Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Aug. 4, 1994, edition 1 / Page 8
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CONTROVERSY EXPECTFI") Game Room Owner Says His Business Zoned Residential Bv Mistake BY ERIC CARLSON The owner of a building who claims it has been used as a business since 1977 asked the Brunswick County Commissioners on Monday to correct its current residential zon ing. a move expected to spark oppo sition from neighbors. Elizabeth Simmons told the board at its regular meeting that her hus band bought the property at the cor ner of Holden Beach Road and Evans Circle 17 years ago. She said the building built there in late 1962 "has always been commercial." The two-story block building is currently home to the Idle Hour Game Room. Across the street are an automobile stereo shop and a small used car dealership. Both are located o?s property zoned for resi dential use, Simmons said. Simmons said she d*?covered the new zoning designation when she applied for a permit to have the building expanded and found she could not do so as a nonconforming use in a residential zone. Her request for rezoning brought loud protests from about 20 resi dents of the area who attended a re cent meeting of the Brunswick County Planning Board. That oppo sition is cxpected to resurface when the county commissioners hold a public hearing on the re-zoning Sept. 19 at 5:30 p.m. The planning board voted against changing the use designation. But the planning staff disagrees and be lieves the commissioners should consider rezoning the property where the three businesses are locat ed, Planning Director Wade Home told the county board Monday. Several people appeared at the Monday commissioners meeting to speak in support of game room own er Ron Hint who said V heard of "a lot of mu l-slinging" about his business when the Simmons rezon ing was discussed at the recent plan ning board meeting. He insisted that KHSJVklS i IAL zoning applies to this group of three businesses on Holden Beach Road south of Shallotte. Owners of the Idle Hour Game Room at right have asked the county to change the designa tion to "commercial" for the game room, the car stereo shop across the street and a neighboring used car dealership. he runs "the clcanest bar in Bruns wick County" and docs not allow "any doping or fighting or drunks falling down" on his property. Randall Brown of Shallottc said he frequently visits the Idle hour with his young son. He said the game room and bar are kept separate and no one feels uncomfortable about not drinking. "It's a good, viable business. There's never any trouble there. Those people are asked to leave," Brown said. "It's not appropriate for that properly to be zoned residential. There's no logical reason to keep it Jones Agrees To Retain Planning Board Seat BY ERIC CARLSON After receiving a unanimous "vole of confi _ ? dence" from fellow county hoard members, Commis sioner Jerry Jones on Monday agreed to remain the cornmis |b i t sioners' representative on the HE f v Brunswick County Planning ' Board. % In what he called "an un M planned and spontaneous" ac tion at the commissioners July fyw 18 meeting, Jones announced JONES his resignation after serving three years on the planning board. The surprise move came after critical discussion in which the commissioners voted to ask the planning depart ment to review the countywide zoning ordinance to identify "obvious inconsistencies" in the law. Planning Board Chairman John Thompson and Brunswick Planning Director Wade Home both said in interviews after the meeting that planning officials had already been doing what the commissioners were asking "for months." Monday's vote to reappoint Jones to the plan ning board came after it became obvious that no other commissioner wanted the position. "It's pretty crystal clear that Mr. Jones is the man for the job," Commissioners Chairman Don Warren said. Jones said in an interview Tuesday that he has "no problem serving on the board" and agreed to serve becausc "the commissioners need a repre sentative" there. He said he resigned "at a mo ment when I was upset and discouraged. I figured maybe they thought I wasn't doing a good job. I'd be more than happy for one of the other commis sioners to take the seat. It's not exactly pleasant all the time." Since zoning went into effect last year, the planning board has been swamped with some times angry requests for changes in the law. "People have to realize that nothing is etched in stone and there are going to be problems that have to be worked out." Jones said. Legislation Gives Authority More Control Legislative action by RCp. David Redwine will make it possible for the South Brunswick Water and Sewer Authority and its sister bodies statewide to manage stormwater the way local governments already can. In the final days of the summer session, Redwine shepherded through House Bill 