Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / July 26, 1990, edition 1 / Page 2
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Near-Tragedy Raises Concern About Sunset Beach Bridge It was approximately li a.m. Monday when the call camc through: a possible drowning off the west end of Sunset Beach. Sunset Beaeh Patrolman Lisa Hoagland, a strong swimmer, headed Irom the mainland toward the island in her squad car, a quick response in mind, "if 1 couldn't have gotten to her myself. 1 would have called rescue." she said later. Instead, tlx- young officer received a lesson in frustration. During the summer season, the Sunset Beach Bridge opens on the hour during the day to allow passage of boat traffic along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Mrs. Hoagland waited what seemed to her a very long seven minutes at'the pontoon bridge, helpless to act. Then she proceeded across the causcway to the island's w est end. "Time w as important." she recalled later that dav. Potentially critical minutes had already ivcn lost, as the people on the strand had had to first get to a phone to report the emergency. That call was answered bv the Brunswick County Sheriff's Department, whose dispatcher then radioed Sunset Beach Police Department to re spond. "Every minute counts, especially in a life-threatening situation like that." Mrs. Hoagland said. "It upsets me really that people want to keep this bridge." The pontoon bridge is scheduled for replacement with a high-rise fixed-span bridge, with construction to begin in the fall. However, island property owners arc divided on the fate of the pontoon bridge. For 10 years those who want the pontoon bridge to remain in use have fought its replacement, citing the high cost, potential environmental damage and the rapid growth and higher density they associate with the proposal bridge. "But what if a child were struck by a car and you couldn't get there?" asked Mrs. Hoagland, the newest member of the town's small policc force. "Opponents say the bridge could be closed in an emergen cy. But you can't close the bridge when a barge is going through. They can't stop that fasL" Mrs. Hoagland figures she was lucky Monday. No one drowned. A strong undertow had caught a sw immer and swept her out into the Atlantic Ocean. By the lime the officer reached the west end beach, the rescue was complete and the swimmer was recovering from her ordeal. "Thank goodness there were people there who were good swimmers and went out and got her." Mrs. Hoagland said. Holden Beach Continues Search For New Manager Hotdcn Bcach Commissioners continued their search for a new town manager last week, interv iew ing six candidates hut making no decisions at a special meeting Tues day. The town board met in executive session for nearly two hours Tues day morning to discuss the hiring of someone to replace outgoing Town Manager Gus Ulrich, who announc ed his plans to resign in early May. Commissioners interviewed six applicants during closed-door ses sions last Thursday, Friday and Sat urday. The people interviewed were chosen from a field of about 65 ap plicants, said Commissioner Gloria Barrett, a member of the town's per sonnel committee. Town officials planned to meet Friday at 10 a.m. for another inter view and might make an offer at that time, Mrs. Barrett said follow ing Tuesday's meeting. Commissioners had originally scheduled three interviews for this Friday. But Mrs. Barrett said all three applicants wanted more mon ey than the town board is willing to offer, and all three decided against interviews. Ulrich is paid $32,500 per year. The salary of the new town manag cr will bo negotiated, according to a career opportunity noticc published in die June N.C. 1-eague of Munici palities newsletter. An identical ad vertisement was placed in the Inter national City Managers Association publication. Holden Beach officials arc searching for a person with a mas ters degree in public administration and at least five years experience in municipal government, according to the advertisement. It described Holden Beach as a resort community with a permanent population of 3M) and seasonal pop ulation of 6,(XX). The town board arrr*nipfl annlirofi/\nc ?hroiil!h Jm!v r WMUU5M ?,ui; 15. Ulrich, who originally said he would resign July 12, is still work ing for the town. He announced in late June that he would stay on as fr\wn m*>rv?or?r lhrr\noh ihn man??or?r u ??e search process. Ulrich, who is Holden Beach's first town manager, started working for the town in January 1989. He turned in his letter of resignation May 7, saying the responsibilities of the job required more working time llian he would like to spend and the job was "more absorbing" than he anticipated. Shallotte Reappoints Carter As Fire Chief Tim Carter