Monday, February 28, 2011

They Paved Paradise and Put up a Parking Lot . . .



As Joni Mitchell wrote, “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?” Swan Beach Corolla LLC is coming back yet again to ask for another opportunity to destroy the natural beauty of Swan Beach. Commercial Development in the off road area is back on the drawing board, as the company Swan Beach Corolla, LLC, seeks to obtain a conditional zoning change from residential to commercial in Swan Beach.

The proposal seeks to develop 37.57 acres into commercial use. The area would have an Inn with associated structures on the north end of Swan Beach with approximately 302 suites (270 in north, 32 in the south), a fishing pier at the southern end of Swan Beach, and nearly 20,000 square feet commercial with commercial shops, restaurants, etc. to service the Inn. The plans also include a “possible corral area for wild horses.”

When both commercial and residential development reached the point that the wild horses were no longer safe in Corolla proper, they were rounded up and moved north to the off road area. It is their last stand – all that remains of their habitat. That habitat covers the bones of nearly 500 years of their wild ancestors.

The off road area is unique. Corolla is unique. We are not like other beaches – that is what draws people here. We have one of the last few coastal areas that is not developed to saturation. We are home to sea turtles, shore, sea, and migratory birds, a variety of wild life – and the North Carolina State Horse. We do not need or want commercial development in the off road area. It is a “Pandora’s Box” and once that lid is opened, paradise is lost and the fate of the wild horses will be uncertain at best.

There is a public hearing scheduled for May 16, 7:00 p.m. at the Historic Courthouse in Currituck. If you can’t attend, please go to http://saveobx.com/ and contact the Board of Commissioners and let them know that there is no place for commercial development in the off road area.

10 comments:

  1. OH NO.. that is not good... I've gone their 3 yrs in a row and this would be tragic :(

    I would like a little store for incidentals their but NOT this :(

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  2. WHEN ARE MEN..YES MEN..AND THEIR GREED GONNA LEAVE OUR BEACHES ALONE..LEAVE OUR (SPANISH) HORSES ALONE..LEAVE OUR PEACE..TRANQUILITY..OUR WAY OF LIFE..NATURES SPACE..ALONE..GO AWAY..GO AWAY... GO AWAY...

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  3. Women...yes women, are greedy too. There's a woman that runs the dragas building projects in Va beach that is cut throat. If you're so sexist you think its all men...you live in a tiny tiny world.

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  4. It's all about money for someone. No care for the horses that have been there for so long or the enviornment. I agree...no no no no

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  5. "In wildness is the preservation of the world."- Henry David Thoreau

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  6. Why is there an obsession to destroy EVERYTHING??? Leave it be!!

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  7. If it's not protected, it's available. Concentrate your efforts on preservation of the land, and tell your politicians that future generations need the open spaces! If it's not protected...it will be exploited.

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  8. I appreciate your post.While reading your blog it seems that you research on this topic very much. I must tell you that your blog is very informative and it helps other also.thanks admin
    Commercial Paving

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  9. Thank you for sharing. Do you think horses believe in ghosts? If so then they are in for a rude awakening. All jokes aside this is really sad and makes me angry. Horses > Parking.

    - paving Salem MA

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