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The Island Gazette
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Established 1978 Published Every Wednesday by Seaside Press Co., Inc. 1003 Bennet Lane Suite F - P. O. Box 183, Carolina Beach, N. C. 28428 (910) 458-8156
Town Meetings Schedule Kure Beach Planning and Zoning Board holds their regular monthly meeting on the first Tuesday of each month at Town Hall at 7:00PM. Call for 458-8216 for more information. The Kure Beach Shoreline Access and Parking Committee meets every month on the first Tuesday at 5:00PM at Town Hall. Kure Beach Town Council meeting held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 at Town Hall. Carolina Beach Police Advisory Committee meeting first Monday of each month at Town Hall at 7:00PM. Carolina Beach Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, 7PM, held in the Council meeting room at Town Hall the second Thursday of each month. Carolina Beach Town Council regular meeting
held in the Council meeting room at Town Hall the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM. Meetings are televised on Charter Cable Channel 3 on Tuesdays at 7PM and on New Hanover County Government Access Channel 5 on Fridays at 7AM and Sundays at 6PM. The Kure Beach Community Center Committee meets the second Tuesday of every month at 10:00 am at the Community Center. Kure Beach, Beach Protection Committee meets every month on the first Tuesday at 3:30PM at Town Hall. Call Kure Beach at 4588216 or Carolina Beach at 458-2999. You may also visit Carolina Beach online at w w w. c a r o l i n a b e a c h . o r g You may visit the Town of Kure Beach online at www.townofkurebeach.org
Carolina Beach Police.................................... 911 or Carolina Beach Fire Department ............................... Carolina Beach Crime Stoppers ............................... Town of Carolina Beach........................................... Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce....................... Kure Beach Police.......................................... 911 or Kure Beach Fire Department...................................... Town of Kure Beach................................................. New Hanover County Sheriffs Department................. Wilmington Police.................................................... City of Wilmington................................................... Coast Guard............................................................. Carolina Beach State Park......................................... Fort Fisher Aquarium................................................. Carolina Beach Library............................................... Cape Fear Community College................................... University of North Carolina At Wilmington............... Kure Beach Pier........................................................ Carolina Beach North End Pier................................. NH County Animal Control .................................... Kure Beach Community Center................................
458-2540 911 Emerg. 458-1246 458-2999 458-8434 458-7586 911 Emerg. 458-8216 798-4200 343-3600 341-7800 256-2615 458-8206 458-8257 798-6380 362-7000 962-3000 458-5524 458-5518 798-7500 458-8944
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Gazette, May 14, 2014
TO SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR IS | DEADLINE MONDAY MORNING ~ SEE RULES AT LEFT
Editorial: Council Made Wise Decision On RV Park Amendment
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By WILLARD KILLOUGH III Managing Editor
The Carolina Beach Town Council made a wise decision when they unanimously voted to deny a request to permit RV Parks in the Highway Business District. That is the major thoroughfare through Town and the community expects leaders to protect zoning ordinances that require the best use of commercial property rather than the
RV Parks From page 1-A According to Town Senior Planner Jeremy Hardison, Mr. Troy Slaughter is requesting the Town to amend the zoning ordinance to create an allowance for Travel Trailer Parks in the Highway Business (HB) zoning district. Slaughter represents an existing RV park on North Lake Park Blvd. Hardison explained, "Currently the Travel Trailer Park use is listed in our table of permitted uses, but it is not allowed in any zoning district within the Town of Carolina Beach. Travel Trailer Parks were allowed in Marina Business MB-1 and Business B-2 (equivalent of Highway Business HB) until August 14, 2001." Hardison explained that during the discussion at the Planning and Zoning meeting that occurred in June 2001 there were several concerns discussed about travel trailer parks. They include: The Travel Trailer Park will: 1. Put a strain on the infrastructure of the town (water and sewer, trash pick-up); 2. Not attract businesses substantial to the growth of the town; 3. Not add tax dollars to Carolina Beach, no additional jobs will be created from this business and; 4. Result in a reduction of tax values for the surrounding properties. Hardison explained, "It was also discussed that a Travel Trailer Park would not the best use of the land for a commercially zoned area (i.e. HB zoning district). The consensus was a travel park would be better suited in the "I" (industrial) or "C" (conservation) district. The motion by the Planning and Zoning Board passed unanimously to deny both the rezoning and travel park. Town Council agreed with Planning and Zoning and motioned unanimously to remove the land use." He explained, "There is currently one Travel Trailer Park in the town limits owned by the applicant located at the corner of Lake Park Blvd and Goldsboro Ave. The Travel Trailer Park is currently located in two different zones, HB and R-1." He explained, "In September 2009 the applicant [Troy Slaughter] applied for a text amendment to rezone approximately 2 acres of land from R-1 to the HB zoning district on the corner of Goldsboro and Lake Park Blvd N. and requested to change the ordinance to allow for Travel Trailer Parks in the Highway Business zoning district. The Technical Review Committee reviewed the items, but the applicant pulled both re-
