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Onslow County, N.C., Officials Work to Enact Junkyard Standards

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 00:00 CDT

Jul. 11--One man's junk may be another man's treasure, but Onslow County officials don't want that treasure to be seen by tourists.

County planning officials are working on changing the solid waste management ordinance and enacting tougher requirements for junk and salvage yards in unincorporated areas.

County planner Matt Stuart said current law gives junk and salvage yards three years to comply with county screening requirements, such as erecting a fence or buffer to keep items out of public view.

Under the proposed revisions, the timeframe would be cut down to six months, Stuart said. The six-month rule would apply to businesses that exist at the ordinance's effective date. New junkyards would have to comply immediately, according to the proposed revisions.

With the three-year rule, Stuart said the county had a small group of junkyard operators who didn't screen their property at all, and some waited until the last minute.

"If you drag it out long enough, nothing is ever going to get done," he said. "What we've done is to try to cut that timeframe down to six months in order to make this thing more enforceable."

Under the current law, Junkyards that lie within 500 feet of the centerline of any state-maintained paved road have to screen their materials, and they also have to screen to a depth of 50 feet on the sides. Stuart said these two requirements would be eliminated. Under the proposed law, all material would have to be screened.

"All salvage yards would be required to come into compliance with screening regulations, and also, all junk material would be required to be screened," he said.

Salvage yard owners in the county have mixed feelings about the proposed changes. John Darlington owns J&E Salvage on Blue Creek Road. His property is surrounded by an opaque fence, but the tops of large piles can be seen from the road.

Darlington said he doesn't like the fact the county is eliminating the 500-foot rule.

"They're getting nasty and saying, 'We don't care, if we see it, fence it,'" Darlington said. "That's too costly to the American public and the business people. (It could) put them out of business."

Leo Martin owns Jacksonville Scrap Iron and Metal on U.S. 258 west of Jacksonville. The front of his property is surrounded by a fence and tall vegetation. He keeps old cars, tires, appliances and bicycles on his scrap yard.

Martin said he doesn't mind if the regulations get tougher.

"If one complies, everybody should comply," he said. "If one gets away with not doing it, I don't think the other ones have to do it." Darlington said it could cost $20,000 to erect a fence around a junkyard.

"The little man hasn't got that kind of money," he said.

Martin said the vegetation cost him about $900 to plant. He doesn't think the cost should be used as an excuse not to follow the law.

"If the county makes it, and you have to do it, you have to do it," he said.

The proposed changes also would affect manufactured homes. Stuart said they would be in violation if they are not being used or intended to be used as a residence and are dangerous to public health or safety. They would be considered in violation if they aren't hooked up to water or electricity for more than one year.

Violators of the screening and abandoned manufactured homes laws could face civil and criminal penalties ranging from $100 fines to 30 days in jail.

No date has been set for the proposed changes to be reviewed by the Onslow County Board of Commissioners. Stuart said he expects the county planning board to review them in the next few weeks.

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Source: The Daily News

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