THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 3, 1995 TAG: 9510030277
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
Repairs or replacement of about a third of the bridges along rural roads in North Carolina's coastal region will be speeded up under a new rule proposed by the Division of Coastal Management.
The rule would allow the state Department of Transportation to receive general permits for bridge construction and maintenance on rural roads if the projects would disturb less than 500 square feet of coastal and freshwater wetlands.
It would also apply to individuals who build or repair private bridges.
The proposal is one of three proposed rule changes which will be the subject of public hearings by the Coastal Resources Commission in the coming months.
Other new rules proposed by the commission:
Clarify the ocean setbacks for buildings in communities that participate in beach nourishment projects, and
Clarify the criteria used by the division to grant coastal property owners permits to fill manmade bodies of water.
A general permit is an expedited permit that authorizes routine development projects and often can be issued the same day it is requested.
Without the rule change, DOT has been required to apply for major permits, which are more time-consuming to receive and require more paperwork. Major permits are required for large development projects or for projects requiring other state or federal permits and applications are reviewed by several state and federal agencies.
Division of Coastal Management officials say the new permit will enable DOT to hasten bridge maintenance and construction without endangering the environment.
``We look at this general permit in an historical sense,'' said Preston Pate Jr., division assistant director. ``If there's no reason not to approve the permit, then we should at least speed up the process.''
Of 48 permits issued for bridge replacement projects in the last five years by coastal management for the 20 coastal counties, 17 - including a bridge along state road 1208 in Dare County - would have qualified for the expedited permit, according to David Gossett, of the division's regional office in Washington.
``As we all know, eastern North Carolina has numerous bridges and as we all know, DOT must replace these bridges from time to time as a matter of public safety,'' Gossett said. ``On many rural roads only small amounts of coastal wetlands are affected when bridges are replaced.'' by CNB