State coastal commission will meet Nov. 19-20 in Emerald Isle; Coastal advisory council will meet Nov. 19

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission will meet Nov. 19-20 at the Islander Hotel, 102 Islander Drive, Emerald Isle.

The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. Nov. 19 and at 9 a.m. Nov. 20. A public comment period is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Nov. 20. At the chairman’s discretion, comments may be limited to three minutes per person.

Prior to the commission meeting, the Coastal Resources Advisory Council will meet at 1 p.m. Nov. 19 at the same location.

Both meetings are open to the public.

Agenda items for the commission meeting include:

• Consideration of public comments and adoption of the following proposed rules:
  • 15A NCAC 7H .0304; 7H .0309 & 7H .0313 – State Ports Inlet Management AEC – Modification of these rules will allow more flexibility in the use of sandbags for erosion control around state port inlet areas.
  • 15A NCAC 7H .0309 – Use Standards for Ocean Hazard Areas – Ocean Outfalls – Proposed amendments to establish a permitting process for lengthening, shortening, and maintaining stormwater ocean outfalls.
  • 15A NCAC 7H .1900 – General Permit to Allow Temporary Structures Within Coastal Shorelines and Ocean Hazard AECs – Modification of a general permit for temporary structures within coastal shorelines and ocean hazard areas of environmental concern to accommodate scientific research needs.
  • 15A NCAC 7H .0304 AECs Within Ocean Hazard Areas – Amendments to this rule will reflect the five-year update of the state’s oceanfront erosion rates, which are used to establish construction setbacks.
  • 15A NCAC 7H .0304 AECs Within Ocean Hazard Areas – Unvegetated Beach Area – This amendment temporarily designates areas Surf City and North Topsail Beach as an Unvegetated Beach, which will allow the Division of Coastal Management to establish a reference line from which to measure construction setbacks until vegetation is re-established.
  • 15A NCAC 7H .0305 General Identification and Description of Landforms – Procedure for Determining Measurement Line – Changes to this rule will clarify the method used to determine the location of the measurement line for Unvegetated Beach AECs.
• Rule Development – the commission will discuss:

• Allowing roofed decks in the oceanfront setback area.
• Changing the renewal process for CAMA permits and extend their timeframes from three to five years.
• Update on discussion of a general permit for certain structures associated with shellfish aquaculture leases.                                                                      

• Oceanfront Rules and Implementation – The commission will review its oceanfront setback rules and the lines from which the setbacks are measured.
• Interagency Issues – The commission will receive an update on proposed changes to inland waters boundaries.
• Public Hearing – The commission will hold a public hearing on the re-adoption of rules 15A NCAC 7A; 7H; 7I; 7J; 7K; 7L and 7M under a state-mandated periodic rule review schedule.

A full meeting agenda and briefing materials can be found here. Times indicated on the agenda for individual items are subject to change.

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