1628. It allows the quasi-governmental water and sewer authorities to adopt ordi nances to regulate and control the discharge of sewage and stormwater into any sewerage system owned or operated by the authority. It also al lows the authority to adopt ordi nances to regulate and control struc tural and natural stormwater and drainage systems of all types. "We could have done the same thing by transfers of power," said engineer Jim Tombro Monday, "but this was faster and more efficient. It was something the state needed to do for water and sewer authorities anyway." Each member government of the authority, presently Sunset Beach and Calabash and soon to include Brunswick County, could have adopted a stormwater management Eight Face D Four men were arrested on felony cocaine possession charges Friday in the Brunswick County Sheriff Department narcotics squad s latest street interdiction drug crackdown in tnc Leland/Navassa area. The enforcement effort, assisted by the N.C. Highway Patrol, also netted five apprehensions on misde meanor drug and alcohol charges, one arrest for carrying a concealed weapon and 18 traffic citations, ac cording to narcotics squad coordina tor Lt. David Crocker. Two automobiles, more than 19 crack cocaine and over >1,100 in alleged drug proceeds were seized in the effort. Crocker said. Arrested at the corner of Main Street and Park Avenue, Navassa was local resident William Alfred Alston, 54, who was picked up on outstanding grand jury indictments tor felony cocaine possession and sale and delivery of cocaine, said Crocker. In a search of Alston and his vehi cle, detectives allegedly found about seven grams of crack cocaine, val ued at about $3,150. Crocker said they also seized his 1982 Buick and Si, 1 95 in cash. Alston was charged with one count each of possession with inter, t to sell and deliver cocaine, maintain ing a vehicle for the purpose of keeping controlled substances and felonious child endangerment. There were three children, ages four-to-five years old, in Alston s car at the time of his arrest. Crocker said. Later that night, drug officers ar rested three Wilmington men on charges of possessing cocaine They are Robert Alfred Hamel. 32, Victor Dale Sullivan, 33, ar.J Joseph Brent Pierce. 24 The 1984 Ford Escort in which they were travelling was also seized in the arrest, Crocker said. In highway interdiction searches ordinance and then formally trans ferred its power in that area to the authority. Authorities already had been giv en the power to establish stormwater utility systems and set user rates and charges for them. But unlike towns and counties, authorities couldn't regulate either the quantity or quali ty of stormwater entering the sys tems, according to Jim Billups of Piedmont Olsen Hensley, consulting engineers with the authority. That control is considered essential in cost controls and in preventing pol lution. Without the legislation there was a risk of delay in implementing the authority's proposed regional sewer and stormwatet management pro ject. As part of Phase I, the authority anticipates constructing wastewater collection lines in the downtown district of Calabash during the up coming winter months. However, under an agreement reached earlier this year with state environmental officials, the lines could not be used until a stormwater rug Charges on U.S. 17 near Leland Friday after noon, drug officers arrested four people on misdemeanor charges of possessing marijuana. A 17-year-old was cited for underage drinking and another man was charged with car rying a concealed weapon. Traffic citations were issued for a number cf offenses including seat belt violations, driving without a li cense, improper registration and speeding with assistance from Highway Patrol officers. Crocker credited "tips from con cerned citizens" for some of Friday's arrests and urged the public to continue calling the narcotics squad when they observe illegal drug activity. A 24-hour telephone line has been set up at the sheriff's department to handle such reports at (910) 253-4797. Aii calls will uc kepi luftfnicntial, Crocker said. management program is in place. The authority is planning a two phased stormwater management program. The first would be preven tive stormwater controls required during the development or redevel opment of property. These could be implemented as quickly as suitable local ordinances are in place to sup plement existing state requirements for larger projects. Sunset Beach has received a state grant to plan its comprehensive approach to stormwater management, including drafting of ^n ordinance that could be used as a model by other local governments on the coast. The second phase, remedial stormwater management, will at tempt to correct existing stormwater runoff and control problems and will require a long-term effort. It is in the early planning stages. Under a resolution adopted by