OWNER'S AGENT SEEKS RECONSIDERATION
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Sunset Beach Council Unanimously Backs Bird Island Zoning
BY SUSAN USHER
at one home per acre. Bird Island has an cs- the future. weilanHc .mil wmilH hm/?* nmviiL*ft cnt/irim- -?.wi v, .. ? 4 1? ? * ?
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BY SUSAN USHER
Sunset Beach Town Council Monday
night rejected a property owner's call for
less restrictive zoning of Bird Island, say
ing the zoning plan offered by the town
planning board is a fair compromise.
The new conservation reserve zoning
district will effectively limit Bird Island's
potential development to 30 to 35 single
family dwellings with a maximum six bed
rooms per home, plus a possible communi
ty center; requires a minimum lot size of
one-half acre of uplands; and caps density
at one home per acre. Bird Island has an es
timated 33 to 34 buildable acres.
"I think the proposal is fair for all con
cerned," said Councilman Bud Scrantom
prior to the unanimous vote, his words
echoed by Councilwoman Mary Katherine
Griffin. "I still feel the planning board's
recommendation is the one to follow."
Expressing disappointment in the deci
sion, Rees Poag, son of Bird Island owner
Janie P. Price of Greensboro and Sunset
Beach, indicated in an interview that public
access to Bird Island may be restricted in
the future.
Me termed it "unfortunate that the island
is being treated differently from the rest of
Sunset Beach."
"I feel these aie arbitrary limits on the
rights of the property owner," he said.
"Anything that we do with Bird Island will
be an improvement over what's happening
there now, with a thousand people tramping
all over the island on a weekend and dam
aging it."
He said Price's proposal for developing
the island would have had "zero impact" on
wetlands and would have provided environ
mental protections.
"I guess the first thing if we are going to
protect it is that people will have to stay off
it," he said.
He said a decision would be made on
their next step very soon, and the town no
tified. "There will be a next step, but we're
not sure what that is," said Poag.
Only the strand below the high water
mark is public beach, but visitors have rou
tinely used other areas on the island in past
years.
Poag and his wife and consultant John P.
Ryder of Century/von Oesen Associates
conferred outside. Returning to the meet
ing, Ryder told council it was never their
intent for zoning of Bird Island to become
"caught up" in the zoning of the surround
ing marshes.
"We would hope you would look at Bird
Island differently and think very hard about
the implications of this zoning on Bird
Island," said Ryder. "We would ask that the
town reconsider possible zoning relief in
(See SUNSET, Page 2-A)
n.
12/31/99
HOAG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
P.O. BOX 162
:;F"R I NGPORT
JWICKft BEACON
Thirty-First Year, Number 46
' >W3 rut MUNSv*Ct fttACO*
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, October 7, 1993
50c Per Copy
40 Pages, 3 Sections, 2 Inserts
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG RUTTER
Party Time!
Roy Bain of Wilmington leaves no doubt who the winner was in last weekend's U.S. Open King
Mackerel Tournament in Southport. Bain was part of the Cocdtime fishing team that landed a 52.40
pound king. The winners received a trophy and $43,320 in cash. For the story, see Page 12-C.
MORE INOCULATIONS SCHEDULED
Concern Over Rabies Brings
Many Calls, No New Cases
BY ERIC CARLSON
In the wake of Brunswick
County's first two confirmed cases
of rabies, animal control workers are
being swamped with calls to pick up
stray animals, examine dead wildlife
and answer questions about the
deadly disease.
The county health department,
hoping to keep a statewide rabies
epidemic at bay, has scheduled an
other day of reduced-rate rabies in
oculations. More than 1,(KH) resi
dents had their pets vaccinated Sept.
25 in a program co-sponsored by lo
cal veterinarians.
There were no additional rabid
animals found in the county last
week, according to animal shelter at
tendant Cindy Stanley.
However, the head of a stray kit
ten was sent to the State Public
Health laboratory in Raleigh for
testing last week. It died under ob
servation after being captured in
Leland Wednesday afternoon (Sept.
29).
The animal reportedly scratched
and bit two young girls who found
the cat roaming their neighborhood,
Stanley said. The parents alerted an
imal control after noticing that the
kitten was acting very aggressively
and having difficulty walking. Such
behavior is typical of animals infect
ed with rabies.
As the family waited anxiously to
see if the children would have to un
Inside...
Birthdays 2B
Business News IOC
Calendar ,:...XA
Church News 5B
Classified ...1-9C
Court Docket .... 1 IC
Crime Report 13 A
Fishing 12C.6A
Coif.... I OB
Obituaries 5B
Opinion 4-5 \
People In The News 4B
Sports S-I2B
Television 6-7B
dergo expensive rabies treatments,
the kitten died while under observa
tion. Examination of its brain tissue
revealed that the animal was not ra
bid. Stanley said. It may have suf
fered from a neurological disease.
Meanwhile, two children and two
adults in the Ash area are undergo
ing treatment for rabies infection.
