Holden Beach Property Owners Association

The Town of Holden Beach Board of Commissioners met Tuesday, March 19 for their regular monthly meeting.  Click here for a brief summary of the meeting results.  You can listen to the audio of the meeting by clicking here.

Of interest to members, a new trash ordinance was passed to alleviate concerns about roll-out and roll-back.  You can read the new ordinance here, the changes are in red.   We have also updated the Hot Topics – Trash page.

The Town of Holden Beach Board of Commissioners will meet Tuesday, March 19 for their regular monthly meeting.  Highlights include:

• Changes to the recently enacted Trash Ordinance.  The proposed revisions are in Ordinance 19-03 which would remove the time limits, allow corrals and provide for roll-back for all homes.
• Selecting an engineering firm for design and construction management for sewer modifications at Station #3 (800 block of OBW).
• Budget amendment for the search for sand. A new sand source will be needed for the anticipated major project to replace sand losses from Florence and Michael.  FEMA reimbursement amounts are pending but could be around $20M.

Click here for the meeting agenda and packet.

Check the photos below.  If your property is in the yellow area you will probably be in an Inlet Hazard Area by the end of the year.  At their meeting last week the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) approved the new boundaries and the new rules for properties deemed at risk.

Proposed Inlet Hazard Area on East End.

Proposed Inlet Hazard Area on West End.

Inlet Hazard Areas (IHAs) are sections of islands that are more vulnerable to erosion due to the impact of the inlet.  The new maps show Holden Beach will be hit hard, especially on the West End.  The West End currently has 15 lots in the IHA, that will go up to 173 lots, and include all the oceanfront from roughly Sailfish to the end of the island.  The area will increase from 290.5 acres to 569.3 acres, almost double in size.  This will be the largest IHA in the state.  The East End will also see changes.  The IHAs there is 64 acres and will jump to 189.5 acres – an almost 200% increase in size.  Currently, there are 52 lots in the IHA, that will increase to 156.

The CRC determined the new IHA boundaries based on historic vegetation line data.

What Does It Mean?

• Structures (residential or commercial) will be limited to 5000sf of heated space.  Existing larger structures would be grandfathered and could be rebuilt if destroyed.
• Insurance is impacted for homes in an IHA.
• While most of our beach has already been subdivided and thus not impacted, new development would require lots a minimum of around one-third acre.
• According to local Realtors, being located in an IHA can restrict the ability to have a concrete slab under a home in some cases, as impervious surfaces at ground level are not allowed.  If planning to build talk to your real estate professional.
• It is not clear what impact the changes will have on property values and the Town’s tax base – if any.

What’s Next?

The changes will be sent to the state Office of State Budget and Management for their review.  After that public hearings will be held.  The Division of Coastal Management’s Ken Richardson expects the public meetings to start this spring with final adoption by the end of the year.

Click here for the information on IHAs from the CRC’s meeting packet.  It also includes the methodology used to determine the IHAs and setbacks.

Click here to read a short article on the changes.

The bridge will be getting some needed work done in the near future.  Unfortunately, the repairs have necessitated the closure of the Boat Ramp and there will be intermittent lane closures while work is done.  Other areas near the bridge may also be closed.  The Town is working to identify which areas will need to be closed and for how long.  It has not been determined what this means for the Days at the Dock Festival, the Summer Concerts, Tide Dye, and other events and activities.  The schedule of work has also not been released.  Estimates run from two months to 18 months.  Lane closures are scheduled to start March 4.

The bridge was built in 1985 and is due for repairs including the deck, the structure, and the portions of the supports below the waterline.  The bridge will also be getting a top railing to improve safety for bikers and walkers, bringing the top of the new rail four feet above the road surface.  NCDOT spoke at BOC meetings this fall and plans to spend $3.3 million on the project as part of the High Value Bridge program.  The contract for the work was awarded and work was supposed to start quickly, but that was not what happened.

We will supplement updates from the Town as needed and as information becomes available.