the authority at its June 9 meeting, members affirmed the authority's commitment to implementation of a comprehensive stormwater maange ment program and adoption of an ordinance similar to that being de veloped by Sunset Beach. It also pledged that the authority would implement enforcement of that ordinance before any discharge of wastewater into its wastewater collection sewer. The resolution was intended to as suage concerns that the stormwater plan might not be implemented con currently with the sewer project. "Integration of wastewater and stormwater controls are a key con cern of Shellfish Sanitation." Billups told authority members at the time. "We need to make a commitment that they will be addressed togeth er." "If there is any issue that would bring upon us having to go from an environmental assessment to a full environmental impact statement on the sewer project, thus is it," he said. "Stormwater runoff is the primary secondary impact and this handles it without burdening the wastewater program." The authority's revised and ex panded environmental assessment of the project is being reviewed now by the Department of Environmental, Health and Natural Resources. I JSunshine Builders on lovely homes constructed and sold In Brierwood Estates and Tall Pines Plantation. I Electrical Design & Construction by | Coastal Carolina \ Electric L four Full-Service Electrical Contractor ? (910)754-2576 (910)253-1909 Pager 740 Deluxe Bath Enclosure by Alumax Formed tubui v towel bars, clear finger pulls and a rounded header create a bath enclosure that is truly ahead of its time. Quiet feather touch operation is assured by Sealed Ball- Bearing Rollers and vinyl door bumpers. A convenient Open Track design does away with grooves, ridges and cleaning problems. On display now in our showroom! Shallotte Glass & Mirror For All Your Glass Seeds Where The Workmanship Makes The Difference 6456 Ocean Hwy., 5 minutes south of Shallotte on Hwy. 17 CI? TX IMlKWCM WUCC* 579-6778 ? (800)579-6778 ? Fax 579-7862 thai way." James Poston of Spring Hill said he enjoys visiting the Idle Hour. He called Flint "an astute person" and praised his operation of the game room. "He's providing the community with a place where they and their loved ones can feel safe," Poston said. "The problems people arc wor ried about are in the community. They aren't be cause of Ron. He's providing an outlet for the commu nity." Several residents of other areas appeared before the commissioners m to complain thai the usage of their property was improperly designated in the zoning iaw. Commissioners Chairman Don Warren told the audience that the county's planning staff has been asked "to physically look at every piece of property in Brunswick County and clean up the obvious in consistencies before people like you have to come here and tell us about iL" In other business, Lorraine Bates, acting chairperson for the Bruns wick County Partnership for Chil dren reported on the organization's efforts to obtain a SI million grant from the state through Gov. Jim Hunt's "Smart Start" program for pre-school children. Bates told the board that Bruns wick County placed 18th last year on a list of statewide applicants from which the top 12 received grant funding. She said the county has "hit the ground running" this year and fully expects to qualify for the pro gram. "I don't see how we can fail," she said. At Bates request, the commission ers agreed to write letters of support to state officials endorsing the part nership's efforts. *7* Where's The Best Fresh Seafood? Chuck's Seafood Restaurant & Grill Original "Mary Piatt's Recipes" now cooked by her grandson Chuck. ? Fresh Shrimp, Scallops, Oysters & Crabmeat ? Try Our Chargrilled Fresh Fish ? Delicious Combination Seafood Platter REGULAR COMBO PI.ATTEH $7.95 "f,,r " u ~"The Locals Love Us"~ Serving 11 am-9 pm ? Ice Cold Beer & Wine 803-249-3084 I486 Hwy. 17, Little River 'Limit 2 per coupon 2 miles south of Calabash ?lax TMt nMwoi beacon j Wake Up! ONUT With Large Coffee Purchase ^ (good thru Aug. 18) Back to Cool When Tkste Matters Make the creamy, delicious taste of Colombo Frozen Vbgurl part of your curriculum. for IGood t ja 1 pa> Bring this to store listed. Buy a large serving ot Colombo Frozen Yogurt and get a second of equal or lesser value Free. Good at Shallotte and Southport Express Stops Express Stop [_ 24 Hours A Day-7 Days * Shallotte- Jet. Hwy. 17 & Holden Bch Rd " .... -V* ???.If ?r | ; J ROBERTO S PIZZERIA Ocean Isle Holden Beach Eat In Take Out Delivery SPECIALS MONDAY NIGHT All-Tou-Can-Eat Spaghetti Sauce & Garlic Bread 83.99 Meatballs & Garlic Bread $4 .99 Chicken with pasta & Garlic Bread 85.99 . lew Honrs! Tom. -TTinrs. 11-9; M-8.t. llio " 4 9 Ocean Isle Beacii Holden Beach 579-4999 842-4999
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Aug. 4, 1994, edition 1
8
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