Governor Pat McCrory met yesterday in Wilmington with the Coastal Resources Commission. The CRC advises state government on zoning, building, and other issues that affect North Carolina’s 20 coastal counties.
It was the first time the Governor had publicly met with the CRC since the State Legislature overhauled it last year. McCrory and Republican leaders in the General Assembly appointed many new members. Frank Gorham, the current chair, works in the oil and gas industry.
“I will say at the coastal area there are more intricate issues that we have to deal with than any other part of the state, because you have the natural dynamics that are often out of our control,” McCrory said.
McCrory also laid out a basic plan to use future offshore oil revenues to fund dredging and beach nourishment projects.
Those two topics were among those discussed. Another was flood and wind insurance.
“The cost of insurance plays a vital role in housing affordability, investment in our communities, and our overall economic health,” said Willo Kelly. She represents the real estate and development industry on the Outer Banks, and is the past president of NC-20, the group that fought to discredit the sea-level rise report in 2010. “It does not just impact one’s ability to buy a house, it impacts one’s ability to stay in a house.”
McCrory pledged to continue to give strong consideration to plans to improve insurance issues, as well as dredging and transportation issues.
