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Couniywide
BY SUSAN USHER
Aiihougn H Kcb. a public itcuring on zoning is siUi a
week awoy. Brunswick County Commissioners are
already l»caring-in WTlUng-from property owners for
and against additionai land use regulation.
Almost entirely supportive of zoning, the comments
will be entered into Uic hearing record.
Pro or con. individuals and organizations can voice
their opinions regarding zoning at the hearing, which
will be held at 7 p.m. in the public assembly building at
the Brunswick County Government Center at Bolivia.
Meanwhile. Kegina White, clerk to the board of com
missioners. has accumulated a file of written com
ments, mostly from those who cannot attend next
week’s hearing.
like Uie county needs zoning. I feel like it will create a
monster as in Wiimington.'*
A letter of a different bent came from a Cresson,
Pa., resident, Juanita Schettig, who owns property at
Yaupon Beach. “I am very glad you arc plaiuilng on
zoning to protect Uie lands and homes in the future from
people who do anything without regard to anyone,” slic
wrote. “It will give you some control on planning the
future.”
Most writers—from Dave Drummond of the I^ong
Beach Civic Association to the Sunset Beach Planning
Board—cited the county’s rapid growth as a good
reason for enacting zoning regulations now.
District 3 Coinjnissioner James Poole of Oak Island
requested the public meeting, saying consideration
zoning was overdue, particularly for the congested
SouUiport-Oak Island area.
Of the comments received thus far, only one per
son. a caller, was adamantly opposctl to zoning. Tom
Yagie of Sunset flarbor told the county, ”I don’t feel
Sunset Beach Planning Board members Walter
Huff, Schuyler Bramlcy, C.T. Coppage. Mary Scrantom
and Richard Good asked county conunisaioners to have
a zoning proposal drawn up as promptly as possible.
In support of that request they wrote, “In our judg
ment, ample evidence Is already visually available to
prove that countywide zoning is essential for the order
ly development of our rapidly growing county.”
Zoning, Uiey continued, would: provide for belter
ph-jinlng to deliver servLcs; adequate land allocated
for varluus types of use-such as agriculture, industry
and recrealion-and properly situated in relation to
each oUier; atabllisatic.''. and increase or preservation
of property values; and greater altracUvencss to “the
kinds of business, Industry ad other developments that
will be good for our county and its citizens In the long
Icnn.”
Zone By District
One writer, Lela Ruth Hankins of Route 2, Roliviu,
sugge.sted an altcmaUve to couniywide zoning, that the
citizens of each township be allowed to decide Itow Uicir
area should be zoned, "since it represents Iheir invest
ment and they have plans for its use.” However, Peter
and Amia Infante of landing Three subdivision on N.C.
179 .said zoning should be cuuntywide and county-
enforced. Specifically, they recommended removing
Junked vehicles, outhouses and garbage collection sites
now located in populated areas, as well as enforcement
of Uttering laws, control of outside burning and control
of billboards along the highways.
Protect Schools
While the Brunswick County Board of Education
hasn't fonnaUy adopted a resolution supporting coun-
tywidc zoning, a letter to the county from Chairman
James Forstner suggests members of the board agree
zoning would be appropriate. “As things are now
cstabUshed," he wrote. “ wc could end up with bars and
other undesirable businesses in close proximity to a
public school located in the county. All of us on the
board feel such things would be entirely
inappropriate.”
r Oiatner also said Increased control of building,
traffic flow and land u.se along approaches to schools
"would be a reasonable thing to hope for.”
A number of boards and organizations have endors
ed the concept of county zoning, with more expected.
I’hese include, in addititm to U>e Sunset Beach Plan
ning Board, the Vaupon Beach Board of Commis
sioners, Brunswick County Planning Boord. Southport-
Oak Island ('hamber of Commerce. I^ng Beach Civic
Asisociation and four organizations in Town Creek
Township-the Town Creek Extension Homemakers.
Town Creek Senior Citizens, Town Creek Community
Watch and Oak View Community Watch.
THE
■«%ii ¥«Mf
rRACON
Twenty-fifth Year, Number i5
THt Hvrnwics stAcce:
Shniiofte. North Carolina. Thursdoy. Februory 19. 1987
30 Pages
25c Per Copy
Murder Suspect
OTlII AM L.VJ9
BY SUSAN USHER
A Iceland man cliarged in the Feb. 6
shooting death of 31-year-oid Joe
Reeves of Shallotte remains at large
and officers arc sUU trying to ascer-
laiii u iituitvc.
“Wc think we have a motive, but
we’re not sure,” Cliicf of Police Don
Stovall said Monday morning.
“That’s all I can tell you."
Sought is Ronnie Lee Clemmons,
30, of Avon Trailer Park, who Is
charged with murder and assault
with a deadly weapon In connection
with the 3 a.m. incident that occurred
in a .off Bellamy Drive, in
ihfe ShaIMi«»
A .handg^.houh(l.Uia car Qeni;.’
rmbns afcandShed later that morning*^
on Dupont Road ip [.aland, as well as
other evidence, were taken to Uie SB!
lab ill Raleigh Friday for testing. No
results were available Monday.
