Shaw Asks Leland Area To Form Police Force
BY TERRY POPE
Three towns in northern Brunswick County may be
working together by the end of summer to help combat
a high crime rate in the Leland area.
Brunswick County Commis
sioner Donald Shaw met with lead
ers from Leland, Navassa and
Bclville Monday night to ask that
the three towns work together to
form a police force that would pa
trol the towns.
"I've put the pressure on the
mayors," Shaw said. "The county
has really done all that it can."
Shaw's proposal asks that the
three adjaccnt towns and the Leland Sanitary District
Board work together by chipping in to pay for a
Belville-Leland-Navassa police force.
"Together, they could have a fine one," Shaw said,
"one that can covcr some area."
Letand Mayor Russell Baldwin told Shaw Monday
that Leland plans to Stan its own policc force in July,
after the town annexs an area known as the "Old
Leland" community along Village Road in June, a
move that would help boost the town's tax base.
Shaw said the town of Leland will be asking the
county for two used sheriff's patrol vehicles to help get
the police department started. Commissioners have
promised the town that it could have one car.
"1 would have to talk to some of the other commis
sioners about that second car," Shaw said.
An increase in break-ins to area businesses prompt
ed members of the Leland Small Business Association
to address county commissioners last week to ask for
increased police protection. About 25 to 30 residents
and business owners met at the Leland Sanitary District
board office Monday with Shaw and Sheriff John Can
Davis.
Sheriff deputies now respond to calls in the area as
part of their routine patrols. To contract off-duty
deputies to work as a town's policc force would cost
about $75 to $100 per hour for each officer, Shaw said.
That money would be reimbursed to the county.
At a Leland Town Council meeting last Thursday,
Kay Todd, who addressed the county commissioners
earlier in the week, asked council members to address
the crime wave in the area.
Leland's plan to annex the "Old Leland" area with
out first expanding the town's existing services has an
gered some residents there.
Immediately following the council meeting last
Thursday, a petition was organized by residents and
business owners in the proposed annexation area.
"We have a fire department, a rescue squad and a
sanitary district which serves us and also serves you,"
the petition states. "You have no services to offer the
proposed annexation area and it would be to your ad
vantage to establish services to your own citizens be
fore you try to enlarge a town that you have no services
for now."
Hie petition states that Lxland should spend its time
establishing basic services "instead of trying to be the
largest town with no services."
"We deserve the right to chooj-c to live in a town
with no services to offer. We choosc the county. Please
let us be your neighbor and not your enemy," it con
cludes.
Shaw said ihe mayors of Navassa and Bclvillc,
Bobby Brown and Ken Messcr, have told him that those
two towns have funds available to support a unified po
lice force.
Unity is what Shaw is hoping the three towns can
achieve.
'There's still a hatchet there," Shaw said. "I still see
a little coldness."
Before it organizes a police force in July, the town
of Leland plans to launch a police study to determine
how to combat crime in the area and what times officers
arc needed the most
Calabash Appoints Committee
To Explain New Zoning Rules
BY DOUG R UTTER
Faccd with complaints and ques
tions about a proposed book of zon
ing rules, Calabash Commissioners
have set up a committee that will
speak with landowners who arc
worried about how the new laws
might affect them.
Town officials set up the commit
tee to address the specific concerns
of people who live in the different
neighborhoods around Calabash
that would be affectcd if the new
zoning regulations arc adopted.
As proposed by Commissioner
Jon Sanborn, the committee will in
clude one member each from the fi
nance, community service and plan
ning committees and the code en
forcement officcr.
Sanborn suggested the committee
at the town meeting Tuesday night,
saying there are a lot of people in
the Calabash area who don't realize
how the new ordinances might af
fect them.
If the committee works hard,
Sanbom said the people can be in
formed by the end of the month,
when a recessed public hearing on
the proposed zoning rules will be
reconvened and wrapped up.
The town board conducted a pub
lic hearing on the new zoning regu
lations Jan. 30. But the hearing was
recesscd until Feb. 28 after several
people said they didn't have enough
time to review the new code.
The new zoning rules have been
drafted and refined over the period
of a year. They cover everything
from zoning districts and signs reg
ulations to dumpstcrs and tree
preservation.
Instead of waiting for the second
part of the public hearing, several
Calabash area residents voiced their
concerns at the board meeting
Tucst'ay. About 25 people packed
the tir y commission chamber room.
Jody Nance of Calabash was one
of several people who raised a ques
lion about the proposed ordinances.
Nance lives along Ivey High
Road, which would be zoned com
mercial under the new zoning regu
lations. Nance said if the house
burned down, the ordinance would
prevent him from building it back.