Need to launch your boat or recover it?  The nearest public ramp is at 1921 Brick Landing Rd. SW, Shallotte 28470.  Click here for more information.

The Town of Holden Beach Board of Commissioners met Tuesday, February 19 for their regular monthly meeting.  Click here for a summary of the meeting.  The audio of the meeting is available here.   Click here for the meeting agenda and packet.

Trash Update:

The new trash ordinance was discussed and sent to the Town staff for revisions to include:

1.     Island-wide rollback. Empty Trash and Recycling Containers will be rolled back to the street side of the home, under the home or to a corral if available.

2.     Trash corrals are allowed.

3.     Full containers would stay at the curb until emptied.

4.     Containers can be rolled to the curb early. Eliminate the 48-hour street-side requirement before the designated collection day.

5.     Enforcement fines would still apply to those not following the yard waste requirements and those placing trash on the ground or on top of trash containers.

The revised ordinance will be on the March agenda for approval.  You can read more about this topic on the HBPOA website under Hot Topics: Trash and Solid Waste.

The Town of Holden Beach Board of Commissioners will meet Tuesday, February 19 for their regular monthly meeting.  Highlights include an update on possible dredging of the Lockwood Folly Inlet with sand placement on Holden Beach, changes to the Commercial zoning ordinances, and changes to the recently passed Solid Waste (trash) ordinance.   Click here for the agenda and meeting packet.

As always, you can drop us an email at [email protected] if you would like for us to ask a question or speak on your behalf at the meeting.  

The Board of Commissioners met Tuesday, February 5 and discussed the new trash ordinance.  Commissioner Butler read a statement describing the changes he would like to see made to the ordinance:

• Island-wide rollback
• Trash corrals are allowed
• Full containers would stay at the curb until emptied
• Containers can be rolled to the curb early
• Fines would still apply to those not following the yard waste rules and those placing trash on the ground after written notice and being given a chance to correct the situation.

You can read Commissioner Butler’s full statement here.

However, after a lengthy discussion, the Commissioners agreed to send the ordinance to the Town Attorney with direction to change the current date that fines would be implemented (May 1, 2019) to a later date while issues are resolved.  Commissioner Butler’s changes were not part of the request to the Town Attorney.

Exacerbating the issue, Waste Industries has informed the Town that trash pick up will change to Thursday instead of Tuesday beginning in March.  The Town is trying to get the day switched back to Tuesday, but it has not been determined if this will happen. The Commissioners want to evaluate the impact of this potential change on the ordinance.

You can listen to the audio of the meeting by clicking here.

In case you were wondering, here’s the story on the Dog Park:  it was turned into a spoils area for the canal dredging project.

Dog Park area – before dredging project.

Former Dog Park area – now a dredge spoils area.

Another view of the former Dog Park.

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From an email to our members:

URGENT UPDATE

Holden Beach Trash and Solid Waste

There is a new Holden Beach town ordinance for trash pick-up that went into effect December 19, 2018!

Holden Beach Property Owners Association (HBPOA) strongly recommends that you read the ordinance and consider how it will impact your situation.  A summary of the changes is listed below.

Click to read the ordinance

It isn’t often that a new ordinance will touch every property owner, but this one does and brings many changes and questions.  HBPOA has heard a lot of concerns about the new ordinance and we have shared these concerns with the Commissioners in writing, at the Board of Commissioners meeting and in person.

HBPOA recognizes that trash containers should not be on the edge of the road for long periods of time.  It is unsightly for owners and visitors and blocks the line of sight for drivers.

We also recognize the vast majority of property owners may not be able to meet the timing requirements of the new ordinance (i.e., 89% of property owners don’t live on the island).

Trash Ordinance Highlights

• All trash containers should be secured in such a manner either next to non-elevated or underneath elevated houses, except on collection days when they are to be placed at street side, so that the town street right-of-way remains clear of empty containers, and so that containers are not damaged or overturned by high winds or other occurrences.
  Containers will be located at street side no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the evening before designated collection days during the summer rental season.
• For the rest of the year, containers will be located at street side no more than 48 hours before the designated collection.
• All containers should be returned to the normal house-side storage location by 6:00 p.m. the day after collection.
• Any property found in violation shall be subject to a civil fine of $50 per offense. Fines will start May 1, 2019.

