Communities along the North Carolina coast could be granted more local control over oceanfront construction as soon as 2016 under a new policy deliberated by the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission.
To prevent construction closer to new, potentially temporary vegetation lines created by large beach renourishment projects, setbacks for oceanfront development in some coastal communities are measured using a static vegetation line, or the line of natural vegetation observed before the first project. Communities with a history of regular renourishment and a sustained source of funding to continue regular renourishment can request a static line exemption from the coastal commission, allowing development closer to the modified shoreline.
The process to secure static line exceptions, which requires reauthorization every five years, is complicated and confusing for local municipalities as well as the real estate agents and banks involved in coastal property transactions, said Coastal Resources Commission Chairman Frank Gorham, prompting the commission to consider a second, simpler option for communities seeking relief from static lines: a development line. Drawn by local communities and subject to one review and approval from the coastal commission, a development line would follow the current row of oceanfront houses, barring any outliers sitting closer to the shore.
“It would make life simpler,” Gorham said. “It’s confusing to Realtors. It’s confusing to people who buy a house. It’s a confusion that’s not necessary.”
Many communities already manage oceanfront construction along a beachfront development line, Gorham said, and in some cases, the local development line is more effective than state rules and requirements. An official development line policy could reward communities that effectively manage beachfront development with more flexibility, Gorham said, listing Wrightsville Beach as an example of a community that responsibly oversees development.
A subcommittee, tasked by the commission to explore static line exemption alternatives last fall, will reconvene to discuss what criteria communities would have to follow for a development line to be approved. Spencer Rogers, N.C. Sea Grant construction and erosion specialist and subcommittee member, agreed a development line would be easier to understand than the current static line exemption policy. Rogers said the static line exception is “complicated, confusing, and it’s not working very well.” He also agreed that some communities observe development lines that enforce oceanfront development more effectively than the state’s setback regulations.
Figure Eight Island Homeowners Association Administrator David Kellam, also a subcommittee member, said the development line would be more easily recognized by coastal property owners, who do not usually know where a static line is located.
“It won’t be something that’s moveable or questionable. It will be much more clear to everyone. It’s a more effective tool in managing our coast,” Kellam said.
The subcommittee will submit its work for review by the coastal commission during its next meeting in April. An official development line rule is likely a year away, Gorham estimated, as the rulemaking process involves review by an administrative procedures group and an economic impact study as well as public review.
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