Emerald Tidings
Commission Considers Changes to Static Vegetation Line
As reported previously in Emerald Tidings, the NC Coastal Resources
Commission, the policy making body for coastal development in North
Carolina, is currently considering amendments to their rules to
allow for the potential retirement of the “static vegetation line”
used in areas where the beach has been nourished.
Under current CRC rules, the “static vegetation line” is
established at the location of the actual first line of stable
vegetation just prior to the construction of a beach nourishment
project. This line is then used to determine oceanfront setbacks in
perpetuity. The result is that lots and structures that are
nonconforming (i.e., not buildable or re-buildable) will remain
non-conforming in perpetuity, even if the actual first line of
stable vegetation has migrated toward the ocean following a beach
nourishment project.
In Emerald Isle, the area most impacted by the current CRC rules is
the eastern two miles of oceanfront between the Indian Beach
town line and Pier Pointe condominiums. All structures and lots in
this area are behind a ”static vegetation line,” and nearly all will
be nonconforming in perpetuity - meaning that existing structures
cannot be reconstructed if they become damaged more than 50% and
that any existing vacant lots cannot be built upon. The CRC has been
discussing possible amendments to the “static vegetation line” rules
for nearly two years and appears to have reached some consensus on
proposed changes to the rules. The proposed rules changes would
allow a local community to petition the CRC to retire the “static
vegetation line” and revert to using the actual first line of stable
vegetation to determine oceanfront building setbacks. In order to
gain CRC approval to retire the “static vegetation line,” a
community would need to submit a 30-year beach maintenance plan that
identifies sand sources and funding sources to insure that the beach
will be properly maintained in the future. It is important to note
that the proposed changes would still require a new structure to
meet the setback (60 feet in eastern Emerald Isle) from the actual
first line of actual stable vegetation and that new structures would
be limited to 2,500 heated square feet (86% of the
existing oceanfront structures in eastern Emerald Isle are less than
2,500 square feet).
The CRC has received extensive stakeholder input on this issue
already and has scheduled several additional public hearings at
various locations along the coast in the coming weeks to gain
additional input on the proposed amendments. Public hearings will be
held in Surf City on July 7, Carolina Beach on July 8, Supply on
July 14, and Beaufort on July 15. A final public hearing will be
held at the CRC’s regular meeting in Raleigh on July 24, after
which a decision could be made on the new rules. Interested
citizens are encouraged to attend one of these public hearings to
express their views on this matter.
If the new rules are approved in July, the town would then begin
work on a 30-year beach maintenance plan to submit to the CRC at a
future meeting. It is likely that the development of the plan will
take up to six months and the plan could be submitted for CRC
consideration in early 2009. The town is optimistic that it can
devise a reasonable plan that will be supported by the citizens of
Emerald Isle and the CRC. If that plan is ultimately approved, new
construction could begin on the oceanfront in eastern Emerald Isle
by mid-2009. Again, it is important for property owners to
recognize that: 1) the town’s plan must be approved by the CRC, 2)
that any new structures must be able to meet the 60 –foot oceanfront
setback from the actual first line of stable vegetation and 3) that
the size of new structures would be limited to 2,500 heated sq. ft.
For more information on this issue, please contact Dr. Jeffrey
Warren, NC Division of Coastal Management, at
jeff.warren@ncmail.net or 919-733-2293,
ext 241, or Frank Rush, Town Manager, at 252-354-3424 or
frush@emeraldisle-nc.org.
Don’t Forget Your Hurricane Re-Entry Pass
The 2008
hurricane season is upon us and town staff is busy making sure the
town is prepared for potential storm impacts. Town staff is
reviewing emergency plans, communicating with state, county and
other local emergency officials, and executing prepositioned
emergency debris, generator, and storm water pump contracts to
protect the town during a storm and promote a quick post-storm
recovery.
Emerald
Isle is fortunate to have avoided a major storm for the past two
years and we remain hopeful that we’ll be spared again this year. In
the event that the town is impacted, it will be important for our
residents and property owners to have their town-issued hurricane
re-entry passes on hand. These passes are used to determine who can
return to the island if there is major storm damage and the town
needs to limit access to the island for safety reasons.
All
property owners were previously issued permanent hurricane re-entry
passes free of charge. These passes run with the property and should
be transferred when property is sold to a new owner and should also
be provided to tenants. Please take a moment to locate your re-entry
pass and store it in your vehicle for use if necessary. If you
cannot locate your pass or need an extra pass, please visit Town
Hall during normal business hours to secure a new or additional
pass. Please note that proof of residency or ownership is required
and there is a $25 fee per re-entry pass.
Please do
not wait until a hurricane is threatening Emerald Isle to come to
Town Hall to purchase a new re-entry pass. Town staff are very busy
in the hours leading up to a storm and Town Hall may close before
you can purchase your pass. The lines are also often very long prior
to a storm.
