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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Water Access Plan-1986PUBLIC WATER ACCESS PLAN NEW HANOVER COUNTY PUBLIC ACCESS tr NEW HANOVER COUNTY NC COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM , THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT APRIL 1986 o Q A o coa it r� cl C U z°= a CU o O � c U A PUBLIC WATER ACCESS PLAN FOR NEW HANOVER COUNTY TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE OVERVIEW 1 I. INTRODUCTION 1 11. THE COUNTY'S ROLE IN PUBLIC WATER ACCESS 3 A. Land Use Plan Policies for Growth and Development 3 B. Implementation Action 4 (1) Potential Implementation Actions 4 (2) Suggested Implementation Actions 5 C. Present Public Access Sites in New Hanover County 6 D. Potential Access Sites in New Hanover County 7 PUBLIC WATER ACCESS PLAN FOR NEW HANOVER COUNTY OVERVIEW Increasing pressure has been placed on the County's public water access facilities. Continued growth In the population, the rapid increase in tourism_, and the increasing scarcity and cost of'undeveloped waterfront property will continue to add to the pressure. Access, especially boat access, appears to be particularly needed to the County's sounds, creeks, and rivers. This Public Water Access Plan discusses alternatives available to the County for acquiring and developing additional access sites. An inventory of present and potential access sites has also been included. The following are this plan's principal recommendations: 1) Strengthen the public water access policies in the upcoming 1986 Update of the Land -Use Plan Policies for Growth and Development; 2) Develop an active public water access development program, to be funded by a proposed excise tax on real property transfers (sales) and by recreational impact fees; 3) Support a present effort to expand Snow's Cut Park into a regional estuarine access facility. 4) Establish a sinking fund for the acquisition and expansion of estuarine and ocean access sites. 1. INTRODUCTION New Hanover County has several hundred miles of ocean and estuarine shoreline, which has traditionally provided recreational and visual access to the water for County residents. Water access additionally has served as a major underpinning for the economically important tourism industry in the County. Several studies have indicated the importance of water in recreational activities. According to three national surveys performed by the Neilsen Company in the 19701s, the water dependent activities of swimming, fishing, and boating ranked first, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in terms of most frequent participation. In addition to these water -dependent activities, a number of water -related activities, such as picnicking and sightseeing, are enhanced by water access. In recent years, however, decreasing accessibility to the County's waters has been expressed as a major problem. Factors leading to the increasing lack of public water access include: (a). increased residential and resort development along the county's waterfront, as indicated by Figure 1, has physically crowded and limited public access points; Park FIGURE 1 Riverfront Park a 3 w Mw MOwf �y,V NIVI G. N.jN1M 35 access sites Y Future estuarine sanctuary a�. PUBLIC WATER a - g ACCESS 8 i * :BOAT RAMP REGIONAL BEACH ACCESS MT LOCAL BEACH ACCESS Snows Cut Park l*26 access sites Carolina Beach State I V Park I '' j4 6 access sites 22 access sites i Q State recreation beach - •� NEW HANOVER COUNTY -2- (b) the common practice of positioning public streets parallel to the water and of extending private street right-of-ways to the water has eliminated traditional public access sites; (c) The dramatic increase in the value of waterfront property may make future County purchases of access sites prohibitive; (d) New Hanover County's population history has been one of growth; between the 1930 and 1980 censuses the County's population increased by 140 percent from approximately 43,000 to 103,471. By 1990 the projected population is expected to have increased by nearly 17 percent to 120,899. The growing population trend has caused and will continue to cause a concomitant increase in water access demand by the County's residents. (e) The construction of "walls" of condominium units or other structures between public roads and the water has reduced public visual and physical access. (f) The long-term increase