Commissioners have decided that a trash container roll-back service will be provided to all homes, not just Ocean Blvd.  Though the cost for the service has not been determined, it would come from property taxes and BPART taxes.

Commissioners are giving consideration to a trash container roll-out service. No decision has yet been made.

Commissioners are now looking at forcing property owners to remove their existing trash container racks or corrals.

As always, you can send us an email at [email protected] if you would like for us to ask a question or follow up on an issue.

We also suggest you share any concerns or support with your Holden Beach Board of Commissioners.

** J. Alan Holden, Mayor              [email protected]        910-842-6061

John Fletcher, Mayor Pro Tem     [email protected]                910-508-6849

Joe Butler, Commissioner            [email protected]       910-846-2185

Peter Freer, Commissioner          [email protected]                     704-905-4429

Pat Kwiatkowski, Commissioner  [email protected]                    910-846-4040

Mike Sullivan, Commissioner      [email protected]                     614-961-7056

** Mayor Holden does not vote on matters before the Board of Commissioners unless there is a tie vote due to the absence of a Commissioner at a meeting.

Where Your Trash Bin Can Be Kept

The “intent” is for trash containers to be under the house or alongside houses that have the ground floor enclosed.  This is the reason the Board of Commissioners is now looking at forcing property owners to remove their corrals.  The stated reasons for this are that the garbage smells and walkers/bikers can smell it in the corrals and that the cans are more secure from wind under/beside the house.

Concerns: 

• Trash does smell, which is why some owners want the containers in a corral away from their house.
• The containers in the corrals are more secure from storms than when unsecured under a house.  This is especially true for oceanfront homes.
• Many owners do not want the trash near their house because renters/guests occasionally dump hot ashes from grills or live cigarette butts in the trash.  They are concerned about the fire hazard with the containers under the house and feel it is safer away from the structure.
• Trash near the home can attract pests such as insects and wildlife.
• Some homes use all the space under the homes for parking, taking a spot for trash containers violates the parking plan submitted when the home was built.
• Some owners feel the racks or corrals work for them and their guests, they have used them for a long time and are happy with the arrangement.
• It is unclear that the Town can tell an owner where to keep their cans unless it in the right-of-way, it is unclear that the Town can insist you remove your trash corral because it is not a structure, no permit was required to build it.  Ironically, in the late 1990’s the Town encouraged owners to build corrals as a solution to the trash problems at that time.

Fines

Violators will be fined $50 per day and each day constitutes a separate offense.  Fines will be the responsibility of the property owner.  Fines will not start until May 1, 2019.

Concerns:  

• Owners with rental properties cannot control when cans are rolled out.
• Non-resident owners typically roll their trash to the curb before returning home to their primary residence. The suggestion that they take their garbage home with them is not sanitary or practical.
• Service providers and contractors often roll trash containers out if they have filled them while working.
• Owners have returned from being away and found that their trash containers were used by others and were rolled out.
• The ordinance was approved without a solution in place. The Commissioners are addressing roll-back, but not roll-out.  They are placing the burden on the property owners to find a way to comply with the ordinance, or be fined.  They believe strong enforcement and penalties will make the property owners come up with a solution.

Other Concerns

• Rolling back full trash containers: the Town is planning to change the roll-back service to roll back full trash containers that were not placed at the curb in time for pickup.  As a result, the full trash container might sit under the house for an extended period of time (i.e., until the next time someone occupies the house).
• Lack of notification and lack of communication:  the Town has not let people know about the ordinance change.  Property owners need time to address these changes.
• Expense to the Town and impact on taxes:  Besides covering the expense of roll-back, additional funds will need to be spent on enforcement prior to and after each trash pick-up.
• Lack of other attempts to correct:  A better method might have been education first instead of an ordinance that some cannot follow and will incur fines.