Committee
A public hearing will be held
tonight (Thursday) in Bolivia by a
state legislative committee studying
the use of septic tank systems for
sewage treatment and disposal.
The hearing begins at 7 p.m. in the
Public Assembly Building at the
Brunswick County Government
Center.
Rep. E. David Redwine of Ocean
Isle Beach is House co-chairman for
the panel, the Small Water SupJ
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Twenty-sixth Year,
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Sunset B
BY RAHN ADAMS
Despite a plea from one of its
members, the Sunset Beach Taxpayers'
Association took no official
position Saturday on an issue which
is at the center of a lawsuit between a
dozen property owners and the Town
of Sunset Beach over a proposed
public beach access area.
Parking-related concerns
dominated Saturday morning's hourlong
meeting of the taxpayers'
association at the Sunset Beach
voiunieer r ire Department?the
first of three meetings to be held by
the group during the year.
About 100 association members attended
Saturday's gathering, which
was the first meeting under the
organization's new president, Albert
Wells. Earlier this year. Wells was
chosen to replace Sunset Beach
Mayor Mason Barber, who stepped
down as head of the association last
fall after being elected mayor.
Other officers are Alan Russ, vice
president; Minnie Hunt, secretary;
and Barber, treasurer. Association
directors include Wells, Barber,
Russ, Ms. Hunt, Warren Knapp,
Susan Shipley and Frank Ncsmith.
Lawsuit Discussed
Discussion of the "12th Street"
lawsuit surfaced during the taxpayers'
meeting when Charlotte resident
Everett L. Wohlbruck asked the
association to clarify its position
either for or against the location of
scattered public parking areas on the
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THE CALABASH RIVEK figured large
survey of Calabash residents. Most res|
the town's character and the river, whili
front park.
To Hear Publi
plv/Septic Tank Systems Study Committee.
The committee wants to hear from
citizens concerned about issues
related to the permitting of septic
tanks.
Those wishing to speak are asked
to contact either Redwine, at 754-4326
in advance of the meeting, or to sign
up at the start of the meeting. Each
registered speaker will be allowed
five minutes and are also asked to
provide a written copy of their
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INGPORT Ml 49284
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each Taxnc
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island.
Wohlbruck, who is one of 12 Sunset
Beach property owners being sued by
the town, said he was "confused" by
the association's past positions on
scattered parking.
Citing a story in The Brunswick
Beacon on last April's taxpayers'
meeting, he noted that the association
took a stand against the town's
proposal to seek state funds to
develop four public beach access
areas until an overall parking plan is
adopted by the town.
The four proposed areas were
located at 12th Street, the dead end of
Main Street at Madd Inlet, 27th
Street and in the west end dunes.
However, at last April's meeting,
the association also stated that it
favored public beach access and
development of a long-range access
plan to protect and preserve the
nature of the beach.
The site on 12th Street?a 30-foot
wide, undeveloped gully from Main
Street to Canal Drive?would have
included seven parking spaces and a
dune crossover.
In February, the town filed suit
against the 12 property owners who
withdrew the undeveloped street
from town dedication last October
after they obtained the property from
Sunset Beach developer and town
councilman Ed Gore.
Defendants in the suit include
Wohlbruck, Nancy A. Wohlbruck,
John F. Youngblood III, Nita W.
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SIAII PMOIO B? OOUC. BUIIIC
iy in responses to a recent land use I
pendents said they want to preserve i
? some would nlso like to see a water- i
I
ic's Comment
remarks to the committee's clerk at
the hearing.
Currently the committee is looking
at both innovative systems and at
possible revision of the rules currently
regulating sewage treatment and
disposal.
At a meeting Friday at 10 a.m. in
Southport's City Hall board room
(the old Brunswick County courthouse),
the committee will hear
from various researchers and firms
on innovative systems in use in North
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Shallot!?. North Cnrnlinn
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ivers Take
Youngblood, Richard L. I>ayton,
Karen S. l^ayton, Samuel S. Conly
III, Vivian S. Conly, Richard C.
Hogg, JoAnne S. Hogg, Larry W.
Calhoun and Patricia B. Calhoun.
According to the lawsuit, the town
has asked that the withdrawal be invalidated
and that the defendants
pay the cost of the legal action.
