Below is the Agenda for the November 14th City of Wilmington, NC Subdivision Review Board Meeting. Point three on the Agenda is once again, to consider approval of a Subdivision at "BEECH ESTATES", better known by the Summer Rest Road Community as the "House In The Wetlands Estates".
We will recall that the Developer, Karl Miller, with the guidance of his "Agent", JC Hearne were granted a building permit for the house in the wetlands ONLY on the condition that the Developer had NO FUTURE PLANS TO SUBDIVIDE HIS PROPERTY unless he were able to establish an ALTERNATIVE ACCESS EASEMENT.
Here is precisely why the Summer Rest Road Community was so insistent that New Hanover County Code Enforcement Services Division ENFORCE the regulations and laws on the books and STOP the developer from Illegally building a bulkhead and road in the Wetlands, WITH NO PERMIT!!!!! Of course, with the help of the County, Mr. Miller was graciously granted a permit for the bulkhead many months after construction was complete, despite the confirmation by Jonathan Graham, Director of County Code Enforcement Services (ON VIDEO TAPE!!!) that Mr. Miller had broken the law.
And now, just what the community had warned was going to happen, is coming to pass. Mr. Miller is using his ill-gotten Bulkhead and road to serve as the Alternative Access Easement which now serves as the conforming condition to being able to attempt to sub-divide his property, and further destroy an environmentally sensitive area of Wilmington.
As the saying goes, the Summer Rest Road Community may have been born at night....... but we weren't born last night. We have seen all along the intentions of this developer to daisy chain illegal non-regulatorily compliant activity to serve as the foundation of creating a Sub-Division that most folks feel would never have been allowed had he conformed with law and regulatory process.
County Code Enforcement Services has completely abdicated it's fundamental responsibility to those who fund it's existence (taxpayers). We are fortunate that this current approval must be granted not by County Code Enforcement Services, but rather, City of Wilmington Zoning. Given this matter is with a body that has a better track record of carrying out it's responsibilities, the Summer Rest Road Community is hopeful that the outrageous conduct of this developer over several years at this site, will not be rewarded with approval to sub-divide this property and further exacerbate the environment disaster that has been handed to Mott's Creek by Mr. Miller and JC Hearne, a former City Councilman........... Our Community and all of Wilmington will watch the proceedings of the November 14th Subdivision Review Board Meeting very closely.
Earl Galleher
Summer Rest Road Resident.
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