Sunset Beach
Keeps Moving
Annexations,
On
Sewer
BY SUSAN USHER
Sunset Beach look two more
small steps toward additional growth
Monday night.
Council members set a public
hearing on June 10 regarding the
proposed annexation of two devel
opments and took another step in its
quest for a public sewer system.
Annexation Hearing Set
The town is renewing its previous
move to annex Oyster Bay Colony
and Sugar Sands I and II in a friend
ly take-over.
A previous effort stalled when cal
culations regarding costs versus ben
efits were found to be inaccurate.
Since then the lines have been slight
ly redrawn and figures recalculated.
The hearing will start at 7:30
p.m. at town hall. After the hearing
the council must wait at least 10
days before taking a vole.
In advance of the hearing, at its
May 6 meeting, the council is
scheduled to approve the formal an
nexation report that details the
town's plans for serving the areas
once they are annexed.
Service requirement summaries
reviewed at Monday night's meet
ing suggest that the areas qualify for
annexation by the town and that the
costs of providing services to them
would be less than the revenues re
ceived.
No additional officers would be
required with the annexation of these
areas, but the police department
notes that any additional annexations
meeting on the sewer project for
Tuesday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. at
the town hall.
The town can choose to pursue a
gravity system, a type of pressure
system or flat grade system.
Engineer Phil Norris of Andrew &
Kuskc agreed with Councilman Bud
Scrantom that a flat grade system or
some variation of it might be most
suitable for Sunset Bcach. But he
said a feasibility study would be ne
eded to make the final determination.
A tlat grade would require use of
septic tanks and a town treatment
plant that handles liquid waste rath
er than solid waste. Such a plant
should be less costly over time,
Norris suggested. The town is con
sidering a possible tie-in with a golf
course irrigation system or waste
treatment plant, but the systems
would have to be compatible.
At the workshop council mem
bers will meet with area business
men who have an interest in a coop
erative project.
Second Chance
Mayor Mason Barber reported
that the Seaside intersection of N.C.
179 and N.C. 904 may yet qualify
for a traffic signal.
He said Douglas Bowers, division
engineer for the state Department of
Transportation, inspected the inter
section while on a lour of the town's
streets.
"He said he thought we had a le
gitimate concern and that he would
have it rcchecked," said Barber. The
state had earlier said it would install
a turn lane but that the intersection
will require additional officers.
Sugar Sands I and II, a patio
home development with 66 of 110
lots developed, receive town water.
The 1.1 miles of streets would be
taken over the town for mainte
nance and included in the street
lighting program. The projected
cost of contracting sanitation ser
vices would be 54,752; mosquito
control, $690; and stop signs, S276.
These costs of S6.268 compare to
projected receipts of SI 5,737, for
excess revenues of $9,469.
The town proposes not to take
over Oyster Bay Colony one mile of
roadway, which loops through
buildings that house 99 units.
Estimating conservatively, the
town expects to collect at least
$44,876 if the property is annexed,
including $15,588 in ad valorem
taxes and al least $25,000 in accom
modations taxes since many of the
units are rentals. It expccts to spend
about $982 for sanitation service
and mosquito control. Mayor pro
tern Ed Gore questioned the town
not taking in the road, or at least
giving the owners the opportunity to
dedicate the road to the town.
To Seek Funds
Council members followed
through on earlier discussions and
directed Town Administrator Linda
Flucgcl Monday to send letters
seeking the maximum amount of
money available from state and fed
eral sources, the first step in getting
considered for various grant and
loan programs.
They also set another workshop
traffic did not justify a light
The mayor said he asked the slate
to install a caution light and sign
asking motorists not to block the
N.C. 179 tum-off just north of the
bridge and gave notice the town
may not continue to pay police offi
cers to direct traffic at the bridge.
However, Bowers indicated DOT
had no plans to provide personnel
for the task. "So if any traffic is to
be directed it will have to be the
same way it has been," said Barber.
DOT wants to replace the exist
ing swing bridge with a high-rise
fixed span. The project is on hold
pending appeal of a court decision
that the state needs to make a more
complete environmental study of
the project's impact on the island
and obtain new permits before work
continues.
