mo Resource Center
?ssf ss*
p. 0. Bo**fsouth
Highway 306 c 28529
Grantsboro.
PTI Library
P. 0. Box 185
Grantsboro, N. C. 28529
The Pamlico News
15' per copy
Vol. II No. 10
Serving Richland Township and Pamlico County
Thursday, March 9, 1978
Lisa Flowers from the Hobucken 4-H club shows the Toll
House cookies that she received a blue ribbon and award
money for at the area favorite food show.
Board Wants to Withdraw
THE BLUFFS From Arapahoe
.... •
The Arapahoe Town Board
met at 7:30 p.m. on March 2. All
Commissioners were present
along with the Mayor and Town
Clerk and Treasurer. Duval
Hardison, citizen of Arapahoe
was also present.
The first order of business
was discussion of the need to
have an Insulation Officer for
the Town.Electricity can not be
turned on in a newly con
structed building unless the
building has been inspected and
approved for having the
required amount of insulation.
The Board requested the Mayor
to contact Charles Hardison and
offer him the job.
The next order of business
was a discussion of the status of
the Town of Arapahoe in the
annexation of the subdivision,
The Bluffs, owned by P.E.
McCotter, Inc. The Board
members felt that there are too
many unknown quantities at
present to make the annexation
to the Town. The maintenance
of streets, providing of street
lights, and any other future
financial obligations, were
some of the concerns expressed.
Individuals also expressed the
feeling that it was no longer of
much importance to the owners
of The Bluffs whether they were
in the Town of Arapahoe. It was
felt that since the Town does not
have a tax and is not expecting
one soon, the additional land
with the restrictions in the way
of Areas of Environmental
Concern and flood prone areas,
would be more trouble than it is'
worth.
George Harper moved and
Pete Daniels seconded that the
Town get out from under the
law suit. Discussion of the
motion followed:
Harvey Hardison said that he
wanted to be sure anything that
is done does not leave Arapahoe
open to further lawsuits from
any party involved. He also
asked if it wouldn’t be
necessary to advertise a
Aurora Seeks
Rec Director
The Aurora Town Board met
in a regular meeting on
Tuesday, February 28. Present
at the meeting were Mayor
Grace Bonner, Board members
Joe Paul, Malcome Rowe, and
Joe Galloway. Board member
Joe Hollowell was not in at
tendance. Also at the meeting
was Town Administrator
Marvin Jennings, Town
Planner Brian Benson, and
Marie Bynam, Chairman of the
Recreation Committee.
Mr. Bynam was asked for the
1878 budget for the Recreation
Committee. He told the Board
that he figures on about $8,000
for the year. He said tint the
Recreation Committee is
looking for a recreation director
to serve on a part-time basis.
The Committee figured up the
salary of the director based on a
4-hour day at $4.00 per hour. The
director would be responsible
for drawing up programs, such
as softball, Babe Ruth,
volleyball, tennis, and senior
citizen programs. The director
can delegate volunteers to
handle the specific programs.
Mr. Jennings said that he
would like to act as a go
between to coordinate these
programs and that in this way it
would save the Town some
money. He pointed out that he
was not ready at this time to
make a final committment and
wished to talk to the Recreation
Committee before making any
definite plans. He pointed out
that he is interested in aspects
of recreation and felt that he
could delegate interested
volunteers to head up the in
dividual programs.
The Board set a date to
review the Personnel Manual
and to finish reviewing the
Town Ordinances. The meeting
will be held Tuesday, March 7,
at 7:00 p.m.
(Continued on page two)
meeting where the dicision is
made to rescind the annexation.
Mayor Gary Langston said he
thought not, that all the
meetings are open to the public.
Woodrow Boyd asked what
actions will be necessary for
rescinding the annexation.
Mayor Langston offered three
alternatives: P.E. McCotter,
Inc. could ask to be taken out of
the Town; the Town could say
that the Minnesott law suit is
correct as far as annexation of
the Bluffs is concerned; or a
resolution could be passed
asking that the annexation of
The Bluffs be rescinded.
Mr. Harper and Mr. Daniels
withdrew their motion and
made another one stating that
the Town should contact a
lawyer to draw up the
necessary legal papers to with
draw The Bluffs from the Town
of Arapahoe. The favorable vote
was unanimous. The Board
decided at its February meeting
to contact Attorney James
Ragan for assistance and the
Mayor requested to retain him.