The suit contends that the street
was dedicated to town use in 1976
when land at the eastern end of
Sunset Beach was platted, and that
the town has 15 years from the time
of dedication to open and use the
street. A complicating factor,
however, is that the street originally
was platted and dedicated in 1958.
At Saturday's meeting, Wohlbruck
explained that he and the other
defendants withdrew the property
mainly because they feel their vacation
homes would be abused by
beachgoers using the proposed access
area.
But a Shoreline Drive man at the
meeting pointed out that
Wohlbruck's efforts to block the access
area also affectod town
residents on the mainland section of
Sunset Beach by denying them
places to park on the island.
"If you could tell me that the parking
would only be used by people like
you," Wohlbruck assured the
mainland resident, "I'd deed it over
to the town right now."
Despite several requests from
Wohlbruck, the association took no
vote 011 whether or not it supported
scattered parking in general.
After the meeting, Wells noted that
the association previously took positions
"only on specific proposals for
beach parking," in reference to the
group's action last April.
"At the same time, we are on
record in favor of public parking and
public access to the beach," he added.
Wohlbruck told The Brunswick
Beacon, "If nothing else, it (a group
vote) would have cleared up in my
mind where the Sunset Beach Taxpayers'
Association stands. Maybe at
this point we've got two different
views."
Judgment Awaited
During discussion of the 12th Street
issue, Wells emphasized the impact
that a decision in another legal
case?one involving ownership of an
oceanfront lot?will have on parking
at Sunset Beac'n.
Earlier in the meeting, Ms. Hunt
told the gathering that a judgment
was still pending in a lawsuit filed by
the association against the firm
Sunset Beach and Twin Lakes Inc.
The case was heard in Brunswick
County Superior Court last
(SeeSUNSET, Page 2-A)
Calabash I
BY DOUG RUTTER
Most Calabash property owners
want the town to grow at a moderate
rate and favor annexation of adjacent
developments, according to
results of a recent citizen survey.
Those responding listed the provision
of adequate water and sewer
service, control and guidance of land
development within the town and
maintaining the character of the
lAixin *?e fKn 4 1Al? *
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Jevelopment issues.
The survey was conducted to
receive public input for the town's
first land use plan, being developed
t>y Ken Weeden of Talbert, Cox &
\ssociates of Wilmington.
A total of 32 persons participated in
:he survey (22 percent), which was
nailed out last month to all residents
ind property owners.
Despite problems collecting a high
s On Septic T
Carolina or cisewiieiu, ua well as
from Division of Health Services
representatives on changes it has
proposed in the regulations. Comments
from the engineering and
development communities are also
anticipated.
The meeting is open to the public.
The regulatory changes have been
put on hold pending a decision on a
proposed revamping of state government
that would would assign
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, Thursday, April 7, 1988
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NEW PRESIDENT ALBERT V
foreground) and Secretary Minnie
Commission
Employees <
BY RAHN ADAMS
Brunswick County Commissioners
next week will hear a racial
discrimination grievance which surfaced
last month involving five black
employees of the county's water
department.
Following a brief report by County
Manager John T. Smith during Monday
night's regular board meeting,
commissioners voten to meet with
the employees in an executive session
on April 11 at 7:30 p.m. in
Bolivia.
"It's my opinion that there are indications,
at least, that the grievance
should be a racial discrimination
(grievance), and they (the
employees) should address it directly
to commissioners," Smith told the
board Monday. Also, he recommendcd
that the matter be handled in
private since it involves personnel.
The grievance was first brought to
the commissioners' attention at their
March 14 meeting when one of the
employees, Percy Hewett, addressed
the board during the portion of the
meeting set aside for public comments.
Property Owr
percentage of town taxes in the past,
most surveyed said they would be
willing to pay more in exchange for
services such as sewage treatment,
county water and street improvements.
Frequent citizen complaints included
inadequate trash pick-up service
and too many mobile homes.
Of those who returned the surveys,
48 percent live in mobile homes,
while the others live in conventional
houses.
Also, 69 percent of the respondents
had lived in Calabash less than 14
years and nearly half were nonresident
property owners.