DOT does plan to repair steep
drop-offs along the shoulders and to
mark its right-of-way to designate
appropriate parking areas along the
mainland business area approaching
the bridge. Barber said large deliv
ery trucks are parking too close to
the roadway and blocking mo
torists' visibility on N.C. 179.
Other Business
In other business the council:
?Approved job descriptions and
performance standards for the
town's genral accounting and water
accounting clerks.
?Voted to tranfer unappropriated
funds into the street fund to pave
both 29th and 30th streets with the
town and property owners sharing
the cost equally, and accepted pcti
tions for paving signed by property
owners.
?Received the building inspector's
report, which reflects issuance of
permits for one single-family house,
one duplex, two bulkheads, two
storage buildings, four additions
and one sign. Fees of S608 were
collected on construction valued at
S249,913.
?Noted receipt of a certificate of ap
preciation from the Brunswick
County Agricultural Extension Ser
vice for cooperation in its dune sta
bilization projcct. The certificate
will be displayed at the public works
office, since its employees were the
ones involved in the projcct.
?Approved a house numbering or
dinance so that the town can make
certain all houses have numbers
posted, a necessity with the 911
emergency system that goes into
operation in 1992 county wide.
?Noted that groups that obtain Sea
Trail Plantation's permission to use
a tract at the Seaside intersection for
special events still must have a spe
cial use permit from the town. This
includes the South Bmnswick Isl
ands Chamber of Commerce, which
holds its annual N.C. Oyster Festi
val on the site.
?Encouraged Ginny Barber, wife of
the mayor, to continue exploring
ideas for a community July Fourth
project. A home decorating contest
may be held.
?Heard a request from one of the
operators of the Sunset Beach Fish
ing Pier for "cooperation" from
town police. He wants to make open
containers illegal in the parking lot,
but not at the pier itself, which has
an ABC license and this season will
sell "beer to go" only to ticketed
fishermen. He said people bringing
in beer from outside and allowing
minors to drink it in the parking lot
was his biggest problem last year.
He wants officers to come and make
an arrest when called. However, the
town attorney said that while an of
ficer can respond if the person has
been asked to leave and refuses, the
pier would still need someone who
saw the person drinking and is will
ing u> testify to that effect.
Other suggestions ranged from
hiring off-duty police officers to pa
trol the lot to turning the lot over to
the town as public property.
ORDINANCES TAKE EFFECT APRIL 1 9
Calabash
Commission Adopts New Zonina Rules
BY DOUG RUTTER
Calabash area residents will start
living under a new set of rules April
19, when several key sections of the
town's new zoning code take effect.
Town commissioners adopted new
rules on signs, trash containers and
other land use issues last Tuesday,
following months of study and a
public hearing that took two nights
to complete.
Among other things, the new
code establishes a dozen zoning dis
tricts in and around town. Regula
tions define permitted and condi
tional uses and the dimensional
requirements for land in each dis
trict. ,
In the only major change made
last week, commissioners agreed to
allow homes in business districts.
The board approved 19 sections
of the new code last week.
Zoning regulations apply in the
town and its extraterritorial area
(ETA), which includes most land
within a mile of the town limits.
The new zoning map includes
three residential, two manufactured
home and two business districts, as
well as industrial, conservation, agri
cultural, campground and planned
unit development districts.
Applicable deed restrictions from
each of the 14 subdivisions in the
town and ETA have been incorpo
rated into the zoning rules so the
spirit of the deeds will be preserved.
Carolina Shores, for instance, is
zoned R-15, DR-1. Churches are al
lowed in the R-15 zoning district,
but churches will not be allowed in
Carolina Shores because they are
prohibited in the deed restrictions
(DR-1).
Prior to adopting the zoning regu
lations, commissioners made a
change that had been requested at a
public hearing last month. Residen
ces will be permitted in the Central
Business and Highway Commercial
districts.
Residences Allowed
As first presented at the public
hearing, the zoning code would
have prevented someone who owns
a home in a business district from
rebuilding if the house bumed down
or was substantially damaged.
Several homeowners voiced con
cern at the hearing about not being
able to rebuild. They said their lots
aren't big enough for a commercial
building without a sewer system.
Commissioner Ray Card last week
urged the town board to change the
proposed zoning regulations so peo
ple who own homes in commercial
areas could rebuild.