was reappointed Shal lotte Fire Chief last week as the town board of Aldermen accepted a list officers recommended by the volunteer fire department members. Carter, who has served the town as fire chief since 1987, was unani mously reappointed for another year during last Wednesday's town meet ing. Other volunteer fire department officers appointed last week were David Moore, assistant chief; Tony Hcwett, captain; Ricky Danford, first lieutenant; Danny Rodcn, sec ond lieutenant; and Sandra Roberts, sec re tary /'treasurer. In oilier business last week, al dermen adopted a zoning map that had been on hold since last fall when the board adopted a new set of zoning ordinances. Several changes have been made in ihe map since ii was first pro posed, in response to property own ers who complained about changes in the zoning of their individual lots. Aldermen approved one such re vision last week, changing the zon ing of Main Street property between the Shalloltc River Bridge and Tripp's Jewel Shop from Highway Business to Central Business. The changc was requested by C&S Development Inc., and it will allow the corporation to sell indi vidual ioLs in the olu Lewis Shop ping Center. The owners of those lots will be able to build shops with out having to meet side yard set backs lliat arc required in the High way Business district. C^) Take home... Enjoy our special salt water taffy & seashell candy yourself or give them as gifts from the coast. And for those cooks on your list don't forget our spicy crab boil, mustards, jellies and more! ec ^ >? Beary Sunrise Sq. Sunsel Lieach, 579-5990 i r-r-rrn ctidc r~~r~\K ITDrw/CDCV LLI I LIN J I ll\J V^vniiw /uwi County Planning Board Tables Request For Elevation Variance In Sea Breeze BY BOH IIOKNE The Brunswick County Planning Board last Wednesday night decided 11 needed more lime to think about the first-ever appeal for a variance ol elevation requirements under the county Flood Prevention Ordinance. W.A. Roach of Roach Realty requested the variance for six lots in Sea Bree/c subdiv Uion off N.C. 130 in the Holdcn Beach area. The Plan ning Board tabled action on the request until its next meeting. Roach requested the variance on "justifiable hardship grounds." All six of the lots arc sold. Roach said. When a member of the Planning Board asked what the hardship was, he answered, "The luudship is that I'll have to buy them back. And if 1 have to buy them hick, I'll have to see if someone else does n't buy them back." Roach produced a letter dated May 6, P>86 in which Don Eggert, of die county Planning De partment. stated: "According to National Flood Insurance Maps, Lots 92 through 99 of Sea Bree/c Subdivision are located in the IIihhI haz ard area. No other lots in this subdivision are lo cated in the flood hazard area." In that letter, Eggeri wrote that the flix*! ele vation of lots 92 through 99 is 13 feet above mean sea level and that the first-floor elevation of any structure must he 14 feet above mean sea level. "Mr. Harvey, you told Don to write that let ter," Koach saui during the Planning Board meet ing. "So don't try to put it off on Don." After the meeting, Harvey said he had no knowledge of the 1986 letter until it was called to his attention last month after he performed a "flood check" of Lot 1(X) in Sea Brce/c and de termined the elevation to be 13 feet and the fin ished firsi-floui elevation of any Miuv-iufC would have to be a loot above thai level, oi 14 feet. However, Roach says Harvey instructed Eg geit to write the ieuer. "i was standing in his of fice when Mr. Harvey told Don to write it," Roach said after the meeting. Roach also said permits have been issued lor four other lots in the subdivision that were lower than some of the lots that have now been flagged and said one was issued as late as March of this year, and questioned why. Planning Director John Harvey said it's possible a mistake was made in his department. Of the six lots?numbers 85, 86, 88, 90. 91, 1(H)?Lot KX) is the lowest, according to "Harvey. It is at building site ground elevation of 7.9 feet. The minimum 36-inch elevation and the eight inch minimum chassis thickness of a mobile home bring it to 11.6 feet when rounded off, or 2.4 feet below the 14-foot minimum. Loi 91 is seven-tenths of a foot below the 14 foot minimum, while Lot 88 is 1.5 feet below, lot 85 1.8 feet below. Lot 90 1.9 feet below anil Lot 86 2.0 feet below the 14-foot minimum. Eight other lots that have building site ground elevation at or below l(X)-ycar flood elevation exceed the finished first-floor elevation requirement of 14 feet when the 36-inch and minimum chassis thickness are applied. County Attorney David Clegg attended the meeting and, from a legal standpoint, recom mended that the Planning Board approve ihe variance. Clegg