in leisure time has created a greater demand for public water access. II. THE COUNTY'S ROLE IN PUBLIC WATER ACCESS The County presently plays an active role in providing public water access. in terms of the policies and implementation actions it has adopted and the capital investments that it has made. This section of the Water Access Plan examines the County's present involvement in these areas, discusses some alternatives, and makes several recommendations. A. Land Use Plan Policies for Growth and Development New Hanover County presently has four policies encouraging the development of recreation facilities and the preservation of open space in the 1981 Land -Use Plan Policies for Growth and Development. One policy, 1-36(3), is specifically concerned with public water access: "Public access to the area's natural recreation amenities such as ocean and river and sounds shall be insured." The existing policy concerned with public water access could be strengthened in the 1986 Land -use Plan Update by including language for more active provision of public water access, as .follows: "Existing public access to the County's ocean and estuarine waters shall be preserved, and new access points shall be -acquired and developed as the County's population and tourism economy grows." B. Implementation Actions The County's 1981 Policies for Growth and Development lists several implementation actions that should be taken to implement the existing policies. These suggested actions include encouragement of developers to provide open space and utilization of flood hazard areas for open space.. No specific actions are suggested, however, regarding the provision of public water access. (1) Potential Implementation Actions There are three methods of land acquisition available to local governments In North Carolina for protecting existing access and acquiring new access. a) Purchase of Fee Simple Interest Acquisition of fee simple interest is the most direct means of acquiring access but it may also be the most expensive depending on property location and the amount of land sought. Local governments are granted the authority to acquire real properties in General Statutes 153A-158 and 160-11. Authority to purchase property for parks and recreation purposes is framed in General Statutes 15A-444 and 160A-353. b) Acquisition of An Easement An easement is the right to use another's land in some specifically designated manner and may be either by purchase, donation, or prescription. Easements are useful in acquiring accessways from a public road across private property to the water. Purchase of easements may be expensive or unavoidable, but landowners may be persuaded to sell if they are allowed a reduction in property taxes because of diminution in value. The second type of easement, the prescriptive easement, involves the continued public use of private property to gain access to another property either privately or publicly owned. A prescriptive easement can be acquired only when it can be shown that the use has been made by the public at large for a specified length of time (e.g. 20 years) and, to be legally recognized, must be established by litigation, followed by recordation of encumbrance upon title. c) Land Use Controls Zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations fall under the police power available to (coal governments to acquire a water access for the general public. The authority for establishing public access requirements in zoning ordinances exists under the zoning enabling legislation for North Carolina Counties, N.C. General Statues 153A-340. This section states: -4- "The regulations may also provide that the board of adjustment or the board of commissioners may issue special use permits.or conditional use permits In the classes of uses or situations and in accordance with the principles, conditions, safeguards and procedures specified and may impose reasonable and appropriate conditions and .safeguards upon these permits. Where appropriate, the conditions may include requirements that street and utility right-of-way be dedicated to the public and that recreational space be provided." (Emphasis added.) The authority for establishing public access requirements in subdivision ordinances exists under the subdivision control enabling legislation for North Carolina County, N.C. General statues 153A-331. This section states: "A subdivision control ordinance may provide for the orderly growth and development of the county, for the coordination of streets and highways within proposed subdivisions with existing or planned streets and highways and with other public facilities; for the dedication or reservation of recreation areas serving residents of the immediate neighborhood within the subdivision and of right-of-way or easements for street and utility purposes. (Emphasis added.) 