Estuarine waters are far more fragile than oceanfront beaches. Construction puts sediment and pollutants into the bays and sounds. Marinas spill gas and oil into shellfish beds. Bulkheads destroy salt marshes. Fertilizers from golf courses cause algae blooms.
Septic tanks fail, prompting new central sewage systems, which encourage more building.
But developers oppose such buffers, and the CRC has not acted. Don Kirkman, an economic developer in Morehead City, says buffers would make it harder to build houses with waterfront views. Tomlinson insists the CRC isn't yielding to developers. He notes that it has started talking about new strategies to control growth through comprehensive planning. We have got to start addressing that, or we are going to lose the whole ball of wax.