Forum Draws 30 Brunswick Leaders
Concerned With Future, Cooperation
(Continued From Pag*' 1-A)
Otherwise, suggested Chancellor
James Leutze. "If we develop the
same way as other areas have, we
will always lag behind thorn We
have to seize the initiative."
Must discussion Friday centered
tin shorter-term, basic needs rather
than a vision of regional coopera
tion.
County v. Municipalities?
Participants agreed with May
Mix>rc of Yaupon Beach on the
need for a countywidc telephone
system and on a need for Brunswick
County and its municipalities to
communicate better and to cooper
ate.
Speakers also said they would
like to see Brunswick County com
munities work together to develop a
single political voice, to meet the
need for sewer systems in communi
ties from Belville to Calabash, and
to create greater employment oppor
tunities so that young people can re
main in the area.
"Thirteen years ago when I came
here we were unified. When we
spoke to Raleigh it was with a single
voice," said John Harvey, Bruns
wick County's planning director.
"Unfortunately we don't have that
today. We need to get back to that."
Diversify Or Intensify?
Participants were split in their
perceptions of the benefits of travel
and tourism. Brunswick County's
single largest industry. Some
thought the county should continue
to build on that industry, while oth
ers saw a need for greater diversity
of industries.
"Brunswick County is continuing
to increase development of a service
economy rather than industries that
require higher level skills than bed
maker or grasscutter," said Joan
Alunan, mayor of Long Beach, the
Thirteen years
?/
ago when I came
here we were
unified.
?John 1 larvcy
Planning Director
largest of Brunswick County's 17
municipalities.
While agreeing that Brunswick
County needs "good, clean indus
try," Commissioner IX'hhie Sloane
Fox of Ocean Isle Beach continued,
"hut travel and tourism is what
we've got and it is growing." As the
industry expands it pumps dollars
into the local economy. "That relates
to people doing business here being
able to help the county," she said.
"Not all jobs in travel and tourism
arc low paying. The more the indus
try grows here the more nice jobs
there will be."
Added Mcsser, "The closest
tourist attraction in Bclvillc is the
USS Bclvillc. The people in our
community aren't relying heavily on
tourism. What we need is waste
water treatment...Wastewater treat
ment is a need all over Brunswick
County."
Sunset Beach and Calabash arc
working together on a regional sew
er system that has also attracted the
interest of the neighboring towns of
Shallottc, Holden Beach and Ocean
Isle.
Agreeing that the environment is
something everyone needs to be
concerned w ith. Fox said that Ocean
Isle Beach's sewer system "is the
best thing we ever did."
Horace Collier, mayor pro-icm of
Long Beach, emphasized the need
for countywiilc planning in any col
laborative effort.
"Brunswick County hasn't always
had an active planning department.
Planning is not always a popular
thing," he said. "But if we're to
band together as a group, we all
need to recognize the need for plan
ning."
Whether it's wastewater treatment
in the southwest end of the county,
or another issue elsewhere, speakers
Irom the municipalities expressed a
desire to sec other municipalities
and especially the county show an
interest.
"My problems (as mayor of the
county's largest town) are as much
Brunswick County's and the other
municipalities' as they arc mine,"
said Altman. "We can't afford to ig
nore each other."
Sunset Beach Councilwoman
Julia Thomas agreed, "I think she hit
the nail on the head. We need to
communicate with each other, to
speak out."
Proactive Or Reactive
Billy Ray Hall, facilitator, told the
group they could let state and feder
al agencies write the rules for them
and simply respond, or that they
could work together to help write
their own collective destiny as a
county.
"I think what we ought to decide
is what we want to do in our rural
county and then see how resources
can be used to make that happen,"
he said. "There arc thousands of
ideas out there for working together,
they're waiting for you. You need to
get together so you can gel more
bang for your bucks."
Whatever course Brunswick
County's elected leaders consider,
he noted, must answer at least one
other question, that of motive: "Is it
really in the best interest of all the
parties involved.?"