Hotel From page 1-A working through a list of other logistical and permitting issues. The Carolina Beach Town Council unanimously approved changes to a conditional use permit for the new 100-room oceanfront Hampton Inn and Suites at their January 14th, meeting after lengthy discussion. The Council agreed to
least investment while collecting rent on RV spaces. During the meeting one person spoke about people's right to develop and use their properties. People have a right to develop their property based on zoning regulations adopted by elected representatives. Those leaders make value judgments based on the desires of the community and their own preference. Not everyone agrees that bars and taverns should be per-
mitted in certain areas of Town. Should every property owner have a right to open one on any given commercial lot in Town? No. Zoning regulations can dictate types of development, height, size, landscape buffers, and much more. The community spoke, the Council listened, and then based on their value judgment, they voted not to permit RV Parks along the major gateway of our Town. RV's are not cheap. They are
for many people a luxury vacation get-away or roaming home in their retirement years. Many cost well over $100,000 (or much more depending on size and features). The issue isn't whether or not RV's are good or bad. I think we can all agree that a nice new shiny RV is anything other than a good thing. The issue is location and the best use of commercial property
quest before the October 2009 Planning and Zoning Committee meeting. In May of 2012 the applicant had the same plan and applied to rezone the entire park to HB and was denied by Town Council to expand the HB in the R-1 residential district" along Goldsboro Avenue. The amendment language proposed at the April 10th Planning Commission meeting was composed based on feedback from the Planning Commission and the public at a March 27th, workshop. Recreational Vehicle (RV) Parks would have to be a minimum of 1.5 acres in size and have a minimum of 24 feet between each site utility pedestal. The setbacks for the Highway Business District shall apply from the recreational vehicle and shall be measured from the individual vehicle site. In addition, any portion of the recreational vehicle park that is adjacent to a residential district shall have a minimum setback of 20 feet. Each individual RV site shall be located a minimum distance of 10 feet from any amenity or facility. RV's shall be limited to a vehicle which is: (a) Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light duty truck, (b) Has self-contained temporary living quarters that have sleeping, cooking and sanitation facilities designed for recreational, camping and traveling. For access, no individual RV site could be accessed from a public street. No more than two driveway cuts could be located on a right of way that is associated with a RV park. In no instance could any point of a driveway cut be within one hundred feet of another driveway cut to be measured along the right of way. All interior roadways would be at least 20 feet in width for two-way traffic and at least 15 feet in width for one-way traffic. A fifty-five degree turning radius would be required on all curves and entrances and exits. All interior streets would begin/end on a public road. For landscaping, a landscaping buffer would be required. Additionally, a 6 foot fence with a minimum 80% opacity would be provided on any side of a RV Park adjacent to a residential zoning district. In no instance shall the street yard buffer be waived except for approved driveway cuts. Each RV site within a park shall have electrical, water and sewer hookups. A dumpster of at least two cubic yards shall be provided for every 10 Recreational Vehicles that can be accommodated by the park. For RV Parks, amenities may be provided on site for services that enhance the quality of the recreational vehicle park such
