Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Feb. 7, 1991, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
CORPS SAYS WETLANDS WERE FILLED Waccamaw River Developers Accused Of Violating Rules BY DOUG RUTTER Government officials have accus ed developers of a subdivision on the Waccamaw River with illegally fill ing wetlands and violating six other environmental protection rules. Federal and state agencies have sent notices of violation to develop ers Jimmy Gore and Dale Gore for alleged violations at Rivergatc Es tates. The 100-acre-plus residential development is located off N.C. 904 next to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission boat ramp at the Col umbus County line at Pireway. While the entire subdivision lies within the floodplain of the Wacca maw River and may be subject to flooding following heavy rainfall, only portions of the property are classified as wetlands. The U.S. Army Corps of Engine ers has issued a "cease and desist" order to keep the developers from filling any more wetlands, said Wayne Wright, chief of the corps regulatory branch in Wilmington. The N.C. Land Quality section also has cited the developers for six violations of the state's sedimenta tion and erosion control program, said Dan Sams, the branch's region al engineer. Developers were cited last Sep tcmbcr for failing to submit an ap proved sedimentation and erosion control plan and failing to install sedimentation and erosion control devices on the site. Sams said the developers were cited for four more violations in November. The owners were charg ed with failing to take measures to keep sediment on site, failing to have a buffer zone between the de velopment and river, grading slopes near the river too steep and failing to provide ground cover on exposed slopes. Dale Gore said the developers should not be held responsible for most of the violations because they occurred on property after it had been sold to private landowners. "They're giving us credit for a lot of things we didn't do," Gore said. "Most of this has been done on land that has been sold." Gore refused to say who owns the land on which the violations oc curred. But he said no land has been sold to other companies or land de velopers. "When people buy land for what ever reason I think it's a private thing," Gore said. "I think it would be unethical on my part to tell ev eryone we sold land to." RIVERGATE ESTATES is located offN.C. 904 on the Waccamaw River near the Columbus County line. Board Hears Complaint The stale maintains that the viola tions happened before the land was sold. "Grading activity occurred be fore they were sold and the grading activity is what constituted the vio lations," Sams said. "You cannot sell a violation." The state engineer said the devel opers arc responsible for the initial violations. He said the state is in vestigating whether individual prop erty owners will be cited for other violations. Records on file at the Brunswick County Register of Deeds officc show that Rivcrgate Estates inc. sold at least 29 lots in the subdivi sion to various individuals between August 1987 and November 1990. Sams said his agency has never received a plat of the development. He said the state treated the subdivi sion as a whole in citing the devel opers and did not look at individual lots. The initial violations were no ticed during a routine investigation last fall. Sams said a state inspector noticed that work had started before the developers had submitted a re quired sedimentation and erosion control plan. Sams said the developers were cited for things they did and didn't do along the bank of the Waccamaw River. He said ditches were cut into the river without any means of keeping sediment from running into the river. Also, he said, a bulldozer was used at one point to push the shore line toward the river. He said that's where the Corps of Engineers got involved. Wright said the corps is investi gating to find out how many acres of wetlands were filled and what type of wetlands they were. "The only thing we know right now is that some wetlands were filled," he said. Dale Gore denies the charge that dirt was pushed into the Waccamaw River. "There absolutely has not been any dirt pushed in the river by Rivcrgate or anybody we sold lots to," he told The Brunswick Beacon. 1 i r - N > 1 STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG R UTTER iiArr mgio or DOUG RUTTCI THE N.C. I^AND QUAIJTY SECTION has cited the developers of Rivergate Estates on the Wacca maw River for six violations of the state's sedimentation and erosion control program. This photo shows an exposed slope, at right, with no visible means of keeping sediment from eroding and running into the river. Corps of Engineers officials are trying to locate aerial photos that would show exactly what was on the ground before the wetlands were filled. The corps issued its stop or der Nov. 20. The N.C. Attorney General's of fice was asked in November to seek a temporary restraining order to stop work at the development. Sams said last week that the order had not yet been issued. The maximum fine for failing to submit a sedimentation and erosion control plan is 51,000. Sams said the state director of Land Resources also can fine the developers up to $500 per day for the other viola tions. The Brunswick County Planning Board approved a preliminary plat for Rivergatc Estates in August 1986. Sincc then, the development has been rcplattcd at least twice. Gore said the county planning board has approved 67 lots for sale in the development. Most of the lots are between one-half and three quarters of an acre in size, and none are larger than an acre. On April 20, 1988, county plan ning department records show ap proval of a replat of 40 lots into 10 lots of approximately 10.5 acres each. Lots through No. 22 stayed as is. Brunswick County Health De partment reports, dated as far back as July 1986 and as recently as June 1990, indicate soils in Rivergatc Estates arc poorly drained and gen erally not suitable