DRAFT CAC Meeting Minutes

October 14, 2002

DRAFT CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MEETING MINUTES

OCTOBER 14, 2002 – 9:00 A.M.

BOARD ROOM

CAC MEMBERS
PRESENT / Chair Bob Sanders; Richard Chance; Russell Lay; Peter Rascoe; Susan Boncek; Rascoe Hunt; Norm Chase; Hosea Wilson; and Camille Lawrence
CAC MEMBERS
ABSENT / Pat Moore
OTHERS PRESENT / Mayor Bob Muller; Town Manager Webb Fuller; Deputy Town Manager Rhonda Sommer; Public Safety Director Charlie Cameron; Planning Director Tim Wilson; Rick Chance; and Town Clerk Carolyn Morris
CALL TO ORDER / Chair Bob Sanders called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
APPROVAL OF
MINUTES / It was Committee consensus to approve the minutes of the September 9, 2002, meeting as presented.
REPORT ON
FESTIVAL OF
THANKSGIVING / Bob Sanders reported that he has spoken with the Committee’s nomination for Town Lightkeeper who has agreed to serve the town in that position during the upcoming year. He noted that the nomination will not become public until the Festival of Thanksgiving Opening Ceremony celebration.
Susan Boncek said that she attended the Festival of Thanksgiving meeting several weeks ago; everything appears to be in line for the Festival. A Parks and Recreation bus is being procured to bring kids from Hatteras and from Manteo for the middle school dance.
The Festival is scheduled for the week prior to Thanksgiving – November 21 – 24, 2002.
COMMUNITY
APPEARANCE
AWARD
FOR
COMMERCIAL
BUSINESSES / Bob Sanders reported that the following businesses were the top nominees selected by the Committee members for Community Appearance Award:
Harrell & Associates; Outer Banks Birdwatchers; Outer Banks Hospital;Forbes Candies; YMCA; and Logan’s Ice Cream.
It was Committee consensus to nominate the following businesses from the remainder of the nominee list to round out the ten (10) businesses for the Scorecard: Something Fishy; Carolina State Mortgage (Bankers); BadBarracuda’s; and Owen’s Restaurant.
Russell Lay noted that the nomination of Something Fishy is interesting because it represents an older style beach cottage that is rapidly disappearing in the town.
Bob Sanders stated that the Scorecards would be distributed to Committee members at the November CAC meeting.
REPORT ON TOWN
RESIDENTIAL NAGS
HEAD STYLE
ARCHITECTURE
AWARD / Bob Sanders reported that the Board of Commissioners at their October 2, 2002, meeting approved the Committee’s nomination of the Nixon Cottage for the Residential Nags Head Style Architecture Award.
Committee members agreed that the award should be presented during the Festival of Thanksgiving Opening Ceremony on Thursday, November 21, 2002, at Town Hall.
ACTION: Carolyn Morris is to forward a letter to the owners of the Nixon Cottage congratulating them on their win and inviting them to the Opening Ceremony to receive their award.
ACTION: Peter Rascoeis to forward to Carolyn Morris the Nixon Cottage owners’ names and addresses.
ACTION: Carolyn Morris is to forward a letter to the other nominees (see September 9, 2002, CAC minutes) congratulating them on their nomination for the award.
UPDATE ON LINKING
WEST SIDE
NEIGHBORHOODS / Bob Sanders reported that a discussion of linking the west side neighborhoods together with a multi-use path will be on the Board’s October 16, 2002, agenda.
Town Manager Fuller brought forward and displayed a map with a proposed west-side path. The path was developed when Town Manager Fuller and Bob Sanders drove around town and identified a possible location for the path.
Town Manager Fuller and Bob Sanders emphasized that this first phase will focus on utilizing public property and not private property for the path; subsequent phases will look at easements if necessary.
Chief Cameron reported that the YMCA is looking at extending their facility. Their representative, John DeLucia, indicated that the YMCA would relocate their driveway directly across from Bonnett Street if the town would support their request for a traffic signal in that location. Chief Cameron noted that a traffic signal would also benefit the town when the elementary school is constructed.
TOWN
RECREATION SITE / Town Manager Fuller reported that the Town and County Recreation Dept. staff have met with the County’s engineer and a lighting consultant. They are currently considering installing two (2) types of championship fields and adding tennis courts, a volleyball area, and including a significant buffer area around the site with the entrance off of Satterfield Landing. The engineer is developing a design proposal which should be ready for review prior to the next CAC meeting. Town Manager Fuller asked Committee members with any suggestions to forward them to him or staff.
MULTI-USE PATH
SAFETY / Chief Cameron explained that people continue to come to him with issues concerning the safety of the multi-use path. He said that the town is considering acquiring some signs to offer to property owners to install; there would be no liability to the town if the property owner installed the sign. Signage would indicate to “Caution – Stop” before entering the multi-use path. Chief Cameron noted that there are more than 500 driveways that cross the town’s multi-use path.
