Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / July 28, 1994, edition 1 / Page 10
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Shallotte Aldermen Consider Regulations On Junked Cars BY DOUG R UTTER Shallottc officials have talked for years about the need to beautify the downtown area and turn Main Street into the attractive business district many think it can be. Aldermen are doing more than talking now. Next week they are ex pected to approve an ordinance that will allow the town to dispose of junked vehicles. Separate regula tions on street vendors are in the works. "If we're going to try to dress up downtown we need to address all of it, not just planting flowers." Alder man Carson Durham said Tuesday. The town board could pass an or dinance regulating "junked, nui sance and abandoned" vehicles at its Aug. 2 meeting. It would basically outlaw cars that are considered a nuisance, create a health hazard or iowcr property vaiues. The proposal is a combination of new state statutes and codes already being used in Sunset Beach and Yaupon Beach, Durham said. "Wc talk about beautifying down town and we have these things. I den't think it's the most grave area we've got, but it's something we need to face," Durham said. The rules would apply within the town limits as well as the extratem torial area, which includes most properly within a mile of Shallotte. "It's somewhat of a problem here. You don't see many of these cars unless you get off Main Street." Durham said. "1 don't think we've got a real big problem. It's just things that accumulate over the years." Durham said area residents should not fear a sudden crackdown "We talk about beautifying downtown and we have these things. / don't think it's the most grave area we ve got, but it's something we need to face. " ? Alderman Carson Durham on old cars parked in back yards in and around Shallotte. "We're nol going to go out there and ramrod this thing right away." he said. "We're going to work with people. We're not trying to hurt any one at all in any way." The town already has junked car regulations on the books, but Durham said they are "very limited in scope" and only apply to vehicles parked on public property. The new ordinance wouiti appiy to public and private property. "It's protection for the taxpayer," Durham said. The proposal defines a "junked" vehicle as one without current li cense plate that is partially disman tled or wrecked, cannot be driven or is more than five years old and ap pears to be worth less than Si 00. "Nuisancc" vehicles are defined as cars or trucks on public or private property that arc determined to be a health or safety hazard or a public nuisance. They could include vehicles that are a source of potential harm to children or cars that destroy the aes thetic qualities of the town, tend to lower the value of property, serve as a collection point for water and garbage and serve as a haven for in sects. rodents and "similar harmful creatures." The proposed ordinance says ve hicles will be considered abandoned if (hey arc parked illegally, left on a public street for more than seven days, left on property owned or op erated by the town for more than 24 hours or left on private property for more than two hours without the owner's consent. The police department and code enforcement officer would be re sponsible for enforcing the rules. They could contract with private towing companies to remove, store and dispose of vehicles found to be in violation. Exceptions from the rules would be given for vehicles located in junk yards, in enclosed buildings or on the premises of a business if the ve hicle Ls ncccssary to the operation of that business. The code would allow each prop erty owner to keep one junked vehi cle as long as it is located in the rear yard anu "is entirely concealed from public view." The junked vehicle would have to be kept in a garage or building that provides a complete enclosure so that it cannot be seen from a public street or neighboring property. For nuisance or junked vthicles that need to be removed, the town would notify the owner if the owner can be determined. If the owner cannot be deter mined, or in the case of abandoned vehicles, a notice would be placed on the windshield giving the owner 10 working days to move the vehi cle. The proposal would allow the en forcement officer to bypass the 10 day notice requirement "in those cir cumstances where there is a special need for prompt action to eliminate traffic obstructions or to otherwise maintain and protect the public safe ty and welfare." Vehicles abandoned on the street could be removed immediately if they are obstructing traffic or parked illegally. Abandoned or nuisance vehicles left on town or private property also could be removed without prior no tice it they are blocking or obstruct ing a driveway, parked in such a manner as to pose a traffic hazard or causing damage to public or private property. After a vehicle has been removed, the town would notify the last known registered owner of the vio lation, where the vehicle is stored and the procedure that must be fol lowed to get it back. Owners would be allowed to re claim their vehicles if they pay the towing and storage fees. Vehicles that arc not claimed would be dis posed of by the tawing company. Following the removal of a junked, nuisance or abandoned vehi cle, the owner would have the right to a hearing for the purpose of deter mining if probable cause existed for removing the vehicle. Also, the ordinance would allow the owners of vehicles targeted for removal to appeal to the town board of aldermen. In those cases, vehicles would not be removed until the ap peal is heard and decided. Two Die In Fiery, Head-On Collision And Condition Of Third Said Critical BY SUSAN USHER Two persons were killed and a third remained in crit ical condition Tuesday at a Chapel Hill hospital follow ing a fiery head-on collision Friday evening on U.S. 74 76 inside the Sandy Creek town limits. Dead are Antoinette Marie Cromartie, 28, of Coun cil, and Laduan Vindell Fields. 22. of Leland. according to the N.C. Highway Patrol Office in Wilmington. Lamont Ballard, also of Leland, a passenger in Fields' vehicle, remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon at the North Carolina Jaycee Bum Center at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, according to a hospital spokesperson. He was transferred there Friday from New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. No charges were Filed in the 7 p.m. accident investi gated by Trooper D.A. Lewis. Fields was eastbound on U.S. 74-76 in a 1990 Chev rolet. traveling at a "very high rate of speed" in the out side lane, when the car went out his control and crossed the center nv.diar. It struck Cromartie 's eastbound 1989 Chevrolet h<;ad on, spun around, came to rest partially in the westbound lane and burst into flames with Fields in side the vehicle. Ballard was seriously burned, but managed to escape the vehicle. The vehicle loss was estimated at S20.000 to Fields' car and $3,500 to Cromartie 's car. ings Coming August 1 From sofas to baskets, we import all our items so you save $$$! Most Items 1/2 Retail Prices ?OPENING SPECIALS* White Wicker Chairs $39 Rattan Dining Groups $299 And That s Just A Sample Of The Great Prices You'll Find Everyday At Wicker Imports . WICKER IMPORTS The largest selection of iron & wicker on NC coast Off Hwy. 17 N., Shallotte Entrance off Bus. 17 N. just before the bypass or directly off Hwy. 17 N. (Next To Coastal Tire) CUSTOM BUILT HOMES Decks, Gazebos. Utility Buildings, Remodeling & More ALL WORK GUARANTEED FREE ESTIMATES REFERENCES LICENSED BUILDEnMLLY STREET ^(910)754-8746 Weekly Crossword CLUES ACROSS 1. Endanger 5. Fire-raising 7. Receive gladly 8. Inexpensive 10. Wreck 11. Nomad 13. Odium 14. Goad 17. Earthquake 19. Seaweed 21. Sinned 22. Model of perfection 23. Assisted 24. Shoulder piece (Answers are on Page 8-C) CLUES DOWN 2. Fortuneteller 3. House cover 4. Lost time 5. Mishap 6. Blaspheme 7. Storage building 9. Fine china 12. Sent back to custody 15. Unlawful 16. Specimen 18. Leased 20. Region Federal Paper Board' employees, dont mles this sale I CHEVY S-10 PICK-UP DODGE CARAVAN RIPTHE _ / c- / < - STICKER > < >A AND SAVE! ' J -J / xla ill) CD? HJlfl gli . L 1L _ ? j Selling for thousand's lessj I than our competition! BSiJi'.E SAVE! SCiGIiru.'D.Ul SANK! /)KI(ilN\L MSRP I ? 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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July 28, 1994, edition 1
10
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