for subsurface sewage disposal systems. OfT-site wastewater disposal is planned for most lots in the subdivi sion, while a state permit issued July 23, 1987, by the N.C. Division of Environmental Management may be utilized for other parts of the de velopment. The N.C. Division of Environ mental Management permit will al low the developers to discharge 267,000 gallons per day of treated wastewater into the Waccamaw River from a portion of the develop ment. According to the application for that permit, the subdivision was to be a development of 700 single family residences with a clubhouse with a 200-seat restimrant and other features. The permit expires June 30, 1992. (Continued From Page 1-A) He said Mrs. McCumbee was given the option of resigning, taking retirement two years early or sus pension without pay. That suspension, which was for an indefinite period, has created fi nancial hardship for her, he said, while the entire incident has cloud ed her reputation. While Parker is convinced the school system has suspected crimi nal intent and wrongdoing, he said the school system, auditing firm and the system's insurance carrier. Blue Cross & Blue Shield, have not pro vided any evidence to that effect. "There is nothing that indicates in tentional wrongdoing," he said. Rather, the board was told, the procedural errors resulted from ad ministrative problems and Financial disarray in the school system, and a lack of guidelines and job descrip tion for Mrs. McCumbee's increas ing workload and responsibilities. The school board advised Parker and Mrs. McCumbec that their deci sion would be made Monday and that the two would be notified in writing. The board could support the staff and grievance committee's decision or alter it in some way. Mrs. McCumbee's suspension had been recommended by her supervi sor, Finance Officer Rudi Fallon. Parker and McCumbee have ask ed that the payroll supervisor's name be cleared, that she be rein stated and that she be paid for the period of the suspension. According to the 1990 audit re port, approximately 30 former em ployees continued to receive insur ance coverage through the system's plan for varying lengths of time. Those individuals included former superintendent John Kaufhold and former system employee Randy Worth, whose wife, Dorothy, is a former chairman of the school board. Worth was employed from 1980 to 1985. Under state guidelines published in the system's employee handbook, former employees may opt to con tinue their group insurance for 18 months. But they arc to pay the full premium plus another 2 percent. The premiums arc to be paid direct ly to the carrier, not to the school system, which is to delete the for mer employee from the insurance rolls. These procedures were not uniformly implemented for all those leaving the system's employ. The school system had paid approxi mately S13.000 in premiums on be half of Worth, for example, while he has paid nearly $9,000 in premiums to the school system. Former employees owe the schools approximately $15,000, ac cording to Mrs. Fallon. Blue Cross & Blue Shield has not notified the school system regarding any sums that it may be due for benefits paid to ineligible past em ployees. Insurance program discrepancies is one of a series of procedural prob lems identified in the 1990 audit that the school system is taking steps to address. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON POST OFFICE BOX 2558 SHALLOTTE. NORTH CAROLINA 28459 FOR AWARD-WINNING NEWS COVERAGE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: Sr. Citizen In Brunswick County Q6.30 05.30 N.C. Sales Tax .32 .27 Postage Charge 3.68 3.68 TOTAL 10.30 9.25 Eisewhere in North Carolina 06.30 05.30 N.C. Sales Tax .32 .27 Postage Charge 8.18 8.18 TOTAL 14.80 13.75 Outside North Carolina 06.30 Q5.30 Postage Charge 9.65 9.65 TOTAL 15.95 14.95 Complete And Return To Above Address Name Address City, State Zip Candlelight Vigil Slated To Support Desert Troops A candlelight vigil i$ planned Saturday, Feb. 16, in support of ser vice men and women serving in the Middle East war. The vigil will begin at 5 p.m. in the Public Assembly Building at the Brunswick County Government Center near Bolivia with a brief pro gram. A candlelight service will follow at the flagpole on the grounds of the complex. The program will include a brief talk by a county official, a devo tional, music PJid a recognition ceremony. During a roll call of military personnel serving in the conflict a member of each family will be invit ed to acccpt a yellow ribbon, said Becky White. The idea for the vigil came from Ms. White, a native of the Brick Landing community. Now a resident of Myrtle Beach, S.C., she has a younger brother, 2nd Lt. Matthew Gore, serving in Saudi Arabia with the U.S. Army's 24th Infantry (Mechanized) Division. He is married to the former K-m Cheers of Shallouc. Ms. While wants to sec more organized, visible local support for the troops and their families. And like many other residents, she was look ing for a way to show her own support. But she has had no experience in organizing special events and turn ed to Brunswick County Veterans Service Officer Jess Parker for advice and help. Together they're putting together plans for the vigil and hop ing for a good turn-out. "I'm just going to wail and see," she said. "I don't know what kind of response we'll have." County residents with family members serving in the war arc asked to contact Parker's office, at 253-4307, so the roll of honor can be pre pared for the program. Operation Desert Storm is the name given to actual battle operations in the Middle East. The military's support functions arc continuing to be called Operation Desert Shield. Sunset Pledges Help BY GRAND JURY Three Indicted For Robbery, Kidnapping Of Ash Resident (Continued From Page 1-A) Specifically, the association says these actions are needed: ? Replacement of the spillway on the south end of Western Lake, which ws built in 1959 by previous property owners, needs to be re placed so that water