Bird Island Zoning Plans Proposed
(Continued From Page 1-A) its study late last year of the poten
Meanwhile, members of the tial development uses of Bird Island,
growing Bird Island Preservation That study, conducted by environ
Socicty are working toward having mental consultants in Wilmington,
the island purchased by cither a con- pointed to salt marsh and freshwater
scrvation organization or govern- wetlands, inlet hazard zones and
mental entity. The society's prcsi- strict flood insurance regulations as
dent. Bill Ducker, asked the town hindrances to Bird Island's devclop
council Monday night to take a mcnt. The consultants identified 33
stand on on the Bird Island develop- acres of buildable uplands on Bird
ment issue and to approach its up- Island which are "highly scattered
coming workshop "in the same spirit and non-contiguous, making much
and wisdom" that council authorized of it practically unusable."
II
Stale Rep. David Rcdwinc, D
Brunswick, contacted at his office in
the State House last week, said he
will be "looking for pots of money"
from which the slate might assist in
the acquisition of Bird Island.
Pricc's development proposals
currently are under scrutiny by both
the stale Office of Coasial
Management and the federal Army
Corps of Engineers who will rule
whether her plans comply with state
and federal environmental standards.
rs
SrAff PHOTO By MIC CARLSON
Marion Warren of Ash, a member of the Brunswick County Planning Board, explains how rural resi
dents would he effected by the county-wide zoning ordinance that becomes effective July 1. Warren
spoke to the crowd of more than 60 people who attended a zoning workshop at the Waccamaw commu
nity building Thursday night (Feb. 25) along with County Commissioners Chairman Don Warren
(left) and District 4 Commissioner Tom Rabon.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO
THE BRUNSWICK jiBEACON
POST OFFICE BOX 2558
SHALLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 20459
NOTICE: Reliable or consistent delivery cannot be
guaranteed since this newspaper must rely on the U.S.
Postal Service for delivery. We can only guarantee that
your newspaper will be submitted to the post office In
Shallotte on Wednesday of the week of publication, In
time for dispatch to out-of-town addresses that day.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: Sr. Citizen
In Brunswick County J6 30 J5 30
N.C. Sales Tax 38 .32
Postage Charge 3 68 3 68
TOTAL 10.36 9.30
Elsewhere in North Carolina _?6 30 J5.30
N C Sales Tax 38 .32
Postage Charge 8 18 8.18
TOTAL 14.86 13.80
Outside North Carolina J6 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
Near Norma! Temps,
More Rain Ahead,
Meteorologist Says
Area residents can expect near
normal temperatures and slightly
above average rainfall over the next
few days.
Shallouc Point meteorologist
Jackson Canady said he thinks tem
peratures will average around 40 de
grees at night ranging to around 6()
degrees during the daytime, with
around three-fourths inch of rainfall.
The transition is expected to be
gradual, he saiu, with liie 90-day
forecast calling for colder and wetter
than normal conditions. "That's not
unusual given the weather pattern
we're seeing," said Canady, refer
ring to a winter "El Nino" weather
system that has resulted in some un
usual conditions tins season.
For the period Feb. 23 through
March 1, he recorded a high of 63
degrees on Feb. 23 anil a nightly low
of 25 degrees on March I.
A daily average temperature of 54
degrees and a nightly average low of
31 degrees combined for a daily av
erage temperature of 42 degrees,
which is about S degrees below av
erage.
Canady recorded fifty-six hun
dredths of an inch of rain at his resi
dence near Shallotte Point.
STAf F PHOTOS BY SUSAN USHH
KEN MESSEN AND JOAN ALTX1AN, in plioto above, are mayors respectively of one of the county's
smallest towns, Belville, and its largest, IjOhr Beach, but their communities share some of the same
concerns. In photo below, among the South Brunswick Islands towns' representatives were Debbie
Eox, Ocean Isle Beach; and David Sandifer and Sid Swarts, Holden Beach.
Farmers Speak Out Against
Zoning For Rural Brunswick
(Continued From Page 1-A)
such a big land area," said JoAnn
Simmons. "Wc could use this in the
bcach areas. But what you're putting
down here tells me how I'll be able
to use my land in 10 years.
"1 may not be farming in 10
years," she said.