2. Suggested Implementation Actions The following implementation actions could be included in the 1986 Land -use Plan to implement the previously suggested policy: (1) The County shall establish an active program for locally funding acquiring, and establishing new access points that will provide adequate access for all areas of the County. (2) Subdivision regulations shall be developed that will require subdividers to ensure the provision of adequate recreational opportunities for the new subdivision residents. (3) The County will pursue Federal and State funds, examine available public lands, and seek other opportunities in providing public water access. (4) Existing public access, whether established by public acquisition, previous dedication of roads or rights -of -way, or by legally recognized customary use, shall be maintained and protected from encroachment by private development. (5) The design of public access points shall include acceptable accommodations for the handicapped, minimize environmental impacts, and consider the reduction of hardships to surrounding property -owners. &3 (6) The County shall establish a public awareness and information program concerning the tax advantages of private donations or "bargain" sales of property or easements suitable for access. (7) The County shall establish a public information program notifying residents and tourists of existing estuarine and ocean water access sites. In regard to actions #1 and #2, the County Planning Department Is nearing completion of a study proposing several actions that would help in the acquisition and development of public water access. The study proposes that the County Subdivision Regulations be amended to require developers to either pay.an impact fee or to dedicate land to the County in lieu of the fee for the provision of adequate recreational facilities. In addition, the study proposes that the County seek State legislation, similar to that adopted for other counties, that will specifically allow New Hanover County to adopt an excise tax on real property transfers (sales). The tax revenues could be used for public water access, in addition to other capital facilities. In regard to action #3, the County is seeking further funds available under the N.C. Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA). In addition, the County is seeking to utilize land owned by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and available to the County without charge, in the County's present effort to expand Snow's Cut Park for regional estuarine access. In regard to action #4, a number of potential access sites exist where roads have been platted down to the waterfront. These platted roads should be protected from private encroachment and road closing petitions. Where appropriate, the County Commissioners should accept the dedication of these roads for public access. In addition, the County has faced continuing problems in preventing the encroachment of existing public access sites by private uses, such as parking for condominium developments or for dumpster locations. Action #5 simply lists considerations for the design of future access points. Action #6 would encourage private land donations of potential access sites by making land owners aware of the considerable tax advantages of land donations. Action #7 would encourage residents and tourists to use public water access sites by disseminating information about the location of public water access sites. In addition, this action whould reduce the number of instances the public trespasses over private land to reach the water. C. Present Public Access Sites in New Hanover County The County has a number of presently developed public water access sites, as indicated in Figure 1. Wrightsville Beach has approximately 37 ocean access sites, including two regional sites. There are approximately 55 ocean access points in Pleasure Island, including six local access points owned and maintained by the County. The County also cooperates with