Next door, the Key West Seafood Company — which serves South Florida seafood specialties 

 — extends over the water near a dock with commercial fishing boats. Across the street, the old Ice 

 House now is a restaurant, and there are a number of shops, including Dee Gee's Gifts and Books. 



In the next block, Captain Bill's, which is known for its conch chowder and seafood, extends 

 out over the water. 



'There 

 have been a lot 

 of changes on 

 the waterfront 

 since I came 

 here 25 years 

 ago," says John 

 Poag, owner 

 of Captain 

 Bill's. "This 

 place used to 

 be a summer 

 resort and open 

 only during 

 the summer 

 season. Now, 

 my restaurant 

 is open year- 

 round." 



The look 

 of the waterfront also has 

 changed. During the 1980s, 

 the town of Morehead City 

 obtained a Community 

 Development Block grant to 

 improve the appearance of 

 the waterfront area. 



Subsequent grants, 

 private investment and town 

 monies have maintained a 

 "forward movement" such 

 that the town now has a 

 new sea wall, underground 

 utilities, brick paved 

 walkways with planters 

 along the waterfront and 

 new docks, according to the 

 Downtown Morehead City 

 Revitalization Association 

 Web site. 



Recently, the 



revitalization group applied for a federal grant to build public docks near the Jaycee Park. "There will 

 be 10 boat slips available for the public," says Joanne Alpiser, the association director. 



The diversity of the area draws artists, restaurants and businesses, she says. At the same time, 

 the waterfront offers a sense of history. 



And folks love to go to docks late in the day to watch the catch as it is brought in, she says. 



"This is a Morehead City ritual at sunset." □ 



hrm m 



SB 



will host "North Carolina's Changing 

 Waterfronts: Coastal Access and 

 Traditional Uses," a June 5 forum at the 

 New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. 



"North Carolina is experiencing 

 a loss in the diversity of uses along its 

 coastal shoreline," says Walter Clark, 

 North Carolina Sea Grant coastal law 

 and policy specialist. 



"Many of the state's traditional 

 uses such as public marinas, commercial 

 fishing facilities and fish houses are 

 being replaced by residential uses, 

 as more people vie for waterfront 

 property," he adds. 



The changes in coastal waterfronts 

 has drawn the attention of the state's 

 Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood 

 and Aquaculture, which has asked Sea 

 Grant to help develop a proposal to 

 create a study commission to look at 

 the issues. 



During the June 5 forum, 

 participants will explore potential options 

 for landowners and communities who 

 want to preserve the diversity of our 

 shorelines, Clark says. 



The day-long program also will 

 include sessions on how and why 

 waterfronts are changing, including 

 cultural and economic factors; and 

 innovative ways that other states are 

 dealing with similar issues. 



Registration is $20, and includes all 

 breaks, lunch and conference materials. 

 A draft agenda and registration form 

 are available online at www.ncseagrant. 

 org/waterfronts. For more information, 

 call 919/515-2454. — A.G. 



Coostwcttch I Early Summer 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 



