• Certified the Dare County Land Use Plan.

• Appointed Harry Simmons of Caswell Beach and Dara Royal of Oak Island to vacant seats on the Coastal Resources Advisory Council. Simmons and Royal will represent coastal cities on the council.

• Approved the annual progress report on development of the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan.

• Requested that Division of Coastal Management staff review all variance requests the CRC has heard that pertain to the coastal shoreline buffer rules. Staff will report on this number and also the number of CAMA minor permits that have been issued on lots that meet buffer exceptions at a future CRC meeting.

• Voted to continue its quarterly meeting schedule through January 2004. A committee will develop recommendations on future meetings.

• Granted a variance to the Figure 8 Island Homeowners Association to increase the dimensions of an existing oceanfront sandbag structure to provide improved temporary protection from erosion. Conditions on the variance require that the sandbag structure not be higher than the land behind it, and that the bags be removed immediately if they fail.

• Denied a variance to Wilma Midgett of Atlantic Beach, Fla., who had sought to build a single-family house with decks, pool, parking and septic system within the oceanfront setback zone on property she owns in Dare County.

• Denied a variance to Grady and Judy Brown of Elizabeth City, who wanted to build a workshop within the 30-foot buffer adjacent to two canals off the Pasquotank River.

• Granted a variance to Michael McGhee of Sneads Ferry to build a swimming pool and concrete pad within the 30-foot buffer adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway. The variance contained conditions that McGhee build the pool as close to his house as is feasible, and install a stormwater management system that would contain up to 3 inches of rainfall.

• Granted a variance to Rudy Lanier of Sneads Ferry to build a swimming pool and concrete pad within the 30-foot buffer adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway. The variance contained conditions that Lanier reduce the size of the pool, build the pool as close to his house as is feasible, and install a stormwater management system that would contain up to 3 inches of rainfall.

• The CRC’s Implementation & Standards Committee elected Jerry Old vice chair of the committee. The Planning & Special Issues Committee elected Bob Barnes vice chair of the committee.

In a conference call Aug. 1, the CRC:

• Voted to make riprap groins in estuarine and public trust waters eligible for a Coastal Area Management Act general permit. Such groins could qualify for the general permit as long as they would not extend more than 25 feet into the water. The permanent rule replaces a temporary rule the CRC adopted last year. Previously, riprap groins required a CAMA major permit.

• Approved amendments to the commission’s rules governing variance requests. The changes clarify the factors the CRC uses in deciding variance requests. The permanent rule replaces a temporary rule the CRC adopted last year to conform with an amendment to the variance provisions in CAMA.

Other CRC actions from 2003: January | April

CRC Actions from 2002: January and February | April | July | October