelchairs on the beach.

鈥淧ersons who are handicapped and who customarily use motorized wheelchairs or motorized carts for locomotion shall ,鈥� South Carolina state laws read.

The city鈥檚 . 鈥淭his section in no way prohibits rights conferred upon the handicapped in accordance with South Carolina Code Annotated, Section 43-33-25 (1976 as amended),鈥� the proposed ordinance reads.

is already in place.

鈥淭he use of bicycles, tricycles or similar human, gas, or electric powered wheeled vehicles is prohibited from the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from May 1 up to and including Labor Day on the public beach, except as where otherwise lawfully permitted,鈥� the Myrtle Beach ordinance reads.

Kelly and Eric Williams say they are hoping to resolve public confusion related to the amendment by attending the public workshop to express their concerns that the ordinance鈥檚 wording may confuse the public.

The North Myrtle Beach public workshop to discuss the amendment has not yet been scheduled.