Without sewer service, he said
the lot the house sits on is too small
to develop for commercial purpos
es. He asked that the ordinance be
changed so people could improve
their homes or build them back if
they have nowhere else to go.
The owner rr a convenience store
in town questioned the proposed
rules on otf-street parking, which he
said would put a lot of people out of
business if they're strictly enforced.
Code Enforcement Officer Ed
Schaack said the town will work
with owners of existing businesses
if they can't comply with the rules.
He said there are several places in
town that will have trouble meeting
the off-street parking requirements.
Kemp Causey, who is developing
the Village at Calabash, submitted a
pair of requests Tuesday night for
the board's consideration.
He asked that proposed setback
regulations in the zoning ordinance
be relaxed so he can develop the
524-lot subdivision as it was ap
proved by the Brunswick County
Planning Board.
Causey said the setbacks pro
posed in the town zoning code are
more strict than the setbacks in the
deed restrictions. If the town en
forces the setbacks as proposed, he
said it will hurt the developer and
more than 100 people who have al
ready purchased lots.
Causey also requested that part of
the property that is proposed for
residential zoning be zoned com
mercial. He said the property has al
ways been intended for commercial
use.
Right To Rule?
Calabash officials spent a good
portion of their meeting defending
what they say is a statutory right to
have jurisdiction in ihe extraterrito
rial area (ETA), which extends
about one mile beyond the town
limits.
William Earl Benton, who lives
and runs a business in the ETA, ac
cused the town of illegally enforc
ing ordinances and collecting fines
and permit fees in the ETA.
He said the town didn't follow
the proper steps to get jurisdiction
over the area and didn't take the
right steps in appointing ETA repre
sentatives to the planning and zon
ing board.
However, Town Attorney Mike
Ramos said state statute gives towns
the right to enforce zoning regula
tions in the ETA.
Although the law says county
commissioners appoint representa
tives from the ETA, Ramos said the
town commission has always made
those appointments in the past and
the county has approved them with
out question.
Benton also complained about
the town sign ordinance. He was
forced to remove two off-premises
signs that were in violation, and he
said his business has dropped off 50
percent. "Your ordinance is break
ing us up."
Commissioner Keith Hardee told
Benton he's not allowed to have an
illegal sign promoting his business
either. "What's good for the goose
is good for the gander," he said.
Other Business
In other business Tuesday, com
missioners:
? Rejected an offer to sell a portion
of Putter Place in Carolina Shores
that was dedicated to the town but
has not been opened for use as a
street. The vote followed a 50
minule executive session. Sanborn
said the offer was inadequate. It's
the only bid the town has received
on the property so far.
? Agreed to seek informal bids from
contractors interested in installing
drain pipe and two catch basins
along Persimmon Road adjacent to
the town hall. The town has re
ceived permission from the N.C.
Department of Transportation to nn?
the drain pipe in the street right* of
way.
? Voted to give $100 to the
Calabash Merchants Association,
which has scheduled its first meet
ing Feb. 28. Organizer Rich
Johnson asked for the money to pay
for a newsletter outlining the town's
goals. Commissioner Stu Thorn said
the newsletter will he distributed to
businessmen in town.
? Discussed the new trash collection
program in place at the Persimmon
Road dump site. Commissioners
said they were pleased with the way
employees have kept the dump area
clean. Employee Don Shaw said
there have been about 10 com
plaints about the limited hours the
dump is open ? three mornings dur
ing the week. Town officials may
change the hours later.
4 Tf
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Symphony Society Receives $500
The Brunswick County Chapter of the N.C. Symphony Society has
received $500 from the Brunswick Arts Council. Arts Council Pre
sident Stephanna Tewey (left) presented the check to Symphony
Society President Polly Fish at the recent symphony season kick
off at Brunswick Community College. The donations will help pay
for the symphony's two concerts this year at Caswell Beach. For
more information, call Mrs. Fish at 457-9864 or Gelene Russ at
754-6237.
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PHOTO ?Y BILL CKANCSAY
Coast Guard Breaks Ground
The U. S. Coast Guard broke ground recently for a new Oak Island Station that should be completed
in February 1991. It will replace the existing station, built in 1932. Above, an unidentified guardsman
(foreground) listens attentively to program participants (from left) Dale Putnam, executive officer, Oak
Island Station; J.D. Arndt, commanding officer, Oak Island Station; and Cynthia Coogan, group com
mander, U.S. Coast Guard Station, Fort Macon.
Good News Has A Way
Off Getting Around.
*
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BEACON
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locations in the area. That is just one of tne reasons why the Beacon is
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And that's a good reason whv vour advertising should be in the deacon.
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