as; caretakers dwelling, bathhouse, swimming pools, volleyball courts, or some other amenity. Recreational Vehicles could not be located at a site for more than 180 days within a calendar year. The operator of an RV Park will have to keep logs of vehicle information that can be inspected by the Town at any time. RV Parks would be defined as a land use designed to accommodate transient visitors wishing to visit Carolina Beach. These facilities shall in no way accommodate permanent residents to live in a recreational vehicle park. Parks would be permitted as a conditional use requiring review by the Planning Commission and final approval by the Town Council for each park. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend Council approve of the rezoning request at their May 13th, meeting with a change recommended by Mr. Slaughter to increase the minimum width of individual RV vehicle sites to 30' feet to avoid a congested look within a park. Ed Parvin responded to a citizen request on April 29th for information on how many lots on Lake Park Blvd could potentially house an RV Park if Council approved the amendment on May 13th. Parvin explained, " It is difficult to tell how many lots could potentially have RV Parks. As drafted the ordinance would allow for RV Parks on any property that had at least 1.5 acres in the Highway Business District (HB). The attached map shows the HB zoning district and lot sizes. When reviewing this data there are only a few lots that are undeveloped that could accommodate RV’s. However, there are a significant number that are prime for redevelopment that could accommodate RV’s (i.e. Federal Point Shopping Center). Likewise, there are several lots that are contiguous to each other that do not consist of 1.5 acres by themselves, but when combined have 1.5 acres and could then accommodate RV’s (i.e. properties just south of Walgreens). " During the Council's May 13th, meeting Hardison explained the applicant's existing RV Park could expand. He said, "He has a little bit over an acre and a half of Highway Business area that is zoned Highway business on his land" and, "He does have some ability to expand that if this was passed... he could apply for a conditional use permit to expand if Council chooses to vote yay for it." Slaughter explained he represents Winner Enterprises and, "For the record, we own several buildings here at Carolina Beach that house businesses such as Surf House, Sacks Hair Salon"
and others. He said, "We have a number of buildings that house a number of businesses that employee a number of people here at Carolina Beach." He explained when his grandfather opened the existing park it was located in the unincorporated area of the County and later annexed into Carolina Beach Town limits. He said, "When we got incorporated, the only area that was being used as an RV Park is what Jeremy has outlined with the black line there. And the property to the west of that was all trailer park. Had my grandfather made the rest of that RV Parking we wouldn't be standing here but that's the way Martin Winner did it so that's what we are living with right now." Slaughter explained, "The issue before this Town Council is what is in the best interest of Carolina Beach. Let me point out something that may not be so obvious. I'm asking this council to approve an amendment that would effectively allow competition to come in to Carolina Beach with RV Parks. Right now we are the only RV Park period. And if you vote against this amendment tonight we will stay the only RV Park so what would be an inducement for me to ask this Council to amend the zoning ordinance to allow competition to come in. The answer is, I think it’s a good thing for Carolina Beach. RV Parks are not what they were 13, 14 years ago. They are different. The RV's and motor homes you see parked in our RV Park are two hundred, three hundred, four hundred thousand dollar RV's. The people that inhabit those RV's are people that have discretionary income. These are families. Retirees. These are people that come from all over the state and parts of the country to come to Carolina Beach. First of all, to use the term travel trailer, that's almost a derogatory term at this point. RV's, that's a whole other industry." Slaughter explained, "Typically when they are in an RV they go out to restaurants. They don't necessarily want to cook in their RV's so they go the grocery stores, buy food, attend events. So it's a different type of clientele." He explained, "With respect to the prior timeline when the zoning ordinance was changed in 2001, it was a different economic climate back then. Things were on the upswing for Carolina Beach. Things looked really, really good. I went on the record at that time as saying the RV park would be gone in five years. Well, look how wrong you can be. I was dead wrong about that. The economy collapsed. The bottom fell out and
waive parking requirements and require the developer to grade a Town-owned gravel parking lot on Canal Drive across from the Town's marina. The project is located at 1 Harper Avenue. Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial, a real estate development and commercial brokerage firm in Augusta, Georgia, purchased the property from a previous owner who had planned to construct a Hilton Garden Inn at the same loca-
tion. This site was previously approved for a 191-room 125foot tall hotel in 2007. The site has since been sold and is a completely different project. The proposed structure is 87.5’ feet in height. The footprint of the structure is 22,626 square feet. A pool will be located on the second floor, along with a breakfast café, outside bar area and an outside seating area. The hotel will have direct access to the boardwalk.
Detours will be required along nearby roads during construction to facilitate water, sewer and power line improvements and relocation. The Town anticipates receiving a timeline for the construction project in the coming weeks. A portion of Carolina Beach Avenue North was closed and deeded to the developer to facilitate the project. The road will be rerouted around the hotel to connect to Canal Drive.
See Editorial, page 8-A
See RV Parks, page 8-A