Certain businesses and individuals have asked the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors to change the zoning ordinances governing "setbacks".
Setbacks provide buffer space between and among commercial establishments and residential property owners.
The Board of Supervisors of Brunswick County is contemplating significantly reducing such setbacks in order to accommodate the development of new businesses. While the undersigned appreciate the need for a growing economy in the Lake Gaston area, we believe that changing existing ordinances could lower residential property values, lead to undesirable development densities and, indirectly, lead to negative health and safety impacts on Lake Gaston.
We believe that such reduction in setbacks would be in direct conflict with the stated requirements on the Supervisor's own web site that any adjustment or variance to zoning ordinances must not be "contrary to the public health, safety, or welfare" of the citizens of the County.
We, the undersigned, believe that any variance(s) in Brunswick County's setback ordinances could have significant negative effects on the quality of life, usability, safety and health of Poplar Creek and, ultimately, Lake Gaston, itself.
Development being contemplated along Poplar Creek, if allowed to proceed at the proposed densities and locations, would permit excessive numbers of boats to be held in storage in the newly proposed expansion of the present Poplar Creek Marina.
We believe that the proposed new marina, with storage for between 200 and 240 boats, will lead to a significant increase in traffic along an already-crowded waterway.
The bridge between the marina and the narrow width of the southern portion of Poplar Creek (which leads to the main lake) allows for only one boat's safe passage. Increased traffic resulting from users of the new development will eventually lead to unsafe traffic densities in these locations.
A significant increase in boat traffic along Poplar Creek south of the Highway 903 bridge will have a detrimental environmental impact. Erosion of the shoreline along the creek from power boat wakes has already been significant, even at current traffic levels. This loss of shoreline destroys natural habitat for animals and causes soil to silt in to the Creek. Eventually, erosion and silt problems caused by increased boat traffic could lead to concerns about the depth and width of the waterway.
The Board of Supervisors has already recognized Poplar Creek as a potentially dangerous waterway and has installed buoys that limit certain water activities such as skiing and wakeboarding in the Creek. Poplar Creek is narrow and winding. In some areas, particularly the "S" curves, visibility of oncoming traffic is poor to nonexistent. An increase in boat traffic that will result from significant new development on the Creek will exacerbate these issues, particularly on summer and holiday weekends.
In summary, given the aforementioned traffic, environmental and safety issues, and an apparent lack of any public planning, study, or proposals as to how to mitigate them, the undersigned oppose any modification of the present Brunswick County zoning ordinances.