the State in operating the Fort Fisher regional access site in Pleasure Isle but will become less directly invoved with the State in the coming year. -6- The County is considerably lacking in estuarine access points, particularly boat ramps, in comparison to oceanfront access. The greatest deficiency for estuarine and boat access is along the Inland Waterway and adjoining creeks. Presently, the County maintains estuarine and boat access facilities at the Riverside Park in Castle Hayne, and estuarine access facilities at Snow's Cut Park. In addition, the City of Wilmington has created an urban estuarine access point and a boat ramp at the Riverfront Park in Wilmington. The State owns and maintains five boat ramps in the County, one of which is in the Carolina Beach State Park. In addition, the State provides ocean access at the Fort Fisher State Park. A list of all public and commercial boat access facilities is given in Table 1. D. Potential Access Sites in New Hanover County Potential public water access sites in New Hanover County can be classified based on the ownership status of the property. This Plan categorizes the sites based on whether or not the property is privately owned, publicly owned, or dedicated to the public but not yet accepted. 1) Privately owned sites The vast majority of potential water access sites in the County are clearly under private ownership. Acquisition of these sites by the County would require, as discussed earlier, purchase of fee simple interest or an easement; donation by the property owner; or forced dedication to the County by means of zoning or subdivision regulations. Table 2 lists some private access points and properties that may have potential for acquisition by the County as public access. County acquisition of these properties, however, may require significant capital for land purchase. 2) Publicly owned sites Significant segments of the shoreline, particularly in Pleasure Isle and along Snow's Cut, are presently owned by Federal and State Agencies. A major advantage of utilizing these properties for access is the elimination of the cost of purchasing the land. In certain areas, the controlling agency is very willing to lease the property to the County for development of access, in order to receive County assistance in maintenance and security of the property. This situation exists on the Snow's Cut property, which is controlled by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and which is adjacent to the County's existing Snow's Cut Park. The County Planning and Parks Departments have prepared a grant application to the State for extending Snow's Cut Park into this area as part of a regional estuarine access facility. -7- TABLE 1 BOAT ACCESS SITES 1. Presently Existing Major Publicly Maintained Boat Ramps Water System Location Sponsoring Agency • a. Northeast Cape Fear River Old Bridge Site Road New Hanover County in Castle Hayne Riverside Park b. Northeast Cape Fear River 133/117 Bridge in NC Wildlife Commission Castle Hayne c. Intracoastal Waterway Snow's Cut NC Wildlife Commission d. Cape Fear River Snow's Cut NC State Park .e. Cape Fear River Fort Fisher NC Wildlife Commission f. Wrightsville Sound Wrightsville Beach NC Wildlife Commission g. Cape Fear River Nun St., Wilmington City of Wilmington h. Cape Fear River Castle St., Wilmington City of Wilmington 2. Boat Ramps Customarily Used by the Public These ramps are not maintained by any local or state government. Water System Location a. Branch of the NE Cape Fear Rd. Holly Shelter Rd. b. Smith Creek Kerr Avenue 3. Commercial Boat Ramps Water System Location a. Pages Creek Mt. Pleasant Drive b. Myrtle Grove Sound Off of Loder Ave. 4.. Commercial Access Facilities (Wet & Dry Slips) Water System Location a. Bradley Creek off Oleander Dr. b. Wrightsville Sound Airlie Road C. Wrightsville Sound Airlie Road d. Wrightsville Sound e. Masonboro Sound f. Myrtle Grove,Sound g. Wrightsville Sound h. Wrightsville Sound i. Wrightsville Sound j. Intracoatal Waterway k. Intracoastal Waterway Airlie Road Trails End One mile North of Snow's Cut Causeway Drive Wrightsville Beach 1-Marine Street Wrightsville Beach Short Street Wrightsville Beach St. Joseph Street Carolina Beach Spencer Farlow Drive -8- Commercial Interest Mason's Marina Williams Landing Commercial Interest Bradley Creek Marina Carolina Yacht Sales Wrightsville Gulf Terminal Gulfstream Marina Inc. Masonboro Boat