Stovall said he expected the tests to
confirm the gun’s use as the murder
weapon and to eiUicr support or
refute certain statements made to in-
vestigatoi's.
Meanwhile, the Brunswick County
Sheriff’s Department and the
Shallotte Police Department are
following up on all calls regarding
reported sightings of Clemmons.
Most come from within the county,
but one caller placed Clemmons in
Columbus County.
“We’ve had a lot of reported
sightings," said Stovall, “but none of
them are comimieu.”
He said there's about a 5(K50
chance that Clemmons is still in
Brunswick County.
^■v^rm Bi Fr^^^zina
Rain, Hassles To Area
StA»» mOTOBriltAO/JfH
Decorated In Ice
AiuS tree, *ccs«ed sssr the Brunswick Cousty Govennueut Center, was
decorated wiUi ice Monday as temperatures dipped into the mld-30s. Ihe Ice
covering on vegetation in the area had a lace-Ilke appearance.
Couple Arrested On Cocaine-Related Charges
BY ETTA SMITH
A Brick Landing area couple was
arrested and charged with drug-
related violallOTs Tuesday, accor
ding to DeL Sgt. David Crocker, head
of Uie Brunswick County Sheriffs
Department Drug Squad.
Daniel Locke McNair, 21, of Mid
way Park Apartments on N.C. 179,
was chatted with felony pn5tsession
of cocaine, possession wiUi the Intent
to sell and deliver cocaine and misde
meanor possession of drug parapher
nalia, according to Crocker.
McNair’s wife, Sheny, 24, was also
arrested and charged wlUi misde
meanor possession of drug parapher
nalia, Crocker said.
McNair is out of jaU on $2,500 bond
and his wife on $500 bond, said
Crocker.
The drug squad’s three officers and
two uniformed officers seized a
felony amount of cocaine, more than
a gram, in the couple’s home, as well
as $163.
Hie raid resulted from InformaUm
received from a confidential source
and several citizen complaints, he
added.
BY SUSAN USHER
A winter storm with gale force
winds and freezing rain brought pro
blems Monday for local motorists,
utility companies, emergency and
law enforcement personnel.
Freezing rains during the morning
left broken pine boughs heavy with
icc strewn across lawns and occa
sional roadways and power lines.
.B^twMn 15 percent and.^ percent of
Brunswick feiectrtc Membership
CorporaUon’s 29,000.-BriinsWick
County members were temporarily
without power.
With the forecast calling for more
hazardous weather, county schools
closed at noon as soon as all buses
could be refueled, and county com
missioners rescheduled their Mon
day night meeting until 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday. The Brunswick Cuunty
Govenunent Center in Bolivia shut
down at 4 p.m. Monday and reopened
at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, an hour later
than usual. The schools, however,
opcrcted on regular schedule Tues
day.
As ice began to accumulate on
trees and roadsides, both the
Briinswick County Sheriffs Depart
ment at Bolivia and the school
system administrative offices. in
Southport were flooded with calls
Monday morning regarding the
status of school closings.
While the situation was “monitored
minute by minute," according to
public information officer Jean
Parker, schools opened on schedule
Monday with the early closing an
nounced shortly after 11:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, with the forecast call
ing for more of the same, Brunswick
County Emergency Management
Coordinator Cecil Logan advised all
county rescue and fire departments
to fuel their vehicles in the event of
weather-related emergencies.
A call relayed across the county
from WUmin^n reporting that both
bridges would be closed to all bui
emergency traffic caused some
delays and inconvenience for county
residents, Ix>gan said. In actuality
the bridges were sanded throughout
the day, witli caution signs erected.
“But I’d rather have every person
in Brunswick County inconvenienced
tlian to have one person dead," said
I^gan.
ITie most serious electrical outages
occurred in the lower end of the coun
ty, with the Calabash and Holden
Beach areas reporting the greatest
problems, according to Bobby Gore,
in charge of operations for BEMC.
He speculated it was puSsibly
because of heavier growth along
rights-of-way or possibly because of
a heavier accumulation of ice.
Damage was lightest in the Oak
Overall, he said, “we had quite a
few outages, but not major ones. We
didn’t lose transmission."
He continued, “We can stand cold
weaihcT, bui not ihai irvirzuig ratri.
That’s the worst thing for us next to a
hurricane."
The earliest outages were in the
Carolina Shores-Hickman’s
Crossroads area, where trees fell
across several power lines. Calabash
Town Clerk Janet Thomas said,
however, that there were “flickers,”
but no disruption of electrical service
within the town ttself. Outages were
also experienced in the Holden Beach
and Supply areas as well as Sunset
Beach. Some Winnabow residents
were also without power for up to two
to two and one-half hours.
BEMC was hardest hit in Colunv
bus County, however, and after
restoring power to several individual
locations Monday night, Brunswick
County crews joined two contract
crews from .Sumter, S.C., in Colum
bus.
