f
PMe ^A~THE BRUNSWICK BEACON. Thursday. January S. 1987
THE SHADED AREA outlines the part of the causeway be- nexation to the town. Opponents say the plan is drawn to At present, the town limits arc in the middle of the In-
ing eyed by the Holden Beach Town Board for possible an- ^‘exclude roads that need work and people needing water.” tracoastal Waterway.
Causeway Residenfs Seek Annexation Aifernatives
(Cootlinied From Page 1>A)
“So many feet of the proposed area
has to be adjacent to the present
border of the town." said Holden.
“Most of Uie area is on the waterway
because of that formula. You can’t
Just go down through the woods."
Holden said the map is not final
and that every town board meeting is
open. The town will also hold a public
hearing on annexation, which anyone
interested can attend.
Holden said as a North Holden
Beach property owner he wants to
know what the leaders of the propos
ed new town would offer, and what
they could offer that Holden Reach
couldn'L
The annexation opposition group
nominated causeway area residents
Jarrett Elliott, J.W. Robinson,
' Thomas Gray, David Roundtree and
Clemmons to serve as a committee to
look into ways to avoid annexation.
They plan to attend several Holden
Beach Planning Board meetings and
provide Input on how causeway
residents feel about annexation.
Holden Beach Commissioner Lyn
Holden, who operates businesses on
the causeway, also attended the
meeting and told the crowd that all of
the town board’s meetings are open,
and an^'one can attend.
When asked why Holden Beach is
considering annexation, he said, "I
can’t speak for the board, only for
myself. But if the town ever grows it
will have to grow this way. I think
this is the obvious reason."
Holden Beach Planning and Zoning
Board Member Gil Bass and resident
Alan Dameron also attended Uie
meeting. ^
Rep. E. David “Butch" Redwine of
Ocean Isle Beach also spoke to Uie
group, at Clemmnn’^ rp^uest. Red-
wine hesitated because he said he at
tended the meeting with the intention
of listening.
Kedwine told the crowd that in 1983
the League of Municipalities was
part of a push to re-work annexation
and incorporation laws. It was
because of the lobbying efforts of the
league, which represents about 400 to
SOG riiunicipaiiiies, that towns can
now annex without the vole of the
people in the proposed area.
He said residents could take tlie
fight to the courts, although that
method has not been successful in
stopping annexation in the past.
“■that’s not to say that the courts
wouldn't rule in your favor," he add
ed.
The move could work, continued
Redwine, if opprmpotc could prove
that Holden Beach was attempting to
annex an area against the wishes of
its residents and that the area could
in no way benefit from annexation.
He said residents could ask the
legislature to allow the people to vote
on it, or even pass a bill saying
Holden Beach couldn't annex the
area.
"Whether or not 61 pec^le in the
House and 26 in the Senate would
pass such a bill, I don’t know," said
Redwine.
The league frowns upon incorpora
tion to stop annexation or on saying a
town can’t annex an area because it
would allow for a "hodge-podge" of
different laws across the state, he
continued. "They feel that without
the towns would stagnate."
Two vocal proponents of annexa
tion, Community Hardware owner
Biiiy Smith and inland Realty owner
O’Neil Caison, both said causeway
businesses wouldn't exist without the
beach.
"When I look across that bridge I
see a bllliorKioUar business going on.
I would rather pay out a couple of
dollars and see something grow than
to sit here with my few doUaCo in my
hand," said Smith.
Smith said that the Holden Beach
Police Department is first to respond
to calls from the causeway.
"They do come and help out," he
said. "And they don't have todo that;
we don’t pay taxes.’’
He .v.id he Is In fawr of annexa
tion, but not incorporation. "You can
incorporate, but without taxes you’re
not going anywhere," said Smith.
"This beach has always furiiisiied
our livelihood." he added.
CaLson said "We’ve heard a lot
about Holden Bench—frankly it's fed
a few of us. It’s fed me and my kids."
He told CltMiimons, “Without
Holden Beach you wouldn't have a
buslnes.s here—I wouldn’t.
"If I had the say, and I’ve got a
right good bit of property here, I’d
have to go with the Town of Holden
Beach taking me in."
Extra-Territorial Rights No Option For Holden Beach
BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN
In the Holden Beach quandary over
annexaticMi or incorporation of the
causeway, one option not publicly
considered by the town board of com
missioners is extra-territorial
Jurisdiction.
The town recently filed a letter of
intent to pursue a study of annexation
possibilities, drawing an angry
response from some causeway
residents who have held two
meetings to discuss incorporating
their conununity. In neither group
was the issue extra-territorial
Jurisdiction raised.