Yard Inlet Watch Yacht Club Seapath Marina Wrightsville Yacht Club Atlantic Marine Sales & Surface Skippy Winner Snow's Cut Marina Yacht.Haven Marina TABLE 2 PRIVATELY OWNED ACCESS SITES WITH POTENTIAL FOR COUNTY ACQUISITION LOCATION WIDTH OF RIGHT-OF-WAY SURROUNDING BACKGROUND AT SHORELINE LAND -USES COMMENTS 1) Middle Sound/ Map Book 5, 3 rights -of -way Residential --Vacant narrow lots Unnamed Page 23 60 to 100 feet between residences off Bald Eagle Lane 2) Pages Creek/ Map Book 2, 30' Residential, --Undeveloped Oak Avenue Page 120 Commercial 3) Bradley Creek/ Map Book 20, 84' Residential --Subdivision common area, Riptide Drive Page 14 with CP&L easement --undeveloped 4) Greenville Sound/ Tax Map 63 -- Vacant --Private road terminating Towles Road 500' from water --Considerable vacant area 5) Masonboro Sound/ Map Book 7 25' Vacant, --Private road leading to Holiday Hills Dr. Page 84 Residential private boat ramp with surrounding vacant area 6) Masonboro Sound/ Map Book 7, 30' Vacant --Access blocked by gate Channel Haven Pages 53 & 60 Drive North 7) Masonboro Sound/ Map Book 7, -- Vacant, --Narrow private drive Channel Haven Pages 53 & 60 Residential terminating 800' from Drive South water 8) Myrtle Grove Map Book 13, -- Vacant --Road ends 800' from water Sound/Egret Point Page 39 --ample vacant land Road 9) Cape Fear River/ Tax Map 47 -- Vacant --Large parcel containing North of County highest point in County Incinerator and historic site --Suitable for boat launch and other facilities In other areas, however, restrictions may be placed by the controlling agency on the use of its property. The undeveloped area along the Cape Fear. River south of Snow's Cut, for instance, is tightly controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense as part of the Sunny Point Buffer Zone. The Department of Defense will not allow more than twenty-five persons to congregate in one place at a time within the Buffer Zone. This restriction severely restricts development of the area for public water access. 3) Potential Road Dedication Offers which the County May Accept Since counties may own, maintain and manage land for recreational purposes,. counties may accept dedication offers of roads running along the waterfront in order to provide public water access sites. Before accepting a dedication offer, a title search or "chain of ownership" survey should be conducted to ensure that the offer to dedicate has been made and has not been withdrawn. Table 3 provides a list of roads, by water system, in unincorporated New Hanover County that are potential road dedication offers which the County may accept in order to provide public water access sites. The preliminary status evalution for each site in Table 3 will have to be confirmed by the County Attorney before any acquisition action can be taken. The preliminary status evaluation is merely an indicator of whether there is a strong or weak possibility that an offer of dedication of the road has taken place and that the County may accept that offer. A site with a preliminary site evaluation of "PUBLIC" has a strong possibility for acceptance; a site with a preliminary evaluation of "UNCERTAIN" has a weak possibility for acceptance. The surrounding land -uses generally refer to the two sides of the road. It is important to note that nearly all of the potential sites have fairly narrow right-of-way access points and would require acquisition of surrounding land for parking and improvements, if the access was to be intended to serve more than the immediate neighborhood. -10- TABLE 3 POTENTIAL ROAD DEDICATION OFFERS WHICH THE COUNTY MAY ACCEPT FOR PUBLIC WATER ACCESS SITE LOCATION WIDTH OF RIGHT PRELIMINARY BACKGROUND OF WAY AT STATUS SURROUNDING SHORELINE EVALUATION LAND -USES COMMENTS 1) Futch Creek/ Map Book 6 25' Public Vacant, --Mile long dirt road Unnamed Road Page 458 Mobile Home --Unmaintained access Road --Suitable only for small boats or canoes 2) Middle Sound/ Map Book 2 30' Uncertain Vacant, --May be private road Final Landing Road Page 113 Residential 3) Middle Sound/ Map Book 30' Uncertain -- --No site visit made because Buena Vista Dr. Page 120 of apparent private roads 4) Pages Creek/ Map Book 4 20' Public Vacant, --Unmaintained roads, Pine Avenue Page 28 Residential narrow access 5) Pages Creek/ Tax Map 45 60' Uncertain Vacant, --1000' section of road Dunbar Road Residential leading to creek is only 15' wide 6) Pages