The four handled a dead raccoon
that was chased down and killed by
one of the family's dogs, Stanley
said.
The treatment was recommended
after tests revealed that the dead rac
coon was infected with rabies. The
disease is always fatal if left untreat
ed. Three dogs and a cat were de
stroyed because they had not been
vaccinated when they came in con
tact with the raccoon, Stanley said.
Another dog in the Wet Ash area
will remain under observation for
several months after an encounter
with a rabid raccoon on Sept. 18.
The dog had been vaccinated and is
expected to be unaffected by the in
cident.
Stanley said animal control is re
ceiving about 30 calls a day from
people concerned about rabies.
"Most are calling to have us pick
up stray animals," Stanley said.
"Others call to tell us that their
neighbors' animals are not vaccinat
ed."
State law requires all dog and cat
owners to vaccinate their pets. Stan
ley said animal control officers will
investigate reports of unvaccinattjd
animals.
Stanley said her office is also get
ting a lot of calls about wild animals
frequently seen in rural areas, espe
cially squirrels, rabbits and possums.
She said it is extremely rare for any
of these animals to carry rabies.
Raccoons and foxes are the wild ani
mals the most likely to be infected.
Animal control officers were
called Sept. 20 to investigate the dis
covery of three dead raccoons in the
Caw Caw area of Longwood, near
the intersection of N.C. 904 and Pea
(binding Road. The animals were
picked up. but they were too badly
decomposed for laboratory analysis,
she said.
Officials warn that the greatest
risk to humans comes from unvacci
nated pets, which can easily contract
rabies from wild animals. Cats are
the most likely to be infected be
cause they are natural hunters that
are frequently left outdoors.
"I can't stress enough that people
should avoid any contact with unfa
miliar animals," Stanley said. "And
they should get their pets vaccinated
immediately."
The health department has sched
uled another round of rabies vacci
nations for Saturday morning Oct.
30. Pet owners can get their dogs
and cats inoculated for a reduced
rate of 55 per shot at Companion
Animal Hospital in Shallotte, Sea
side Animal Care in Calabash,
Brunswick Animal Hospital in
Supply, Southport Animal Clinic in
Southport and at the Leland Veter
inary Hospital.
Showdown Set Monday
On Strict Smoking Regs;
Health Board Still Divided
BY LYNN CARLSON
The showdown is set for Monday on a proposal to se
verely restrict smoking in Brunswick County places of
business, although a special meeting earlier this week
revealed the county health hoard remains deeply divided
on the issue.
A committee working on the proposal, led by local
veterinarian and health board member Brad Kerr, has of
fered some compromises but failed to back down on re
quiring separate ventilation systems in all private busi
nesses which would continue to allow smoking.
Three of six health board members at Monday's spe
cial meeting said they cannot support the compromise
measure. Two said they do, and Chairman Maliston
Stanley remained uncommitted but prepared to break a
tie if necessary when the measure comes to the floor this
coming Monday (Oct. 11) at 7 p.m. in the health depart
ment conference room. The health board has 11 mem
bers, including Stanley.
By a margin of nearly two-to-one, speakers at a Sept.
20 public hearing said they do not want government
forcing business owners to prohibit smoking in their es
tablishments. About 50 showed up at the forum to have
their say about rules that would eventually prohibit
smoking in all public buildings and workplaces, except
in areas served by separate ventilation systems.
'"We tried to respond to their concerns," Kerr said, "at
the same time proceeding with the understanding that
we could not alter the proposal to the point that it no
longer protects the pub!;c health."
The revised plan Keif's group submitted clarifies the
difference between restaurants and lounges; lounges
would be subject to less stringent regulation. It also
would lengthen the effective dates of the regulations by
six months.
The opposing members balked at a suggested provi
sion that the health department be required to take action
against establishments if 10 or more people complain in
writing about violations of smoking rules.
"You don't get private citizens to enforce the law," ar
gued member Patrick Newton. "That's how Hitler took
over Germany, but getting people to turn each other in."
Kerr argued that the point was to grant establishments
some leeway. "We weren't trying to turn Brunswick
County into the brown-shirt capital of North Carolina.
We just felt that if there were ten complaints, that's a
pretty good indication it's probably really a problem."
Both Newton and member Bruce Quaintance said
they cannot support the measure as long as it would re
quire separate ventilation systems to serve smoking and
non-smoking areas. "I'm a contractor, and I know a little
about the cost of ventilation systems and separate walls.
This would be a big cost to older businesses that are not
designed for it."
Jeffrey Mintz, a Supply dentist who helped revise the
proposal, said "I am for it because of the public health
ramifications. I see it every day in my business." Mintz
said he hopes the health board can "vote in unison, yes
or no. We've spent a lot of time on this."
Member Arthur Knox said, "I respect Dr. Kerr's ef
forts. but I've gotten a lot of calls and a couple of letters,
all but two against it. I don't smoke, but I'm old-fash
ioned. I like to let a man decide what he wants to do. If I
don't like (what a business) has. then I just won't go
there."
