Author Archive

N.C. Insurers Request 20.9 Percent Rate Hike for Dwelling Property Policies

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced that the Department has received the dwelling fire and extended coverage rate filing from the North Carolina Rate Bureau. The Bureau, which is not affiliated with the Department and represents the property insurance companies writing business in the state, requested an overall statewide average increase of 20.9 percent for 2011.

Brunswick County C&D Landfill Expansion

Over the course of the last few months BASE has been monitoring the developing C&D landfill expansion issue in Brunswick County.  A C&D landfill basically stands for construction and demolition waste, and is very a vital element to the real estate industry as many of our construction sites use these types of facilities to remove

Voter Registration Changes in October 2010

In a special elections update from the Civitas Institute (www.nccivitas.org), the shift in voter registration continues according to the October 9, 2010 numbers. Since September 4, 2010 the Democrats have gained 802 voters, Republicans have added 4,871, Libertarians are up 515 and the ranks of the unaffiliated have grown by 10,957 voters. The bigger picture

Save the Date! Stewardship Development Award Program

Save the Date! Please mark your calendars for the 6th annual Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Awards Banquet, to be held on Thursday, December 9, 2010.  The social hour will begin at 5:00, and the banquet and awards ceremony will begin at 6:00.  This event will be held at 101 Stone Chimney Place at the

Wilmington Land Development Code “Clean-Up”

The City of Wilmington is proposing: To amend Chapter 16 entitled Buildings and Building Regulations and Chapter 18 entitled Land Development Code of Subpart B. Part III, Technical Codes of the Wilmington City Code to correct typographical and formatting errors. A full copy of the proposed amendments can be found below. The LDC contains regulations

CHANGE TO CORPS POLICY AFFECTS ENTIRE NC COAST

Recently, BASE was apprised of an emerging issue regarding the Army Corps of Engineers and their policy regarding setbacks along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. In short, the Corps had a policy change in 2009 which appears to impact every property and dock along the ICWW throughout the Wilmington District—which encompasses the entirety of North Carolina’s

Market Street Corridor Study Final Report

The Wilmington Metropolital Planning Organization has completed a final draft of the Market Street Corridor Study. The MPO was tasked with developing a corridor plan for Market Street from Colonial Drive to the Pender County line. This project “will integrate transportation and land use planning in an effort to improve safety and mobility along the

NFIP Extended Through 2011

Over the course of last week Congress unanimously approved a one-year extension, until Sept. 30, 2011, for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). A long-term extension has been a top legislative priority for many including the National Association of Home Builders.  The bill now heads to President Obama for his signature as soon as next

Inlet Hazard Zones Creating Debate

Coastal Inlet Hazard Zone maps are creating debate once again within the region amongst property owners, the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) and the Division of Coastal Management (DCM).  The CRC met on September 15-17 where DCM staff presented suggested amendments to the state’s inlet hazard area boundaries, along with options for revising development rules

City of Wilmington Adopts Annexation Policy

The Wilmington City Council voted in August to move forward with a long-term annexation policy that would indicate areas of New Hanover County targeted for future annexation. Based on current projections, the annexation could add more than 27,000 residents to the City. As discussed at the City Council meeting, the real estate, development and building