The annual household income of
nearly all participating in the survey
was more than $10,000, while 52 percent
of the households earned more
than $30,000 per year.
ank Permittin
responsibility for all environment*!
programs to a single agency.
!n Brunswick County the state's
septic tank permitting process has
prompted numerous complaints,
following a local change in how the
rules are interpreted. Under the new
approach, since November 1987 a
large number of canal beach lots and
some inland lots have not been approved
for conventional sewer
systems. At issue are definitions of
"original soil." State regulations reWtik
ft
25c Per Copy
Dn 12th Stre
/ELLS (seated, answer questions ?
Hunt (standing) the Sunset Beach 1
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CI O I KJ 7V1CCI
Dver Racial G
Hewett, who said he had been
training as an operator for eight
months, told commissioners last
month that he had a grievance which
was "on behalf of every black that
works at the water plant," although
he did not identify the other |
employees.
After Commission Chairman
Grace Beasley advised Hewett to :
discuss the complaint with Smith and !
County Attorney David Clegg, '
Hewett did not comment further on |
his grievance at last month's i
meeting. Hewett and at least two
other black water department >
employees conferred privately with i
Clegg for about 30 minutes that night. I
Cast month, Smith said the <
employees apparently were "upset I
about some promotions" that
resulted from seven new positions |
that were created in the water i
department in February. j
Following Monday's meeting.
Smith commented that the promotion i
issue was nnlv one fnrtnr in I
grievance, but he did not detail the i
employees' other complaints. I
He said he decided to refer the mat)ers
Favor
Citizens said they favored preser- i
vation of the Calabash River, limitation
of commercial development and i
signs, prohibition of high-rise structures,
enforcement of existing zoning |
and environmental laws and more
frequent patrolling by county
deputies and state Highway Patrol |
omcers. I
Most responding to the survey |
favored the town developing its own
subdivision regulations, keeping ordinances
updated, adopting a leash !
law and applying for grants for a |
sewer system. I
A slight majority favored hiring a
full-time police officer, while 60 per- I
cent of those participating in the I
survey said they would like to see 1
development of a waterfront park. <
Weeden, who presented the survey
results during a town board meeting (
last week, said these issues will be <
>
g Problems
nuirp at lpast 12 inches of original soil
must exist above the water table for
a site to be provisionally suitable for
a septic tank. Fill material?and in
the case of the canal lots, dredge
spoil?used to build up the lot doesn't
count.
Also, health officials are now interpreting
the law to mean that
driveways cannot cross over the
drain field of a septic tank, as well as
not over the tank itself.
36 Pages Plus Insert J
set Suit
STAFF PHOTO bv RAHN ADAMS
iaturday morning from members of
raxpayers' Association.
lA/j+P-fc Ci\/Q
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Grievance
ter to commissioners "just on the
evidence they (the employees) gave
me and their grievance. It seemed to
me there was evidence of such
(racial discrimination) . . . When
you looked at the facts, it really had
to come down to that."
Smith said Monday that he interviewed
the five employees on March
22. The county manager added that
he did not discuss the matter with
Water System Director Kenneth
Hewett after talking with the
employees.
"I really don't know any of the
specific charges they (the
employees) are making," Kenneth
Hewett said Tuesday. "One of them
said he wanted to talk to me, but then
he never did."
Hewett said he looked into the
PriPVPnPP last mnnth nftnr it cnrfon.
.. - ut?vt IV tlUHOl>
ed, but maintained, "I don't knowany
more now than I did then."
According to Hewett, nine of the 41
employees under his supervision are
black. Hewett said no other racial
discrimination grievances have been
Filed against the water department
(Sec GRIEVANCE. Page 2-A)
) nexation
further analyzed and that the planning
board and town council may include
them in policy statements
which will be part of the land use
plan.
In addition to addressing issues
within the town limits, the land use
pian win aiso retiect the position of
the town council in terms of desired
growth in outlying areas.
"This Ls definitely a growth area,"
said Weeden. "That's why it's so important
to have a good land use
plan."
About liaif of the tt.uuu lots in the extraterritorial
jurisdiction area
ETA) of Calabash are undeveloped,
te said. "There's a lot of room for
levelopment out there."
The ETA extends approximately
>ne mile beyond the town limits in all
lirections.