THT
nm lA 8^1
Twenfy.fifth Year, Number 36
VICKiftACON
IVQ/ inc BKUntMr^n otr«wi«
Carolina, Thursday, July 16, 1987
25c Per Copy
28 Pages Plus Insert
TRY SPIHELESS
CONGRESS
NOT COL NORTH
Varnamtown
Looks At
Incorporation
€TW . i-i-.tlA KViJiaf * ^ ‘
CP •Srr *47
’ iST T/’
Sign Speaks Sellers' Mind
V. - *'L >. '• ** ■
‘ ^ f '■ 1
StAfF PHOTO ev SUSAN USHfB
When Shallottc businessman Robert H. Sellers has strong convictions on an
issue, he doesn’t hesitate to speak up. Tuesday raomlug he erected this sign
along U.S. 17 south of Shallottc in support of Col. Oliver North, the subject of
Congressional hearings this week on his role in the Iran-Contra controversy.
Sellers, who was following the hearings on a portable TV set in his office,
said, “I sec this whole charade as having one purpose: the liberal element of
America tr> ing to destroy a good president who has received the largest vote
in two elections the people of this nation have ever given.” But, he added, "I
think Col. North has turned the tables on the lily left.” I^cal North sup
porters are advertising this week for those of similar mind to contribute to
North’s legal defense fund.
BY MAIUORIE MEGIVEUN
Varnamtown is a quiet fishing
village determined to stay that way.
Many residents of the little communi
ty near Holden Beach believe incor
poration might be tlie way to do it.
The Rev. Tracie Varnum revealed
earlier this month that two meetings
on the subject had already been held,
and a third is set for Sept. 11.
A leader in the move, Varnum said.
“We’re considering this because we
want to retain our way of life and
have some .say-so about it. We fear
anne.xation by nearby incorporated
areas.”
He declined to specify which pre
sent or future town was considered a
threat, but Rep. David Redwine said
Tuesday he believed residents were
concerned about the adjoining
I^ckwood Folly Golf Course.
Redwine said he had been ap
proached several months ago by Var-
Calabash Council Heads Toward Staggered Terms
BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN
With all but one member (Sonia
Stevens) present, the Calabash Town
Council voted enthusiastically Mon
day to pursue a change in the towTi
charter, allowing for staggered
terms for council meiiibeis.
It is now one of the few l)oards in
Brunswick County with all seats up
for re-election every two j'ears.
Councilman Robert Webber in
troduced the subject. “It concerns
me that the council could liave a com
plete turnover every two years,” he
said.
As his colleagues nodded agree
ment, Council Member Pati
I/2wellyn said, “We were at a
tremendous disadvantage when wo
all were elected at the same time two
years ago, and we’re just beginning
to get our feet on the ground.”
It was her motion to request Town
Attorney Mike Ramos to pursue the
appropriate procedure that would
enable the town to elect the five
members to staggered terms.
Ramos said Tuesday the town
charter provided for amendment
without recourse to the General
.\s.sembly.
“They just have to adopt a resolu
tion of intent to modify the charter,”
he said, “then advertise a public
hearing on that intent at least ten
days before the hearing date. The
hearing must be held within 45 days
of adoption of the resolution, and
within 60 days after the hearing, they
must adopt the amended charter."
The council also asked Jerry Lewis
of I.ewis Associates in Shallottc to
give the lo’vn an estimate on costs of
a first phase of their water .sy.stein.
“Forty thousand dollars is wlial we
have," I^wellyn said. "Tell us what
we can do for that.”
A recent decision was to proceed
with a segment of the system, to be
funded from various savings ac
counts. then assess property owners
for tlu* following segments. This
could be done without a referendum,
while assessment of all property
owners for the con'ph'te «vstein re
quires General /\sscmbly approval
and a referendum. The necessary bill
was approved, but council members
expressed doubts a referendum
(See CAI^B.ASH, Page2-A)
namtown resident Eimis Swain.
“We talked a long lime, and I read
between the line.s that they were
afraid tlie I.ockwnod-Foll'y golf
course people were going to incorpor-
pate in order to get alcoholic
beverage permits, and that’s right
next to them, so they might be annex
ed,” Redwine explained.
Fears of annexation by a new
municipality. Redwine .said, sprang
from a Wilmington newspaper story,
in which a principal in the golf course
development was quoted as saying
ihey were considering incorporation.
“I told them I knew the developers
there were definitely not interested
in incorporating, but if they had other
reasons. I’d be glad to give them in
formation and guide them,” Redwine
went on. “In June I sent Swain some
materials on the subject, and I
haven’t heard any more from them.”
Recent legislation introduced by
Redwine allows golf courses in the
county to serve alcoholic beverages,
removing this as a reason for incor
poration.
Swain could not be reached for
comment at press time, but Carl and
Gary Galloway expressed strong
reservations about becoming a
municipality.
Gary Galloway has attended
previous meetings on the subject,
and said they had attracted 75-100
people. “I don’t think much of the
idea,” he said. “I don’t know any
benefits we’d get from it.”
Carl Galloway more vehemently
declared, “It's all right as tong as
they leave ever>ihing just the way it
is now!”
Marsh Lots Face Zoning Change At Holden Beach
BY TERRY I'UPE
A zoning change that would allow development on
eroding marsh lots at Holden Beach drew some
criticism at a public hearing Monday night.
'fhe amendment would act similarly to one propos
ed for eroding canal lots on the island. It would allow
developers to count previously platted, but
undevelopable, marsh land as part of the lot when figur
ing the area of land needed for building a home.
Resident John Clarke .said commissioners should
vote against the amendment because some “marsh
would count as usable land" when the original lots have
never suffered from erosion.
