Commissioners petition for ‘No Wake Zones’

Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 31, 2005

WINTON – An issue that has been tabled for two years often stays there for an eternity.

That is not the case for one issue in Hertford County.

Last week the Hertford County Board of Commissioners untabled a discussion on No Wake Zones in the county and then moved forward with plans to request an extension of the current No Wake Zone.

Commissioner Johnnie Ray Farmer has been the strongest proponent of extending No Wake Zones in the Chowan and Wiccacon rivers.

County Attorney Charles Revelle informed the Board that the proposed resolution would ask the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) to take a look at the areas suggested by the county.

&uot;They will investigate to see if there will be an effect on public safety,&uot; Revelle said. &uot;It can’t be implemented just to protect property, there must be an effect on public safety.&uot;

The resolution asks for No Wake Zones to be at the shoreline of the Chowan River, extending up to 600 feet in an easterly direction and up to 1000 feet in a westerly direction from Tuscarora Beach Road.

It also requests that the WRC study the southern shoreline of the Wiccacon River, extending up to 900 feet in a westerly and northerly direction from the existing No Wake Zone at the Harrellsville Wildlife Boat Ramp at the terminus of Old Ferry Road.

Revelle told the Board the only cost would be placing markers in the water, if the

No Wake Zones were approved by the WRC.

Farmer made the motion to forward the resolution to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission with Commissioner Curtis Freeman offering the second. The motion passed without objection.

In other business, the Board:

* announced the Board of Equalization and Review will meet Monday, April 4 at 10 a.m. and will remain in session until Monday, May 2;

* approved the Choanoke Area Development Association 2005 work plan;

* approved a rezoning request by Stuart Pierce Farms to rezone property on N.C. 561 to Commercial Highway;

* granted a request for an ABC permit for Elizabeth Liverman at Star’s Mini Mart;

* heard an update from Chairman DuPont Davis on the commissioner’s association agenda and plans; and

* voted to support the &uot;No Child Left Behind&uot; program as requested by Robert Chadwick.