said this is the first variance re i|uesi since uie county FluvnJ Damage Prevention Ordinance was adopted in March 1987. "But I think it will be used again and again," he said. Board members John Barbee and Alan Hold cn expressed concern regarding flood insurance rates for anyone purchasing such lots without the lots being filled. "I think this just shows another reason why these subdivisions need elevation put on them," said Barbee, an insurance agent. "1 think it would be a disservice for us to allow people to build on iots that arc below the fiixxl level." The Planning Board approved five prelimi nary plat proposals and replats. Section 2, Stone Chimney Ridge; Ocean Haven Subdivision; Lakcwood Estates; Gooseneck Farms Subdivi sion and Cape Plaza Subdivision. Shallotte Hikes Development Costs (Continued From Pane 1 - A) Minimum fees have jumped from $500 lo $600 for residences and from S(4X) to $1,125 for businesses. Fees are double outside the town limits. Acreage fees have been set at S500 per acre for water and S5(X) per acre for sewer for land zoned residential and conservation. Owners of commercial land will have to pay $1,000 per acre for wa ter and Sl.(XK) per acre for sewer. Fees for property zoned for industri al nsf arc SI ,250 ivr acre for water and $ 1.250 per acre for sewer. The water and sewer acreage fees outside town will be SI,(XX) per acre for property zoned or otherwise re stricted for residential or conserva tion use. Fees for all other land out of town will be S2,(XX) per acre for water and S2/XX) per acre for sewer. The town originally proposed combining the water and sewer acreage fees, which would make the fee SI,(XX) per acre for residential property. Following the public hear ing, however, officials split the t?o fees to make it less costly for prop erty owners w ho only want water or sewer. Ordinances setting the fees werc adopted without discussion last week following an hour-long execu tive session called at the start of the meeting to discuss attorney-client matters. Once they returned to open ses sion, aldermen went quickly through the seven-item meeting agenda. The town hall air condition er was inoperative for the meeting, and electric fans were used to try to keep the meeting room cool. At the public hearing on the fees, Shallotte area developers, including Larry Shrcvc, who is developing Brierwood Estates, said the pro posed fees werc so high that they wou'J discourage building and re strict future growth of Shallotte. Mayor Jerry Jones said following last week's meeting he doesn't ex pect growth to slop "I don't think it will have any drastic impact on de velopment, but tiiat's yet to be seen. 1 cciiaiuly hope we'll keep grow ing." The town has to raise money somehow, he said, so it can expand the sewer system when current ca pacily is readied and expansion is needed. "If wc don't do something, when lhat sewer's used up we'll nave lo slop giowing." Besides approving the new fees lasi week, aldermen adopted a new policy on handling voluntary annex ation, or annexation requested by the landowner, aimed al ensuring orderly growth. The policy says the town only will consider annexation of im proved or planned developments. The town board will not consider annexation of vacant properly where there are no specific plans for development. Developers or property owners are required lo extend water and sewer lines 10 the land lo be an nexed and then turn those lines over lo the town. The landowner also is required lo construct streets thai comply with town specifications and pay for surveys needed for an nexation. Before the land is annexed, the owner will have to pay out-of-town acreage fees. Capital reserve fees, permit lees and lap-on fees wouid be paid following annexation. Adoption of the fees and the an nexation policy have melted a "freeze" on annexation that the h<iard of aldermen imposed last fall. Officials established the freeze lo give them lime lo gel the new poli cy and fees in place. Shalloiie has received four re quests for annexation since the freeze was adopted last October. I he planning board has been asked for recommendations on the re quests. Aldermen will hold public hearings on the requests Wednesday, Aug. 15, al 7:30 p.m. in the town hall. Jerry McLamb asked for annexa tion of four tracts located on both sides of ihe U.S. 17 Shallollc by pass al its intersection with Mulberry Street. The four tracts make up about 31 acres. John Parker and LaDanc Bullington requested annexation of about seven acres they own at die intersection of Smith Avenue and the bypass. Certified Construction Inc. and Philip W. Brown each requested an nexation of single lots on Country Club Drive in Brierwood Estates. Area Can Expect Typical Weather "Fairly normal" weather for laic July is in the forecast