"We’re operating with only a
skeleton crew here," a spokesman in
f See WEATHER, Paee ^Ai
Calabash May Seek
Water Assessment Bili
BY SUSAN USHER
In its quest for a community water
system, Calabash Town Council may
seek special legislation granting the
town authority to levy assessments
before COfiStfuCUon of the system is
completed.
Town Clerk Janet Thomas said
Tuesday the board has called a
special meeting at 4:30 p.m. Friday,
Feb. 20, at the town hall to discuss the
water system and its financing, !iv
cTuiUng recent findings of the town’s
attorney. Michael Ramos.
As a result of those findir^gs, she
said they may consider a resolution
seeking special legislation by the
General Assembly.
The bill would similar to one In
troduced in 19&4 by Rep. David Red-
wiiie on behalf cf the Town of Ocean
Isle Beach. That act authorized the
town to levy front-footage
assessnents that had to be paid
within a year after the assessment
roll was approved, while the system
was still under construction.
like Ocean Isle, explained Ms.
Thomas, “We’ve got to have the
money In advance."
Holden Beach Memo Urges Gcxnpiiance With Flexed Damage Prevention Rules
BYSUSANUSHEB t. . _ ^ .
BY SUSAN USHER
A Fete 12 memo to Holden Beach property owners
from Mayor John Tandy stresses that violation of federal
flood damage prevention rules could hurt not only In
dividual property owners, but the entire community.
It also announces plans for stricter enfoccement ef
forts the town and urges better compliance by proper
ty owners.
The educational flood Insurance memo was promp
ted by a Sept 24 meeting among town commissioners and
state and federal representatives of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the office that
oversees the federal flood insurance program.
Commissioners Gay Atkins said the conunissloners
asked FEMA emergency management specialist Carol S.
Campbell, and N.C. Division of Emergency Management
Director Berry Williams to meet with them to clarify
quesUons regarding the town’s UabUity. Several towns
already been sued, by either pr^»riy owners or
FisMA.
While some North Carolina communities will be
checked this year for compliance, Atkins said. “I
gathered we are in excellent shape. We’re trying to cor
rect some minor problems."
She doesn't think violations on the beach are as abun
dant as alleged by some property owners. For instance,
she said, the flood insurance program covered damage to
some areas that adjoining property owners might have
thought were In violation.
According to the memo, the most common and moat
serious violation of the regulations are improvements
made on the ground level.
FEMA offlciala stressed in September that ownere of
a property found in violation could lose their coverage
and that the town could be placed on probation for failure
to enforce the regulations, with higher insurance
premiums the result fw property owners.
In the worst scenario, the town could lose Its
eligibility for the program, which would have “an ex
tremely adverse economic Impact upon the entire com
munity," according to the memo. Included would be loss
of flood insurance availability and of any kind of federal
aid to the town.
in {September a conuniiiee composed of Cumiais-
sioners Ha! Sta.nley and WUliam WlUlaniaon and Town
Administrator Bob Buck was appointed to prepare a sim
ple explanation of the program for homeowners. The
memo, reviewed by FEMA and the commissiMiers, Is the
result
To Report Violations
The memo states that the building inspector is to try
to identify buildings which have improvements made il
legally. The owners will be requested to remote the Im
provements and FEMA notified of the violation.
“If the violation Is not coirected within a reasonable
time FEMA will be Informed," the memo continues,
“and that agency has indicated that it will take action to
either cancel the insurance for that building or will
retroactively charge a substantially higher premium to
cover the improvements."
In January, Holden Beach Commissioners amended
the town’s flood damage prevention ordinance to allow
the building inspector to enter buildings being con
structed or rehabilitated if a violation is suspected.
Tandy’s memo suggests individuals planning to build
on the beach first discuss the regulations with town of-
HHnla.
It also urges property owners with finished areas
below the base flood elevation that were completed after
Jan. 19,1978, to either remove the in^)rovements or to
have their Insurance agent inspect the premises and ad
just their premiums as needed for the coverage to be
legal and adequate.
Base flood elevations on the beach range from 13 feet
to 19 feet above mean high water.
Such finished areas added without a permit are il
legal under the state buiiding code as weii as under flood
regulations, the memo notes. While the property owner
might be willing to risk the loss of flood Insurance
coverage if the violation were discovered, the town could
still be held liable “for its failure to enforce the regula
tions and prevent or have the violation corrected."
According to the memo, some property owners
believe if flood insurance isn’t desired and no mortgage is
involved that finished areas may be constructed at
ground level.
However, it isn’t aUowed by either FEMa regula
tions or the state building code.
Homes built on Holdm Beach before Jan. 19,1978,
when the town joined tlie insurance program, were
“grandfathered" and may be covered by flood Insurance
regardless of whether th^ comply with flood prevention
regulations. However, those built o*' substantially im
proved since then may not be insured agabHt'floftrf
damage unless certified by the town building irupe^r
being in compliance with these regulations.
as