The subject that we interviewed was Mr. Gerry Barrett about the Legality of a Moratorium.  He currently resides in Atlantic.  He moved to Carteret County after living in Chatham County, which is south of Chapel Hill.  He is a land developer and he felt that development pressure there had gotten to be so overwhelmingly large and he stated that County Commissioners had approved over 10,000 houses in the last three years.  He says that he did not want to live somewhere that was experiencing such radical changes.  He is now co-chairing the Down East Tomorrow Committee along with Carolyn Mason.  He is trying to help give us chance to figure out what we want to do before we begin developing.  He does not, along with many of us, want the same thing to happen to eastern Carteret County because it is so beautiful and pristine.

          A much debated and controversial subject Down East, whether or not we should have a moratorium is an issue that is getting a lot of publicity.  More specifically, a moratorium on large scale development in eastern Carteret County has been proposed.  This means that there would be a temporary ban on certain large sewage treatment plants, marinas (more than ten slips), condominiums, commercial buildings over 7,000 square feet, and major subdivisions.  This ban, if accepted, would suspend the construction of the preceding for one year.  Many local residents fear that high density development will take away from our unique culture as well as harm our environment.  The opposing side argues that developers’ have the right to develop the sensitive areas Down East.  There have been several well-publicized and well-attended public meetings concerning the moratorium.  The County Commissioners though, have the final decision in approving it.

There are several challenges involving moratoriums.  When you are explaining why there should be moratoriums it can be difficult at times.  If you are emotionally involved with the project it can be hard to make others understand.  They are looking for how this will affect the town, for advantages and disadvantages, but you may be giving them more of how you feel toward it other than how you think it will make other people feel.  When you are against it, the situation can still be a problem.

          Let’s say you like the quietness of Down East and how small it may feel at times, but people are coming in with big ideas or even big buildings.  The people could be new to Down East, and not be as familiar with the town as much as you.  You get others involved and they tell the people about how such a big plan would not fit in with Down East.  This could make them understand more than before, but since they’ve never actually lived here they may not feel the same.  That is an example of one of the many challenges you might face in requesting a moratorium.  Once you have more people on your side you could most likely have the better argument.

          Some other challenges could simply be the loss of money in construction, the limit people may have in the ability to make a large profit from their property, or maybe the growth of population due to changes in culture.  There are a lot of responsibilities involved with maintaining moratoriums, for example, there are many laws that are to be followed and a lot of research required to get a moratorium approved.  But if people are against it, I think it should down to their point of view.  Any moratorium could easily change their lives-or even the environment.

            When requesting a moratorium, there can be a variety of problems that need to be addressed and solved.  Many people disagree on the issues involved in the moratorium, especially, it seems, in a high-density building moratorium.  To get people together to understand more about it there are public meetings held where individuals may state their opinions about the matter.  The higher the attendance at these meetings, the more people understand others’ opinions and how it will affect Down East. 

          A moratorium would give Down East the opportunity to figure out what exactly they plan to do.  It would temporarily stop the construction of certain buildings.  If the construction of these buildings is regulated then we can make a plan to preserve the character of our community. With construction increasing so dramatically in our small community of Down East, it is imperative that we have time to determine what is best for the future of Down East, its people, and its environment.