Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Dec. 12, 1991, edition 1 / Page 7
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Sunset Beach Benefits From Growth BY DORI C()S(;R()VK(;iH(iAMS The town of Sunset Bcaeh has been growing in 1991, annexing nu merous neighboring areas and plan ning for more of the same in 1992. Town Administrator Linda Flucgcl helped lay out the figures last week that demonstrated just how much has been added to Sunset Bcach in terms of population and geographic area. The area around the Food Lion on N.C. 9()4, a portion of Sea Trail Golf Links, Kings Trail subdivision, and Oyster Point I and II have all been annexed into the town boundaries this year, adding an extra 1,211.16 acrcs that the town can count on for property lax revenues in future years and several hundred new residents and/or property owners. Ms. Flucgcl said the town got into the annexation business not bccausc of an aggressive growth policy, but bccausc residents of these areas camc to the town commissioners with petitions asking to be annexed. "It was all voluntary," she said, so the town took a 'why not?' attitude towards annexation. "I wouldn't call it aggressive," Ms. Flucgcl said. "It's more of a case that they camc to us and we can benefit from the tax incomc." She said more areas arc on the agenda for annexation in 1992, in cluding additional sections of Sea Trail development. Taxable property in Sunset Bcach was valued at S162, 133,539 in 1990, which, when calculatcd by the tax rate, means that the town took in S270.763.01 in taxes. This year, the assessed value of taxable property is SI 80, 177, 408, yielding S300.896.27 in revenues for the town. The town's tax rate of .167 per Sl(X) valuation has not changed in at least four years and the town has one of the highest collection rates in the county, 97 percent. The majority of the town is still zoned as residential. Of the land area added during the previous year, only a 8.95-acrc area around Food Lion is zoned for business. Ms. Flucgcl used requests for garbage collection to estimate the town's permanent population. The official 1990 U.S. Census figure of 313 for Sunset Bcach was "right around what we counted," she said. In December 1990, 139 residents requested year-round service. Another 796 were served on a sea sonal basis. One year later, 199 full-time resi dents arc being served, and 908 part time residents requested seasonal garbage pick-up. "If you estimate two people per household (not counting apartments and condominiums), you've pretty much got our population," Ms. Flucgcl said, which puts Sunset Bcach at around 400 full-time resi dents this year, as opposed to the town's count of around 270 last year. Of those full-time residents, some apparently don't want the growth the town seems headed for. Clctus Waldmillcr, president of the Sunset Bcach Taxpayers Association, said that "most of us on the island would have preferred no annexation". "I have less and less voting power living on the island every time the town annexes a new area on the "I wouldn't call it aggressive." ? Linda Fluegel Town Administrator mainland," Waldmillcr continued. Waldmillcr said he thinks the rea son behind the abundance of annex ation in the past year is that town of ficials want more sup|K)rt for in stalling a municipal sewer system. "If the board (the town council members) can get a larger tax base, they can have reason enough for a sewer system, which is what they re ally want," he said. "But I wish they'd have proved the need for it first. Now it looks like they're going to put one in anyway." Mayor Mason Barber is not sur prised to hear that some residents feel that the town has been growing too rapidly, but is certain that more annexation and development will occur in the future. "I've heard this sort of tiling be fore," he said, "but things are indeed going to change." Mayor Barber explained thai town growth is "for the best". "If it makes sense, if it looks to be good for the town, then we'll annex it," he concluded. But Barber said council members have acted with deliberation in choosing which areas to allow into the town limits. Those areas an nexed arc ones that can benefit die town through increased revenues. "There arc many other areas out there that qualify (for annexation) that we haven't looked at, and we don't intend to," he said. Calculating whether annexation of a particular area would be beneficial to the town is relatively simple, Ms. Fluegel indicated. For starters, an area must be 60 percent developed, with water lines and suitable streets thai are up to town standards. Once the area is annexed, all the town must provide is police cover age and garbage collection. "The revenue outweighs the ex pense," Ms. Fluegel said. For example, S47,(KX) in lax in come was realized from Sugar Sands and Oyster Bay Colony alone this past year. The cost of adding a new police officer to Ihc force with full benefits package from December 1991 to July 1992 will cost the town S2(),(KK). "When people were moving into Sea Trails and Sugar Sands, all we heard was 'I thought we were in the town limits, why aren't we?'" Ms. Fluegel said, so the town believed that the annexation was desired. "All we got were positive com ments from citizens about the idea of being annexed." Ms. Fluegel said that the square acreage of Sunset Beach's town boundaries has "never been known," but will be known in the near future. A surveyor has been commissioned to determine the actual si/c and boundaries of the municipality. Broken Cable Delays Traffic A cable broke Saturday evening on the pontoon bridge that connects the island to the mainland at Sunset Beach, according to Town Admin istrator Linda Fluegel. She said the bridge was out of service from 4 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m., causing traffic to back up on the island. Ms. Fluegel said that Police Chief Bucll reported no real problems with traffic on die mainland past the in tersection at the bridge. People appeared to be heading to holiday parties, she added, saying that Chief Buell noticed people sit ting in their cars "all dressed up nice." Until the operators leam to guide and control the new hydraulic sys tem recently installed on the bridge, incidents such as this might occur, she said. The new system was intended to decrease the number of cable breaks, but it's bound to break sometime, Ms. Fluegel said. "It's a learning experience for all of us," she said, "and soon it'll be mnning smoothly." axtz ?^SaundzT.i, 0.2\ Family Optometry ?Comprehensive Eye Examinations ?Ocular Emergencies ?Contact Lenses and Glasses Prescribed ?Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases of the Eye Suite 3, Promenade Office Park 143 Holden Beach Road, Shallotte Office hours by appointment. Evening and Saturday appointments available. Phone 754-9687 Member American Optomctric Association C1 990 THE BRUNSWICK BEACON J . M. Parker & Sons , Inci It's all the power you need... 1 0% off ..mm. ill m Finishing Sander 1 Model B0455^ 3x21 Belt Sander ft ?* thru I Dec. ? 24 (I ti&m f i Electronic Jig Saw Orbital Variable Speed ? 3 * ReciproSaw -v# Model ' 4302 C Model JR3000V Perfect Gifts For Dad DEC. 13 6-10 PM MOONLIGHT SALE r.r SPECIAL PRICES 6-7 PM Electric Iron or Can Opener !Q88 *12" Value Large selection ladies' House Coats Bart Simpson Dolls $300 Were $10 Values to $15 2-Burner Propane Stove $20 Reg. $39.99 SPECIAL PRICES 7-8 PM Large selection ladies' & men's Watches Values to $^777 $19.99 ^ All Dolls 20% Off/V 20-pc Stoneware Dinner Set Reg. *12M $Q97 3-pc. Christmas Kitchen Set $1 97 Reg. * 3 Men's Lightning Bolt Sweaters Reg. s12' SPECIAL PRICES 8-9 PM Ladies' fabulous Sweaters $E00 /jreri $5 S15 Value 01 14" Ceramic ^ Table Lamp $ $J77 *14" Value Mini Big Wheel $Q57 . 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 12, 1991, edition 1
7
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