Creek/ Tax Map 45-10 30' Uncertain Residential --May make excellent Denise Drive neighborhood facility 7) Wrightsville Tax Map 57 10, Uncertain Commercial --May be encroachment of Sound/Aliens Lane Marina marina on right-of-way 8) Bradley Creek/ Map Book 6 30' Public Vacant, --Provides direct and Old Military Road Page 8 Marina useable access to Bradley residential Creek --Requires improvements 9) Bradley Creek/ Map Book 3, Pg.12 60' Public Vacant --Access limited by old Circular Drive Map Book 162 U.S. Highway 76 bridge, Page 299 utility pole WIDTH OF PRELIMINARY LOCATION RIGHT OF WAY STATUS SURROUNDING SITE BACKGROUND AT SHORELINE EVALUATION LAND -USES COMMENTS 10) Bradley Creek/ Tax Map 56-19 10, Uncertain Resdiential --narrow, constrained by Myrtle Avenue residences --access limited by U.S. Highway 76 bridge 11) Bradley Creek/ Tax Map 56-19 -- Public Residential --narrow, constrained by Dupree Drive --access limited by U.S. Highway 76 bridge 12) Whiskey Creek/ Tax Map 72-04 60' Public Residential --inadequate boat launch; Granada Avenue access limited by Masonboro Loop Road bridge --Visual access only 13) Bradley Creek Map Book 173 30' Public Residential, --unimproved, partially Purviance Avenue Page 11 Commercial blocked by boatyard Marina --Could be used for boat ramp with purchase of ' additional land 14) Masonboro Sound/ Map Book 72-00 30' Public -- --Located off Seabreeze Benton Avenue Boulevard --exact location uncertain; may be encroached --improvements needed 15) Masonboro Sound/ Map Book 7 29' Uncertain Residential --existing boat ramp Soundview Drive Page 42 --may be private encroachment on public right-of-way 16) Masonboro Sound/ Map Book 173, 60' Uncertain Restaurant --Public Use of good boat Trails End Road Page 11 residential ramp on what may be private road 17) Myrtle Grove Tax Maps 60' Uncertain Residential, --Unimproved road Sound/Old Myrtle 76, 77 Vacant --Potential for.boat launch Grove Road WIDTH OF LOCATION RIGHT OF WAY SITE BACKGROUND AT SHORELINE 18) Myrtle Grove Tax Map 76 60' Sound/Johnson Landing Road 19) Myrtle Grove Book 3, Sound/Loder Ave. Page 10 20) Myrtle Grove Map Book 18, Sound/Shannon Dr. Page 110 21) Myrtle Grove Tax Map 79-18 Sound/Windy Hills Dr. 22) Myrtle Grove Map Book 9, Sound/Royal Oak Dr. w 23) Myrtle Grove Map Book 3 Sound/Patalanda Page 24 Drive 24) Myrtle Grove Tax Map 82-07 Sound/Sunrise Lane 25) Myrtle Grove Map Book 5 Sound/Seaview Road Page 80 26) Myrtle Grove Map Book 4 Sound/Silver Ave. Page 72 27) Myrtle Grove Map Book 4 Sound/Burnett Rd. Page 72 10, 30' 30' 60' aiL 10, 60' 60' 60' PRELIMINARY STATUS EVALUATION Uncertain Public Uncertain Uncertain Public Uncertain Uncertain Public Uncertain Public SURROUNDING LAND -USES Residential Residential, Vacant Vacant Residential Vacant Residential Residential Residential, Vacant Residential Vacant COMMENTS --Presently barricaded --Potential for boat launch --Narrow access --Unmaintained, but has boat ramp potential --Presently barricated --Street ends in boat ramp; may be private encroachment on public right of way --May be private encroachment of a pier and boat ramp on public right of way --narrow, unimproved road --Paved road, limited parking --Marsh areas --paved road, limited parking --Improved, well maintained road --Room for expansion for parking; facilities including boat ramp WIDTH OF RIGHT PRELIMINARY LOCATION OF WAY AT STATUS SITE BACKGROUND SHORELINE EVALUATION 28) Myrtle Grove Map Book 5 60' Public Sound/Park Ave. Page 73 Map Book 563 Page 91 29) Snow's Cut Tax Map 88 80' Public Service Road 30) N.E. Cape Fear Tax Map 5 30' Public R./Old Bridge Site 31) N.E. Cape Fear Tax Map 11 30' Public R./Orange Street 32) N.E. Cape Fear R./ Tax Map 6, 11 60' Public Holly Shelter Rd. SURROUNDING LAND -USES COMMENTS Residential --Unimproved road in Vacant Seabreeze area --Potential boat ramp Vacant, --Large area of land County Park available --Land owned by Corps of Engineers, may be leased by County for extension of Park Vacant, --May provide expansion County Park potential for Riverside Park Vacant, --May allow for development State boat ramp of park facilities next to existing State boat ramp Vacant --Suitable for small boat launch facilities into undeveloped river tributary 33) Saunders Mill Tax Map 10 60' Uncertain -- --Gate across road Creek/Marathon Ave. prevented field check. 34) Smith Creek/ Tax Map 42 30' Uncertain Vacant --Existing small boat ramp Kerr Avenue