NC DOT LANDSCAPE
ENHANCEMENT
PROGRAM / No update was provided on this agenda item.
NAGS HEAD SURF
FISHING
TOURNAMENT / Russell Lay, on behalf of Nags Head Surf Fishing Tournament president Kerns Lowman, thanked the Town for their assistance with the tournament. He also emphasized that a petition is being distributed concerning the closing of certain parts of the beach and he emphasized that the Fishing Club is not a part of the petition process. He said that tournament officials agreed with the Town’s decision to close certain parts of the beach because of the dangerous driving conditions.
TURTLE NESTS AND
LIGHTING IN TOWN / Russell Lay reported that all the turtle nests on the beach hatched this year. He also noted that tourists have commented to him that they like staying in Nags Head because there are not a lot of lights and they can view the constellations, etc.
Chief Cameron suggested that the Committee view Millie Overman’s video of actual turtle hatchings.
LARGE STRUCTURES / Camille Lawrence said that she has received numerous complaints about the “cookie cutter” houses that are built in a row that have the same design/style and color.
Mayor Muller explained that under the town’s current ordinances, there is no way to impact the design/color of houses.
Planning Director Tim Wilson provided a Large Structure Committee update. He said that the Committee discussed and unanimously backed off dictating color of houses; they also discussed the same style house side-by-side and there was no resolution on how to prohibit that either. He said that the Large Structure ordinance public hearing has been scheduled for the November 6, 2002, Board meeting at 9:00 a.m. The proposed ordinance includes standards for roof pitch and requirements for dormers, covered porches, etc. A large structure is considered seven (7) or more bedrooms; the cap for large structures is 12 bedrooms.
Susan Boncek said that she does not believe you can tell people what style/design to use to build their home or what color to paint it; she listed each decade in the past that had a different style of house that was popular.
Bob Sanders asked about the preservation of existing vegetation, i.e., are there different standards for commercial structures? Tim Wilson explained that standards for both residential and commercial are already being discussed. Town Manager Fuller said that he would also like to see stormwater runoff regulations included.
Peter Rascoe confirmed with staff that no permit is required if a property owner wants to clear less than 5,000 square foot.
Rascoe Hunt confirmed with Bob Muller that any existing commercial property can be utilized for residential with the exception of property in the Village at Nags Head.
SIDE STREETS
BLOCKED BY
CONSTRUCTION
VEHICLES / Susan Boncek reported that she usually turns into the Finch Street or Flicker Street side roads near her Sandspur Motel. Construction workers on these streets park in the street making the streets impassable. She reported once having to back out onto the bypass. She suggested that when the town issues building permits that they stipulate that construction vehicles must be parked off the road and must not block public streets.
Chief Cameron said that the Police Division should be contacted if a roadway is completely blocked. He stated further that he was aware there would be a problem on those streets some time ago.
Mayor Muller said he would bring these concerns up to the Board.
LARGE STRUCTURE
IN SOUTH NAGS
HEAD / Norm Chase mentioned that the large residential structure on the oceanfront in South Nags Head is a 16-bedroom house.
Town Manager Fuller said that this was the house that caused the Board to take the action it did with the large structure moratorium; the Board felt that the 16-bedroom house could not be considered a single family home.
DOGS ON THE
BEACH / Chief Cameronreported that the town may be seeing “displaced impacts” during next year’s summer season. The Town of Kitty Hawk has banned dogs on its beaches from May through October and he anticipates that this will have an impact on Nags Head’s beaches next summer.
AMATEUR
FIREWORKS / Susan Boncek and Camille Lawrence requested that the banning of amateur fireworks in the town be considered.
MAYOR MULLER / Bob Sanders thanked Mayor Muller for attending today’s meeting.
Mayor Muller thanked the Committee members for their efforts and said that the Board reads their minutes with interest every month. He also said that he believes that the Committee is doing what he, the other Board members, and the town’s citizens want the Committee to do.
ADJOURNMENT / The Committee adjourned at 10:25 a.m.
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Town Clerk Carolyn Morris Approval Date

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