Kerr countered the opponents' freedom of choice ar
gument. saying new state legislation already will take
away businesses' choice to be smoke-free unless county
health boards enact their own rules before Oct. 15.
Chairman Stanley, pressed by Quaintance and
Newton to reveal his position on the measure, said he
would remai;i neutral while he moderated the discus
sion.
Stanley said, "I do not want this issue, to split this
board to the point where it is not functional! Dr. Kerr did
not volunteer to draw up this proposal. We asked him to.
He's done a good job and worked long hours."
He added, "Our job is to respectfully listen to both
sides and make the best decision we can to benefit the
citizens of Brunswick County. There are two sides to
this ? an economic one and a health one. This is no time
to forget either one of them."
BY ERIC CARLSON
County Commissioners Chairman Don Warren on
Monday said he is interested in the idea of sending
Brunswick County's garbage to a regional landfill in
Columbus County. But he doesn't think the county
should commit itself until a local committee comes up
with a proposal for a disposal site of its own.
Thomas Hughes, president of American Refuse
Systems, told the commissioners that the way to save
money on garbage disposal is to think big, to "go
where you can get the best deal" and "take advantage
of the economy of scale to lower your disposal fee."
His Pinehurst-based company is working with
Columbus County to develop a large regional landfill
that would accept solid waste from other counties.
Hughes said he is trying to get a feel for which coun
ties might want to participate in order to help
Columbus decide where to locate the landfill.
Brunswick County must find a new place to dispose
of its garbage by Jan. 1, 1998. A new landfill will be
much more expensive to buiid anu operate due to strict
new environmental regulations requiring that such fa
cilities be lined with plastic to prevent contaminants
from seeping into ground water.
A Brunswick County Landfill Committee has rec
ommended four tracts of land in the Bolivia and
Supply areas as potential sites for a new landfill. A
team of state regulators is expected to visit the county
soon to make recommendations on their suitability for
solid waste disposal.
Hughes told the commissioners it would be less ex
pensive for Brunswick County to join in a regional
landfill than to build its own. He estimated it would
cost the county $42 per ton to bury its waste here,
while hauling it to another regional landfill in Sampson
County would cost $23 to $27 per ton plus transporta
tion expenses. He said a proposed regional incinerator
would be even more expensive and probably won't be
built. iTy!
"We want your garbage," Hughes told the board. He
said that for the first two years, Columftus County
would take Brunswick's waste for $14 per ton. Once
the regional landfill is completed, the fee would in
crease to $23 per ton. The new facility will be more
expensive due to the stricter environmental require
ments, he said.
"We're not asking you to commit to locking in that
amount," Hughes said. "We're asking you to get com
mitted to ilic idea to heip them get a regional landfill."
Hughes said the county would be wise to continue
using its old landfill "for a couple years." But he ad
vised that without some hint of support from
Brunswick County, Columbus might choose to locate
the regional facility on its northern borders, giving oth
er counties an opportunity for lower hauling costs.
(See COUNTY, Page 2-A)
Registration Ends Monday To Vote
For Local Boards, State Issues
There's still time to register to vote Nov. 2
in the statewide constitutional amendment and
bond referendum and in any of the 17 munici
pal and three district elections scheduled
across Brunswick County.
Monday, Oct. 1 1 is the last day to register,
said Lynda Britt, supervisor of elections for
the Brunswick County Board of Elections.
Anyone who is already registered to vote in
Brunswick County is eligible to vote in their
respective municipal or district elections.
Would-be voters can register at the elections
board office at the Brunswick County
Government Center at Bolivia until 5 p.m.
Monday. They can also register at branch li
braries, at the Department of Motor Vehicles
License office if conducting other business
there, or with other registrars located in every
precinct.
The elections board is already receiving ap
plications for absentee voting by mail, with
Oct. 26 the last day forms can be mailed out.
One-stop absentee voting begins Oct. 12
and continues through Oct. 29 at the elections
board office. Holden Beach residents cannot
vote absentee.
In the Nov. 2 elections, 17 municipalities
will elect officials, along with the Leland
Sanitary District, Dosher Hospital Board of
Trustees (Smithville Township) and Southeast
Brunswick Sanitary District.
Voters will also cast ballots for or against a
constitutional amendment that would allow lo
cal governments to sell bonds for economic
development that would be secured in part or
entirely by the increase in property tax rev
enues that would be collected from the new
business or industry.
Also to be decided are four proposed gener
al obligation bond issues to pay for capital im
provements:
? $310 million for campuses of The
University of North Carolina and the Center
for Public Television;
? $250 million for the state's community
college campuses;
? $35 million for land acquisition and capi
tal improvement of state parks; and
? $145 million in Clean Water Bonds to
make loans, revolving loans and grants to lo
cal governments for clean water projects.
Profiles of the candidates for office in
Brunswick County and more information on
the five statewide issues to he decided Nov. 2
will he included in the Oct. 28 issue of the
Beacon.