level in the lakes can be controlled; ? Introduction of weed and al gae-eating sterile carp on a progres sive schedule; ? Provisions for testing and monitoring lake water for degrada tion; ? Provisions for aeration in times of extreme drought to maintain dis solved oxygen levels sufficient for fish in the lake to survive; ? Emergency spot treatment by chemicals to control extreme weed growth and algae blooms; ? Controls aimed at avoiding pollution from the dumping of grass clippings and trash into the lake and run-off from construction and from inadequate septic systems. Temperatures Expected To Cool In Area By Weekend Rainfall and temperatures arc ex pected to range above average over the next few days, but not to the ex treme levels of the past several days, with a drop in temperature to follow. Shallouc Point meteorologist Jackson Canady said Tuesday he expected temperatures to range from the upper 30s at night into the upper 50s during the daytime, with approximately .75 inch of rainfall. By the end of the week he ex pects a cooling trend, with tempera tures falling closer to more seasonal levels. Even with the drop in tempera lures, he concluded, "It's not bad at all. It's weather everybody can pret ty much handle right now." For the period Jan. 29 through Feb. 4, Canady recorded a maxi mum high of 73 degrees on Feb. 4 and a minimum low of 29 degrees on Feb. 1 . A daily average high temperature of 67 degrees combined with an av erage nightly low of 42 degrees for a daily average temperature of 54 degrees, about eight degrees above average. Canady recorded 1.96 inches of rainfall for the period. BY TERRY POPE Three Brunswick County men have been indicted for the kidnap ping, assault and robbery of an Ash woman in an incident that occurred early last Wednesday morning at the victim's home. Indicted by a Brunswick County Grand Jury on Monday were Mel vin Asbcrn Whalcy, 23, of Long wood; Norman Marshall Gore, 29, of Ash; and Robert Jefferson Col lins, no age given, of Route 1 , Ash. All three men were indicted on charges of kidnapping, common law robbery, assault with a deadly wea pon with intent to kill inflicting se rious injury, first-degree burglary, felonious larceny and possession of stolen goods. The indictments state that the three men allegedly broke into and entered the home at Route 1, Ash, between midnight and 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 30. They arc accused of taking SI, 000 from the residence. They were charged by Brunswick County Sheriff's Detective Lindsey Walton, who presented evidence to the grand jury Monday. Walton has left the department to join the police force at Bald Head Island Village. The men have also been accused of hitting the woman in the head with a metal flashlight with intent to kill, the indictment states, which "resulted in serious injury, including bruises on her face and head, requir ing medical treatment." According to the indictments, the three men allegedly kidnapped the woman by "unlawfully confining and restraining her, without her con sent" during the robbery and bur glary of her home. Common law robbery occurs when force is used, but a gun, knife or other dangerous weapon is not used in the holdup or attempted holdup. The grand jury also indicted an Ash man Monday for a series of break-ins to businesses that occurred in the Calabash area last year. Darrell Joseph Cokeley, 22, of Route 1, Ash, was indicted on eight counts of felonious breaking and entering, six counts of felonious larceny and six counts of possession of stolen goods. According to the indictments, Cokeley allegedly broke into five different businesses in the Calabash area, one of them twice and another a third time. The break-ins occurred between Sep tember and October of last year. Indictments state that the defen dant allegedly broke into Letino's Restaurant on Oct. 29 where S30 in cash and $25 in stamps were taken. He was also charged with breaking into the Calabash Laundromat the same night and allegedly taking SI 86.50. Other indictments accuse Coke ley of breaking into Tony's Pizza in Calabash twice, allegedly taking S650 on Sept. 8 and S68 in another break-in on Oct. 15. The grand jury also indicted him for allegedly breaking into Derbster's Restaurant in Calabash three times, on Oct 5, Oct. 22 and and Oct. 29. In the Oct. 25 break-in, SI, 000 was allegedly taken while on Oct. 29, $50 was re ported missing. Cokcley was also indicted for breaking into Associated Builders in Calabash. The grand jury also handed down these additional true bills of indict ment Monday: ? Rodney Edward Hudson, 28, of Lcland, was indicted on two counts of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense, crime against nature and kidnapping of a woman against her will. According to court docu ments filed at the Brunswick Coun ty Clerk of Court's office, Hudson is being held in jail under $250,000 bond after he withdrew his plea on related charges in Brunswick Coun ty Superior Court. The incident al legedly occurred Oct. 31, 1989. ?Leslie Wayne Jester, 27, of Route 6, Shallotte, was indicted for pos session of cocaine. According to an arrest warrant, Shallotte Police Offi cer Dan Hunter arrested Jester Dec. 1 1 on the charges. ?Ronnie Alan Birchfield, 30, of Holdcn Beach, was indicted for possessing and transporting a wea pon of mass destruction, a .410 gaugc sawed-off shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches long. An arrest warrant states Birchfield was arrested by Shallotte Police Officer G J. Samck on Sept. 23. ? Lavancc Brown, 23, of Route 2, Lcland, was indicted for allegedly possessing and selling less than a gram of cocaine to undercover offi cers. The incident allegedly oc curred Aug. 26. ?Jerry Lee McNeil, 37, of Shallot te, was indicted for the alleged pos session of 5.2 grams of cocaine and the felonious keeping and maintain ing of a dwelling used for the sell ing of cocaine.
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 7, 1991, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75