"It's pretty tough to tell somebody
at this point in the game that they
can't rebuild their house," Card said.
"I don't think the town or anybody
should take it away from them."
Sign Use Regulated
Probably the most controversial
" It's pretty tough to tell somebody at this
point in the game that they can't rebuild
their house. 1 don't think the town or
anybody should take it away from them."
? Ray Card
Calabash Commissioner
ordinance adopted last week regu
lates the use of signs ? an issue that
has created friction between town
officials and business owners in the
past year.
The debate over signs heated up
last year when town commissioners
started enforcing a 1982 sign ordi
nance, and about 80 signs in and
around Calabash were removed.
Some merchants have argued that
the regulations will put them out of
business because it restricts their use
of signs as advertising. Four business
owners have appealed their cases to
the town board of adjustment so far,
and one lawsuit filed by the town
against a business owner is pending.
The new ordinance includes de
sign standards for signs, regulates
campaign signs and prohibits port
able and off-premises signs as well
as several other types.
Signs that don't conform with the
code will be given anywhere from
six months to three years to comply.
The length of the grace period will
depend on the value of the sign.
The new ordinance establishing
the board of adjustment says the
board will be made up of five town
commissioners who appoint them
selves. The board has the authority
to grant variances from town code.
At last month's public hearing,
residents had complained about the
makeup of the board of adjustment.
They said the panel should include
members other than elected town
officials.
Mayor Pro Tem George Anderson,
who chairs the board of adjustment,
said he would like to keep the make
up of the board the same for now. He
said it could be changed in the future
so other people could serve.
Although commissioners didn't
change membership on the board,
they did make one related revision
in the proposed code. The fee for
appearing before the board was
dropped from $50 to S25.
Dumpster Pads Required
Another new zoning ordinance
that will directly affect business
owners relates to refuse containers.
It requires dumpsters to be placed
on concrete pads with guard posts.
Dumpsters will have to be screened
on three sides so they are not visible
from the street.
Commissioners also adopted or
f Complete Interior Design Service^
Carpet ? Vinyl ? Ceramic Tile ? Blinds
.Wallpaper ? Custom Bedspreads
Draperies & Top Treatments
Ruby Floyd
Ocea*t *)4le IttteruanA,
579-6091 ? Hwy. 904 ? Seaside^
dinanccs last week dealing with
abandoned structures, travel trailer
parks, noise, light and glare and
abandoned or junk vehicles.
Other sections of tlx; new code ad
dress legal provisions, definitions,
administration, enforcement and pen
alties, changes and amendments, gen
eral provisions, accessory uses, ex
ceptions and modifications, non-con
forming uses and conditional uses.
Town officials are still reviewing
ordinances relating to landscaping
and tree preservation, off-street
parking and subdivisions. A public
hearing has to be held before those
rules arc adopted.
PHOTO COHTPOUTED
State Employees Gather
Legislators from Brunswick and New Hanover counties spoke Sat
urday to members of the State Employees Association District 89 at
a breakfast in Wilmington. Luite Rep. E. David Red wine (center)
discussed on pay raises, furloughs, the state health plan and a pos
sible state lottery referendum in November. Attending the legisla
tive update from Brunswick County were Bob Gore (left) an em
ployee of the N.C. Department of Transportation, and Mazie Frink
(right) administrator of the Brunswick County office of the N.C.
Employment Security Commmitsion.
At I. LIVINGSTON, we are having our
biggest sale ever...inside and out.
MARCH 28-30
THURS., FRI, SAT.
?/yv/V
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here
and
Spring Air?
Rep. will be
Thurs. PM
Fri. AM to
assist you in
selecting the
mattress just
right for you.
The hunt is on!
Friday morning, the staff of J.
Livingston will hide 24 eggs
filled with eggciting prizes
throughout the store. Some
prizes are...
? Upholstered Chairs
? Outdoor Rocker
?Cash 'Tables and more!
Copyright 1991 by J. Lningsion
Join us "under the tent" for eggstraordinary savings.
Too many to list! Prices too low to advertise!
HWY. 17, LITTLE RIVER, SC ? MON-SAT 9-5:30 ? 803-249-6188