THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 16, 1995 TAG: 9503160616
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
After nearly eight months of delay, a study of whether and how much the state should charge commercial marinas for using state waters is scheduled to begin next week.
A 20-member study committee, composed of marina owners, commercial fishermen, coastal business interests, environmental interests and coastal scientists, will meet in Raleigh on Monday to begin a review of the state's policy regarding businesses that use public waterways.
The State-owned Submerged Lands Advisory Committee, appointed by Senate leader Marc Basnight, a Manteo Democrat, and House Speaker Harold J. Brubaker, a Randolph County Republican, will report its findings to the General Assembly by May 1.
Sen. Charlie Albertson, a Duplin County Democrat, chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee and a co-chairman of the study committee, said Tuesday the challenge is formidable.
The committee, he said, will try to balance coastal economic interests with those of environmental groups that believe marina operators should be charged a fee to use waters that are designated for public use.
``I expect we're going to have a lot of debate,'' he said. ``But this is a matter that we have to speak to. It's imperative for us to come back with some recommendations.''
North Carolina does not charge a fee for marina operators using state waters, but recent court rulings require the state to issue an easement for ``for-profit'' marinas. The fees would not apply to privately owned piers and boathouses.
In August, the Council of State, which includes the governor, lieutenant governor and eight other top state officials, issued the first easements for marinas to be built in public waterways but delayed the implementation of fees for marinas built in some state waterways.
The council left the issue of whether and how much to charge marinas for the use of public trust waters in the hands of the General Assembly, in part, in response to requests from coastal legislators who asked for more time to study the issue.
The council rejected a proposal to charge 10 cents per square foot for marinas built in public waters and agreed instead to let the General Assembly determine a fair price for the use of the waterways.
``I'll try very hard to do what's in the best interest of the people,'' said Albertson. ``Those waters do belong to the people and the courts have said we've got to do something.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
LANDS COMMITTEE
The first meeting of the newly appointed State-owned Submerged Lands
Advisory Committee will be held in the commission room at 1 p.m.
Monday in the Administration Building, 116 W. Jones St. in
Raleigh.
by CNB