The Mayor reported that he
had been approached by two or
three residents concerning
turning off the street lights
during the energy crunch. The
Board felt that since it is not yet
required by the State, that the
lights should be left on for
safety and protection.
745-3636 Is Fire Number
in Pamlico County
Tom Toler, Sheriff's Department Dispatcher, using red "hot
line” phone newly installed for fire calls only. 745-3636.
The new number for reporting
fires anywhere in Pamlico
County is 74S4636.
This red (dune will replace
the old system of dialing the
Sheriff’s Department in case of
need for fire department
assistance, leaving the
Department’s phone free for
either assistance calls including
requests for the Rescue Squad.
The 745-3636 number is to be
used only for reporting fires to
insure faster response and
greater safety for individuals
and property in Pamlico
County.
Ordinances Followed
In Granting
Subdivision Approvals
The Pamlico County Planning
Board met on February 27 with
all members present. The
minutes of the January meeting
and a called meeting were
approved.
Ross Boyer, Pamlico County
Coordinator, presented the
Board with a complete
documentation of the broad
gaols and annual objectives of
Pamlico County for the next
three years. This document will
be submitted as a continuing
part of the County’s par
ticipation in CAMA. Mr. Boyer
noted that a number of the
objectives are well on their way
to being met for the 1978-79
period.
A number of questions,
particularly dealing with water
and sewer were asked. Con
cerning water, Mr. Boyer stated
that the first phase of the water
system will include service to
most of the main roads in the
County including those on Goose
Creek Island. The second stage
will include extending lines to
less traveled areas and perhaps
buying the systems now
operated by individual towns.
He stated that it will be June
before the contracts are let and
about 18 months before any
water is turned on. Tank sites
have been secured at Reelsboro
and Merritt as well as a well site
alV andemere.
Concerning waste treatment,
Mr. Boyer said that at the
present time he did not see the
County being able to afford a
countywide system. He believes
that there will be sewer
districts around the more
populated areas since these
areas are where Federal funds
are usually designed for use. He
remarked that the County is
actively seeking industry and is
looking at areas for an in
dustrial park of some 40 to 50
acres. Various methods of
dealing with waste treatment
for such an industrial area are
available.
Rex Willis and H.E. Allen of
New Bern appeared before the
Board concerning their sub
division, Sail Haven, located on
the Cemetary Road in Oriental.
Sail Haven had been granted
preliminary plat approval two
years ago for 33 lots. The
developers have enlarged the
size of 10 of the lots and reduced
the number ot 25, thus coming
under the regulations for a
mini-subdivision. They stated
that their attorney had drawn a
declaration statement for for
the subdivision and that the
road bed is being checked to see
how much work is needed to
bring it up to County standards.
Board members Frank Willis
and Odell Spain asked Mr.
Willis and Mr. Allen several
questions concerning total
acreage (22.85) and whether the
30 foot minimum building set
back of thirty feet will be met.
The developers assured them
that this is the case and that the
set backs are 70 feet from the
canal and 100 feet from Morris
Creek. A variance was granted
by the Board for the road and
preliminary plat approval was
given.
Real eatate Developer Ray
McCotter and Surveyor Darrell
Daniels presented a final map
on the Pinedale Subdivision. An
exchange of views occurred
when County Subdivision Ad
ministrator and Board Clerk,
Gene Broughton, said that the
maps presented are too large
according to the specifications
laid out in the Subdivision
Ordinance. The maximum size
should by 21”x30”. Mr. Daniels
stated that the size of his maps
<2’x3’) is standard, but Mr.
Broughton said that he had
never received any that large
except from Mr. Daniels. No
member was absolutely sure
why the size specification had
been set and said they would
find out, but that until they
found out, the size requirement
would stand. Mr. Spain said that
in order to change the
maximum size, it would have to
go through the County Com
missioners and have a public
hearing.
Mr. Daniels felt that the
Board was being arbitrary, that
he had read the regulations and
felt that the Board could give a
variance.
Mr. McCotter asked what else
is necessary for approval and
was told that since nothing has
been done on the roads at this
time, he will need to post a
letter of credit, a deed of trust,
or a bond. A variance was
granted by the Board for the
road and preliminary plat
approval was given.
Mr. Willis asked about the
cost of the lots in this new
section of Pinedale and Mr.