PLEASE
COME IN TO PURCHASE YOUR HURRICANE RE-ENTRY PASS NOW - BEFORE A
STORM IS APPROACHING!
Point Continues to Improve
The Point
continues to accrete following the erosion of the spit at the tip of
The Point earlier this year. A new spit has been forming over the
past several months and has curved around The Point from the
oceanfront and is currently located between the vehicle ramp and the
Coast Guard Channel. This accretion is expected to continue and the
town remains optimistic that the area will stabilize in the coming
months. The accretion occurring now is similar to the accretion that
occurred almost immediately after the town’s project to relocate the
main channel in Bogue Inlet was completed in April 2005.
The
town’s coastal engineers predicted it would take four-to-six years
for all inlet-related adjustments to occur. It has now been a little
more than three years since the project was completed in April 2005.
Because the area is currently accreting, and because we are only
halfway through the predicted adjustment period, the NC Coastal
Resources Commission has granted a sandbag variance to allow the
existing sandbags to remain in place for two more years. Recent news
articles have documented the state’s efforts to remove old sandbags
after a May 2008 deadline, however, this deadline does not apply to
the sandbags at The Point. The town is optimistic that sandbags at
The Point will be covered with sand and vegetation within the
next two years and will not need to be removed at that time. The
town anticipates additional natural accretion over that time and is
also pursuing strategies to place additional sand in the area in a
cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner.
The
current accretion has been ongoing on the oceanfront for several
months and has now migrated to the spit at the tip of The Point. The
oceanfront area now includes a wider beach, and the area near the
Channel Drive walkway appears to have stabilized. The town will be
working to reconstruct that public beach access walkway this summer
to restore it to a near-original condition. The Channel Drive public
access can be used by area residents and by visitors who park in the
Station Street parking lot located nearby.
The town
continues to monitor the conditions at The Point on a regular basis.
The entire area near The Point includes depths of 1-5 feet, with
sand migrating into the area. The current erosion challenge is far
less daunting than the problems in the late 1990s and early 2000s
when the main channel was scouring out the tip of Emerald Isle with
significant volumes and velocities of water, which created depths as
great at 20-30 feet in some areas adjacent to The Point. The town
remains optimistic that the erosion issues will ultimately be
resolved in this area.
Don’t Mix Solid Waste
Town
staff and the town’s contractors all work hard to provide the
highest quality solid waste services for our residents, property
owners and visitors. In order to ensure the effectiveness of our
solid waste operations, we ask for everyone’s cooperation in
adhering to the following:
1. Please do not dispose of regular household garbage in
recycling containers! The town’s contractors are forced to dispose
of recyclables with the regular trash if regular trash is mixed in
with recyclables in the recycling containers. The town occasionally
receives complaints that the town’s contractors are intentionally
emptying recycling containers on regular trash days, however, this
only occurs when regular trash is mixed in with recyclables. Please
make sure that recycling containers are used only for recyclables!
2. The town’s
contractors will collect small,
incidental amounts of
construction and demolition debris from our residential property
owners. Incidental construction and demolition debris should be
placed in a neat pile at the right-of-way and piles should not
exceed 4 feet in length or 50 pounds. Please do not put construction
and demolition debris in residential trash containers, as this can
result in unnecessary damage to your trash container. Larger volumes
of construction and demolition debris should be disposed of by your
construction contractor or at an approved Carteret County collection
site.
Thank you
for your cooperation!
EI Woods Park Closed
Construction of the next phase of the Coast Guard Road Storm Water
Project is currently underway. Some of the work involved with the
project is taking place in Emerald Isle Woods Park, the receiving
site for storm water pumped from other areas along Coast Guard Road.
As a result, Emerald Isle Woods is temporarily closed until work
inside the park is complete. This portion of the project should be
complete sometime in June and the park is expected to reopen no
later than July 1. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you
for your patience!
For more information about the status of Emerald Isle Woods Park,
please contact Alesia Sanderson, Parks and Recreation Director, at
252-354-6350 or
asanderson@emeraldisle-nc.org.
EMS Building
The town is currently partnering with
Emerald Isle EMS, Inc. to construct a new EMS station on town-owned
land adjacent to Fire Station 1 on NC 58. The new building is
expected to be complete by late summer 2008, at which time Emerald
Isle EMS, Inc. will occupy the new building. The town will take
possession of the existing EMS Station at 218 Cedar St. at that
time, and is currently offering the property for sale. The existing
EMS Station is a converted beach house. The existing station is in
very good condition for use as a permanent home or beach house, and
may also be suitable for a low-impact, home-based business. The
building consists of a 1,200-square foot, three-bedroom, two-bath
living area on the top floor, and also includes a large garage and
an additional 1,200 square feet of heated space on the ground floor
consisting of a full kitchen, bath, and two large rooms. The
building is located on the ocean side and a beach access is just a
short walk away. The sale price is $450,000 and the town will
consider all offers. For more information please contact Town Hall
at 252-354-3424.
Read more articles in the
May print edition of Island Review.
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