Marion Warren explained that
while the zoning ordinance puts
some restrictions on land use in rural
areas, it could also protect land own
ers from undesirable development.
As the newest member of the
planning board, Marion Warren last
spring successfully lobbied the
board to ease many of the restric
tions on rural lands proposed in ear
ly drafts of the zoning ordinance.
"This end of the county is losing
political power at a rapid rate,"
Marion Warren said. "Day by day,
wc are getting outnumbered by folks
that don't know about Brunswick
County. We need all this gobbledy
gook to protect ourselves against
"The good Lord
gave me enough of
a brain that I can
manage my own
dirt."
?Virginia Bellamy
people who might buy a lot of land
and develop it.
"If we go by the rules they play
by, we can do that," he said.
"Hopefully you'll have some of
your peers sitting on the planning
board anil the board of adjustment.
Either you're going to have your say
by complaining up your sleeve, or
like this."
The RIJ (rural) zone is the least
restrictive land-use classification in
the county zoning ordinance. It is in
tended lor "lands not envisioned as
becoming ol urban or suburban
character within 20 years." It is de
scribed as a "mixed use district" that
allows homes, businesses and manu
facturing uses as well as farms.
State law requires that "bona fide
farms" be exempt from zoning re
strictions such as height limitations
"This end of the
county is losing
political power at a
rapid rate... We
need all this
gobbledygook to
protect ourselves
against people who
might buy a lot of
land and develop
it.
?Marion Warren
and minimum lot requirements. But
land owners who engage in oilier ac
tivities on a farm?like operating a
commercial welding shop or repair
garage?would be allowed to con
tinue doing so only as a non-con
forming use in rural districts.
But several people at the meeting
expressed concern that unless they
live in one of the few small com
mercial districts within the RU /one,
they could not open a new business
on their property without obtaining a
zoning variance. Applying for a
variance currently costs SI(X).
"You're saying that all farmers
are exempt. But a few years from
now. I might not want ii> grow soy
beans. I might want to do something
else," Russ said. "Now I'm going to
have to pay you Sl(K) (for a vari
ance) and there's no guarantee I'm
going to get it."
Other land owners wondered if
the zoning law would prevent them
from giving or selling lots to rela
tives for home sites.
County Planner John Harvey ex
plained that many of the develop
ment restrictions that have sparked
concern in rural areas arc governed
by the county subdivision ordinance
and not the new zoning law. He said
once a farmer creates more than four
building lots, the development legal
ly becomes a subdivision that re
quires approval from the county
planning board.
As the meeting drew to a close.
Virginia Bellamy suggested thai the
residents of District 4 should be al
lowed to vote on whether or not to
have zoning in their areas. Rabon
told the group he "would consider
it."
Don Warren said Friday that the
commissioners might want to decide
where to enforce zoning based on
the voting patterns represented in a
non-binding referendum on county
zoning held during the 1991 munici
pal elections. While the voting totals
indicated strong overall support for
zoning, many rural residents voted
against the idea.
He said he would wait until all six
public meetings arc held before
making a recommendation to the
oilier commissioners.
Oilier zoning workshops were
scheduled for Tuesday nighi (March
2) at the Andrews Chapel United
Methodist Church, Wednesday at
the county government complex in
Bolivia and March 10 in the educa
tion center at the Leland Industrial
Park. All meetings are set for 7 p.m.
Bellamy appeared at Monday's
board of commissioners meeting to
renew her request that the law be
modified to leave rural areas lell un
zoned.
"The gotxl Lord gave me enough
of a brain that 1 can manage my own
dirt," she told the board.
THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON
Established Nov. 1, 1962
Telephone 754-6X90
Published Livery Thursday
At 41(f) Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 2845')
SUHSCKimON KATES
IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY
One Year S10.36
Six Months S5.55
KI.SKWIIKRI. IN
NOR I II CAROLINA
One Year $14.86
Six Months S7.90
IT.SKWIIKRK IN U.S.A.
One Year SI 5.95
Six Months SX.35
Second class postage paid at
Shallotte, N.C. 2X45l>. USPS 777
780. Postmaster, send address
changes to:
P.O. Box 2558,
Shallotte, N.C. 28459-2558