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Commissioners approve application to NC Wildlife for Oak Island no-wake zone, supporters ask for extension
Summary
After a public hearing, commissioners approved submitting a rule-making application to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for a 50-yard no-wake zone at the Oak Island bridge and agreed to include a letter urging the commission to consider an extension; marina operators warned the approved 50-yard band does not adequately protect local marinas.
The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize staff to apply to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for a no-wake zone on the Intracoastal Waterway beneath the Oak Island bridge and to send a letter encouraging consideration of an expanded zone.
Neil (county staff) explained the NC Wildlife rulemaking process and said the original applicant, American Marine Construction, had asked for a larger zone; wildlife investigators narrowed the investigatory recommendation to 50 yards on either side of the bridge.
Eric(a) Morgan, project manager for American Marine Construction, said her family company and its docks sit adjacent to the proposed boundary and that the 50-yard band "does not extend into our property enough to cause us any benefit significantly." She described the waterway—s geometry — a 400-foot width that funnels into a 90-foot bottleneck under the bridge — and called the area a safety hazard for both small craft and larger commercial operations.
Mike Bianchi, general manager of Safe Harbor South Harbor Village Marina, urged the board to seek a larger no-wake area, saying wakes have caused staff and transient visitors to be knocked off their feet and have damaged floating structures. Kelsey Olbe, dockmaster at the same marina, provided vessel counts and guest complaints as evidence of ongoing wake impacts.
Commissioner Sykes moved and the board approved the application and an accompanying letter encouraging extension beyond the 50-yard line. The motion carried by voice vote.
What happens next: The county will file the application with NC Wildlife, which will perform its own investigation and coordinate with the Corps of Engineers for approval; affected property owners who want a larger zone may request a separate survey and extension from NC Wildlife.