for the Shallotte area, meteorologist Jack son Canady said Tuesday. Both temperature and rainfall levels should be near-normal, with temperatures ranging from the low er 70s at night to around 90 during die day, and rainfall accumulation of between three-quarters of an inch to an inch. For the period of July 17-23 Canady recorded a maximum high of 95 degrees, which occurred on the 23rd. The minimum low of 68 degrees occurred on the 18ih. An aveiagc daily high of 91 de grees and a nightly average low of 7? degrees combined for an average daily temperature of 81 degrees, which Canady said is about one de gree above average. He recorded .69 inch of rainfall at his Shallotte Point home, but said accumulations varied elsewhere in the county. Chiropractic Center of Shallotte/Ocean Isle llwy. 179, Ocean Isic, 579-3502 Dr. H.J. "Skip" Davis Most Insurances Accepted Mon.-Fri. 8:30-12 H 1:30-5:30, Thurs. 3:30-12 llwy W4 i Mile H w>, 179 Rd Sunset - ? Bcjth *[>R DAVIS OcejnWr Longwood Man Critically Injured In Tuesday Wreck A Longwood man was critically injured Tuesday afternoon when the tractor of a tractor-trailer slid into his automobile about one-half mile north of the Shallottc city limits on U.S. 17. J. D. Hcwctt, 65, was in critical condition in New Hanover Memorial Hospital Tuesday night, according to suite Highway Patrol Trooper W. H. Thompson. Douglas L. Roach, 30, of Wilmington, was driving a 1986 Freightliner, owned by D and L Trucking of Wilmington, north on U.S. 17 during a rain when a vehicle in front of him slowed to turn into Rainbow Video, Thompson said. Roach lost control of his truck and slid sideways into the south bound lane of U.S. 17 and struck the 1986 Pontiac driven by Hcwctt. Thompson said. Roach was uninjured, according to the trooper. Thompson estimated damage at S3,500 to Hcwett's car and $500 to the truck. Charges arc pending, he said, but he added that the wet high way "was what caused him (Roach) to slide." Man Charged With ABC Store Break-In A Shallouc man arrested Tuesday ? ?????? U.iimt knl<l ? n f\tin wuj in iii^, nviu ??? ^-?? uno?? iv?v v^v/um ty Jail under 510,000 bond after be ing charged with breaking into the Shallouc ABC store. Authorities chargcd 23-year-old Brain Lloyd Wheeler of Shallouc with breaking and entering Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., about a half hour af ter receiving a report of the break in, said Shallouc Police Chief Rod ney Cause. Gause said someone tried to break into the ABC store sometime Monday night or Tuesday morning. County ABC Store Grand Opening Set The first store for the Bruns wick County ABC Board will have its grand opening Friday at 4 p.m. The store, which actually opened June 30, is located on Holdcn Beach Road about 1 1/2 miles from the Hoiden Beach Causeway. Remarks at the grand opening will be made by ABC Board Chairman Joyce Vercen, board members John Ramsey and Clyde Babson, county commis sion Chairman Gene Pinkerton and Guy Potts of the state ABC Commission. Miss Brunswick County, Wendy Williams, will cut the ribbon. Nothing was stolen from the store. Thr person first kicked the store's front glass door, which crackcd but didn't shatter, and then apparently punched through a small glass win dow on the Wall Street side of the building, according to Gause. H1 ?inc fnnnH vw?ir thj* bfOkCH window, Gausc said. "We traced the blood almost back to the residence (of the suspect)," he said. Wheeler lives close to the ABC store, Gausc said, and had moved to town a few weeks ago. He said Wheeler was seen walking outside the store while police investigated the break-in. THE BRUNSWICK# BEACON Established Nov. 1, 1962 Telephone 754-6890 Published Every Thursday At 4709 Main Street Shallotte, N.C. 28459 SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY One Year S10.30 Six Months S5.50 ci cciiiucnr in uonm /*An/M ilia ukwuiviiuiL in nui 1111 unnuLiim One Year S14.80 Six Months S7.85 ELSEWHERE IN U.S.A. One Year S15.95 Six Months S8.35 Second class postage paid at the Post Office in Shallotte, N.C. 28459. USPS 777-780 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE lO THE BRuNSWiCKfeBEACOM POST OFFICE BOX 2558 SHALLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28459 AND GET ISLAND LIVING, TOO! ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: Sr Citizen In Brunswick County U6 30 LI5.30 N.C Sales Tax .32 .27 Poslage Charge 3 68 3 68 TOTAL 10.30 9.25 Elsewhere in North Carolina U6 30 J5 30 N.C. Sales Tax .32 .27 Postage Charge 8 18 8 18 TOTAL 14.80 13.75 Outside North Carolina LI6.30 J5 30 Postage Charge 9.65 9.65 TOTAL 15.95 14.95 Complete And Return To Above Address Name Address City, State Zip
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 26, 1990, edition 1
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