State law allows any town to pa»i
an ordinance by which it exercises
Jurisdiction over all territory within
me mile of its city limits. If it has a
populaticn of more than IQ.OOO, it can
ask the General Assembly for an ad
ditional mile of Jurisdiction, with ap
proval of the county’s commis
sioners.
The powers given a town over this
area include nearly everything but
the right to levy taxes, according to
Jake Wicker of the Institute of
Government “It can do zoning and
land use planning, give building per
mits, and make subdivision regula
tions," he said. "However, if the
county is enforcing any of these, the
town cannot do so.” He added that
police powers of the town do not ex
tend to the extra-territorial area.
William Williamson, Holden Beach
coniznissioner said his ^'^ard has
never considered this option in its
moves toward annexatim of the
causeway.
Th^ hn^rd has filed a lettar of in
tent Involving a thorough study of
the area in question, to determine the
feasibility annexatic.n.
"I wouldn't want extra-territorial
jurisdiction," Williamson said,
"because I don’t want to impose our
will on someone without their
representation."
An area under the Jurisdiction of an
adjacent town has representation on
ly on the town’s planning board.
While persons living in the extra
territorial area are appointed to a
planning board, they are usually per
mitted to vote only on matters per
taining to their area.
Williamson said, "Planning boards
only recommend, but the town coun
cil makes the decisions. People
should have the opportunity to be
represented on the town board that
makes decisions regarding them."
The current interest ir annexation
was explained this way by the com
missioner: "We never considered an
nexation In our meetings, but then
(State Rep.) Redwine introduced a
bill to incorporate North Holden
Beach, oo we sat down and realized
where Holden Beach was going.
That’s the only way it can grow."
He called the causeway, "a natural
part of Holden Beach,” and said
there can be a peaceful solution to the
present controversy. "We all need to
work together Instead of fighting
each other," he said.
Cletis Clemmons, a causeway
business man who leads the incor
poration eff(ut, has said Holden
Beach selected for possible annexa
tion only portions of the causeway
Marina Rules To Get Hearing
nWTT IVil 9UD9UKIDC lU
THE BRUNSWICKAbEACON
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SHALLOTTE. NORTH CAROLINA 28459
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The Coastal Resources Cofnmis.
aim will hear public comments on
two proposed rule changes during its
Jan. 22-23 meeting in Beaufort
Public hearings will be held at 10
a.m. Jan. 22 on a proposed change in
marina standards that would enable
a marine to be built in areas without
existing sheUBsh resources, if the
project would not violate water quali
ty standards.
Also, the rules for njer constniCticHi
would be revised so that only private,
non-commercial activities would be
exempt from obtaining a major
development permit
Before the public hearings, the
commission will hear a report on the
damage caused by the coastal storms
during December, 1986.
Members will consider municipal
and technical appointments to the
Coastal Resources Advisor.’ Cnincil.
Ocean Isle Beach Mayor LaDane
Bullington serves on the council as a
representative of the Cape Fear
Council of Governments. R(»etta
Short of Yaupon Beach serves as a
municipal appointment. Among the
nominees for municipal appoint
ments are Mayor John Tandy of
Holden Beach and Maynard Owens of
Shallotte.
tliat already had all services.
In response, Williamson said hi.s
board was following a state formula
in drawing Its map aitd con.sidering
specific areas for annexation. "Wc
don’t have money to re-do all the
streets, it's not a matter of leaving
anyone out," he said. "We Just don’t
Jump in and bite off more than we
could chew."
He added that, "Most people I’ve
talked to would prefer annexation to
incorporation."
John Harvey, planning director for
Brunswick County, said only three
municipalities in the county have
opted for cxtra-ter.'ltorial Jurisdic
tion. Southport and Sunset Beach
have all possible Jurisdiction, while
Calabash only Issues building per-
rrilis.
Sf. CHimtfb
Q 6.50
□ 9.00
□ 11.50
More Rain, Normal Temps Ahead
Near normal temperatures along
with above average rainfall are ex
pected for the area over the next few
days.
According to Shallotte Point
meteorologist Jackson Canady,
daytime temperatures will range in
the mld-50s, while nighttime lows are
expected to be in the mid-30s. About
three-quarters of an inch of rain is
also expected, he said.
For the period of Jan. 13-18,
Canady reported a maximum Iilgh of
67 dcgrcCa recorded on Jan. 14, and a
low of 30 degrees recorded on Jon. IS.
The dally average high was 60
degrees and the average low 41
degrees during that period, he said.
The two combined for a dally
average temperature of 51 degrees.
He measured an above average
1.26 inches of rainfall during the
period.
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Shallotte. N. C. 28459
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