CCA in the Pilot

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FROM THE DAILY ADVANCE







New Corolla group looks to be ‘community voice’















By Cindy Beamon

The Daily Advance

Tuesday, June 7, 2011










After a series of clashes with developers, a citizens’ group in Corolla
has formally organized its efforts to influence the resort’s future.
The newly incorporated Corolla Civic Association will keep residents
better informed about important issues and promote the interests of
Outer Banks residents and property owners, said president Barbara
Marzetti.
About 150 households have joined the organization since it was formed last month, she said.
In recent months, Outer Banks residents have protested several proposed
projects on the Outer Banks — some approved by Currituck commissioners,
others rejected. Hearings for miniature golf courses, an amphitheater,
vendor booths at the Whalehead Club and a commercial development in
Carova have drawn strong protest from Outer Banks residents — even
without the formal organization.
Marzetti said she would like the newly formed Corolla Civic Association
to become a “recognized community voice” in meetings with county
leaders and developers before plans for new projects are finalized.
In the past, local residents banded together informally as the
Concerned Citizens of Corolla, but that group disbanded a couple years
ago, Marzetti explained. Since then, local residents have reacted to
issues, often without correct information about the proposals.
The group wants to meet with county leaders and developers earlier in
the process so that local residents can have more input in how the area
grows. She’s hoping for “a less adversarial and more proactive role” in
development of the resort.
Marzetti said the civic association recognizes that Corolla has been
targeted for commercial growth, but that the group would like to have “a
better working relationship with commissioners and other government
officials” as plans are developed.
“We are trying to work together and make it better for everybody,” said Marzetti.
At the same time, she said she recognizes there will be friction
between competing interests. Corolla has become an “economic engine for
the whole county” that keeps taxes low for everybody, but residents
should have a voice in how the development takes place, Marzetti said.