McCotter said they will start at
$4,000 on a paved road plus the
cost of hooking up to water. He
said the lots could cost less if
there is some way to pave a
road more cheaply.
A discussion of the signature
or the stamp of Lex Kelly,
District Engineer, on the cer
tificates presented for the
Planning Board’s approval
ensued. The Certificates of
Approval of Street Drainage
Plans reads, "This is to certify
that all streets and street
drainage plans in the (named)
Subdivision have been
examined and found to comply
with the specifications of the
North Carolina State Depart
ment of Transportation.” It was
noted that State specifications
apply only to paved roads and
paved roads are required by
County ordinance only in
subdivisions with over 25 lots. In
the case of approving mini
subdivision streets or “private”
streets, Mr. Kelly has his name
stamped on the certificate
which signifies to the Board,
that except for paving, the
streets conform to the width and
base and drainage necessary to
be brought up to State stan
dards at a later time. In other
words, the State has not ap
proved the roads, but standards
ser by the County have been
met. In the cases where Mr.
Kelly stamps his approval, it is
necessary for the Planning
Board to grant a variance which
allows County standards, not
State standards to prevail.
Mr. Broughton brought a
request from Bill Bawls before
the Board for a mini-subdivision
in Maribel consisting of eight
lots on 13.35 acres behind the
ball park. Preliminary ap
proval had been given in 1974
but since this was for nine lots,
preliminary plat approval was
given on the new map pending
health department approval.
Preliminary plat approval
was requested by P.E. Mc
Cctter, Inc. for additional lots in
The Bluffs subdivision. This
was granted pending Health
Department approval on the
additional lots and a description
of the control point to the new
access road out to Bennett
Road, SR 1121. The Board noted
that a bond will need to be
posted on the entire proposed
road system, which will have to
be paved. It was noted by Mr.
VanHook that only one access
road will be available to
residents of a 128.15 acre area.
The method by which deeds
are recorded in the County was
discussed again. An instance of
three separate lots being sold by
an individual from a single tract
of land and duly recorded has
been brought to the Board’s
attention. More than one lot
cannot be sold off a tract
without the necessity for ap
plying for subdivision status.
Other problems dealing with the
recording of deeds were
discussed and remedies were
suggested. Mr. Broughton said
that these Droblems have been
discussed before with the
County Commissioners and the
Register of Deeds office, but
that it would be necessary to
read and map every deed to
catch the discrepancies and
that apparently time and staff
are not sufficient for doing this.
Requirements for mobile
homes in the way of im
provement permits and time
allowed to make these im
provements were discussed.
Individual Water Users
To Be Served First
The Pamlico County Com
missioners were invited to a
briefing session on the county
wide water system on March 1
by County Coordinator, Ross
Boyer, and Rivers and
Associates engineers, Bob
Pittman and Ray Church. Cost
estimates on the system for
land, equipemnt, and labor
were discussed.
Commissioners John Bond,
Patsy Sadler, Charles
Alexander, and Jimmy Spencer
were present as well as Finance
Officer, Bill Rice, County At
torney Bernard Hollowell, and
Bayboro Mayor Lee Whorton.
Mayor Whorton announced
that the Town Board is in
terested in selling the Bayboro
water system to the County for
what the system has cost the
Town. He and the engineers had
discussed this alternative
because of the possibility of
some $40,000 worth of
duplication of water lines
through the Bayboro area. Mr.
Whorton also stated that if the
Bayboro system were brought
by the County, he would highly
recommend that the Bayboro
system’s operator, Florentina
“Chico” Martinez be employed
by the County in its operation.
The Commissioners discussed
the situation of duplication and
the possibility of acquiring
private systems in the second
phase of the water plan. They
were emphatic that the first
phase of the plan, as stated
throughout the preliminary
planning period, is to provide
water to the people who have
signed up for it throughout the
County. The second phase
would come when everybody is
served who it is practical to
serve.
All the available money, from
the bond, FHA, CRC, and Clean
Water grant, is earmarked only
for serving county residents
outside of the municipal
systems. Purchasing the
municipal system? will be
possible after this is done and if
additional grant money or
funding requiring a referen
dum, can be arranged.
No action was taken at this
meeting. However, a strong
reaffirmation of getting water
to people throughout the county
outside the municipal systems,
was made by the Com*
missioners.
t|