"I agree that persons who purchase lots platted
with a full 100-foot depth, but have suffered erosion,"
Clarke stated in a memo to the board, “should be per
mitted modifications comparable to those available to
canal lots.”
Commissioners approved an amendment in June
allowing construction on canal lots which have less than
100 feet of depth due to erosion, provided the owner will
bulkhead the lot at a line established by the Corps of
Engineers or CAMA (Coastal Area Management) of
ficials prior to the issuance of a building permit.
Planning and Zoning Board Chairman Alan Holden
told commissioners Monday that problems with
developing canal lots now suffering from erosion still
exist on the island.
“It’s unfair to those of us who are trying to build to
have to wait for the state to send someone down to tell
us where we can locate a seaw’all,” Holden said.
Building Inspector Dwight Carroll, the town’s local
CAMA official, said state officials have fallen behind in
their work, causing delays for contractors.
“It’s been over a month since CAMA has had so
meone on the beach,” Carroll said.
Another resident, James Calvin, spoke against the
marsh lot amendment, saying the town has given
“preferential treatment” to canal lots in the past at the
expense of other property owTiers on the beach.
"Marsh is being used a lot extender.” Calvin
said, “in much the same way as elevator shoes arc used
to increase someone's height.”
The planning and zoning board has recommended
the change to commissioners, who are expected to vote
on the amendment at the August meeting.
Bed and Breakfast
A public hearing on a proposed change In the zoning
ordinance that would allow bed and breakfast homes on
the island also received a few comments Monday.
Resident Rose Cole said there is a need for bed and
breakfast homes on the island for "persons who don't
want to rent a large house for a week” at the beach.
Ms. Cole said she would rather live next door to a
bed and breakfast home than a rental cottage because it
offers a different atmosphere. Bed and breakfast
homes are actually quieter and have fewer visitors than
rental homes during the summer .season, she said.
The ordinance would lestrict bed and breakfast
homes to R-2 (residential) and Ol (commercial)
districLs with a limit of two double-beds per bedroom, a
limit of eight bedrooms and at least one offslreet park
ing space per bedroom.
State health regulations also require a private bath
for each bedroom.
"riiat may be one of the ways we can restrict it
from just anyone opening up their house as a bed and
breakfast home,” Ms. Cole said.
The board also set a public hearing for the Aug. 3
meeting to receive comments on proposed changes to
the commercial zoning ordinance.
The changes would list acceptable businesses
within the commercial district.
Also, seven lots on Ocean Boulevard West (101,103,
107, 109, 111, 113 and 115) and two lots on Ocean
Boulevard East (108 and 110) would be rezoned to com
mercial use. C-1.
(See Related Stor>', Page 2-A)
-I-
Ol
Residents Upset With Fir
Sewer Bills At Ocean Isle
BY TERRY POPE
Some Ocean Isle Beach residents
think their June sewer bills were a
little too high, but towTi officials say
the first-year rates should have
caught no one by surpri.se.
I^st week, residents were billed
for both water and sewer services for
the montli of June. It marked the first
billing period for a full month of
.sewer service since the town’s new
sewage treatment plant began
operating May 1.
Town Clerk Alberta Tatum said
property owners were calling the
town hall to complain last week but
that they were paying the bills.
“We wouldn’t have been hit so hard
luith nponle complaining had the first
month of billing not been such a busy
month like June,” Ms. Tatum .said.
Sewer fees are determined by the
amount of water a household uses.
Any water passing through Uie water
meter is assumed to also pa.^s
through the town’s sewer system.
Since June is a peak rental month
when water usage is expected to be
high, the sewer bills were also ex
pected to be higher than other mon
ths, Ms. Tatum said.
She believes Uie reality of liaving to
pay for the sewer .services didn’t
■'.sink in” with tin; properly owners
until the June bills arriv(^ in the
mail last week.
“That’s when they started .saying,
’I lost my rate sheet. I don’t know
what’s going on.’ ” she added.
Ms. Tatum said all property
owners were mailed rate sheets for
sewer service on April 24. A letter
was also mailed to residents explain
ing that the rate schedule had !)een
adopted by town commissioners bas
ed on the projected cost of operation,
maintenance and debt service the
town must pay for the new $6.5
million .sewer sy.stcm.
Rates for Ocean Isle property
owners are. for 3/4 inch meters
(typical of single-family homes and
condominium units) a minimum of
$16.23 per month for up to 3,000
gallons of water used, plus $2.68 for
each additional 1,000 gallons.
Residents were also mailed a chart
showing what the typical property
owner could expect to pay per month
for sewer service for i967-o8. For
4.000 gallons of water, the typical
residential bill would be $20.91; for
6.000 gallons, $26.27; for 9,000 gallons,
$34.31; and for 10,000 gallons. $36.99.
Ms. Tatum said the sewer rates at
Ocean Isle are comparable to
charges for sewer at North Myrtle
Beach. S.C. Charges there depend on
whether one lives inside or outside
the town limits.
On a 3/4 inch meter at North Myr
tle Reach, the miiiiiimiu dmi^c tui
city residents is $6.80 for the first
4.000 gallons of water used and $1.70
for each additional 1.000 gallons. For
out-of-town residents, the charge is a
minimum of $12.16 for the first 4,000
(See OCEAN ISLE, Page 2-A)
y.>
Ocean isle Gets Sidewalks
SI AFF BHOtO av KRRT POPF
Construction crew.s began pouring the first sidewalks Sidewalks will also be built on First and Second streets
for Ocean Isle Beach pedestrian traffic last Thursday with the town’s $200,000 in re.serve funds. "We’ve had
afternoon. Undberg Bellamy of Supply, employee of several firsts at Ocean I.sle this year.” said Commis-
Brunswick Concrete Construction Co., adds the final sinner l)el»bic Fox. “I’m happy to see this.”
touches to the first .segment in front of the town hall.