Mr. Waterfront
looks to set an example
By WENDI WINTERS, For The Capital
Normally on construction sites the protective silt fencing flops limply against
widely spaced posts. Muddy debris easily silts under the plastic barrier.
The super-silt fence at Charlie and Reid Buckley's house-in-progress is a
different animal. It's stiffened and reinforced with a low chain-link fence,
trenched 6 inches into the ground.
"It won't knock over. It's doing what it's supposed to go, keeping junk
out of the creek," said Mr. Buckley, looking over Harness Creek from a
small bluff on his expansive waterfront property.
The 52-year-old real estate agent has spent nearly all of his life near water
on both coasts.
He loved sailing his 65-foot McGregor in
Now rooted
And he is.
Last year, Mr. Buckley sold a whopping 62 homes in
"A few years back, someone called me Mr. Waterfront and I laughed,"
he said. "When someone else called me the same name that same week, I
stopped laughing and trademarked the name."
A native of
He worked with the
He met his future wife in
Back East, he was a sales executive for Falcon Microsystems but dabbled in
buying, reconditioning and reselling waterfront homes. When he realized his
hobby was bringing in more money than the computer business, he quit and began
selling waterfront property full-time.
He's never sold any other type of property. Mr. Buckley theorizes that
specializing in real estate, law or medicine is good business on both sides of
the handshake.
For years, he's operated a "waterfront boutique" under the Long &
Foster banner, one of the largest real estate companies in the country.
"I sell only waterfront, but at any price from $400,000 to $2.9
million," he said.
"I made a point to learn all the laws and codes related to waterfront
properties. I know who to turn to in state, county and local governments to
answer questions for me or my clients."
Marie Brockhurst, a resident of the waterfront Wardour Community in
"She didn't know anything about boats," Mrs. Brockhurst said.
"We needed a deep water pier. Charlie impressed us with his knowledge of
the waterfront and care of boats. He's a boater and knew what deep water
accessible properties were available that were not trapped behind a drawbridge."
The sale led to several recommendations.
"Mr. Waterfront" operates his own office on
Three of his staff members are also Realtors. Mrs. Buckley is vice president of
operations, wearing a lot of administrative and marketing hats. One staffer,
Jay Thierry, is the company's full-time photographer and Web specialist. The Web site, www.waterfronthomes.
org, receives over 35,000 hits a month.
The view is serene. A few boats bob at anchor. Silently, an osprey swoops low
across the wide creek.
The Buckley property was once tobacco farmland; nearly all its native
vegetation and trees were cut to make room for crops.
When Mr. Buckley bought the 3.5-acre property, it was with the idea that he
could develop it for his and his family's enjoyment, increase its value and be
environmentally sensitive.
"Were going to develop this as a model residence project," he thought, a model residential shoreline. "We're going to
stabilize the shoreline, but we're not going to put in rip-rap or bulkheads. We
want crabs and turtles to live here."
Part of the shoreline will be off limits to his daughters, Kelly, 12, and
Meagan, 10, so the flora and fauna there are not disturbed. He's been
consulting with Marguerite Whilden, founder of the Terrapin Institute, on the
best methods for creating a protected turtle habitat on that waterfront
section.
Architect Catherine Purple Cherry designed the five-bedroom, five-bath home
that is rising from the red clay.
"It's designed to look like a 1900s Long Island Sound-style house,"
Mr. Buckley said. "It will be clad in gray cedar shingles and have an
outdoor pool."
He commissioned Steve McHale of McHale Landscape Design to create a buffer
management plan for the shoreline.
Part of the property was dug up for percolation testing and replacement of the
septic system areas before the Buckleys bought the property. To accommodate the
backhoe, some trees were taken down and undergrowth thinned out.
Later, other trees were pruned to remove dead or potentially dangerous limbs.
Mr. Buckley secured permits for the cutting and a county inspector was on site.
Current code calls for reforestation of 21,500 square feet on the property. Mr.
Buckley is adding an additional 13,900 square feet to critical area plantings. Some
3,000 new plants, including 41 trees, 123 shrubs and spatina patens, a native
grass, will be put in.
The plantings are critical because the shoreline is severely eroded. Due to
heavy wakes from boats, the bluff overlooking the water is undermined. A couple
of old oak trees are in danger of toppling into the water.
In one misstep, Mr. Buckley hauled out his Sears power push mower last summer
and mowed a wide strip of grass on the creek side of the silt fence. Someone
complained and he got a ticket for disturbing the buffer zone.
He went to Erosion Control Supervisor George Klug. They went over the codes,
including these two: 13a-i: Disturbance means cutting or removing vegetation,
grading or filling activities. 13a-ii: Disturbance does not include lawn
mowing, gardening, or routine yard maintenance.
"The supervisor, concluded it was not in violation," Mr. Buckley
said.
"Now that I'm educated on this issue, I'm not going to mow again," he
said. "If there was a violation, the county is satisfied I am reforesting."
Late in November, Mr. Buckley wrote a letter to County Executive Janet Owens
with a novel proposal.
"I believe that winning the hearts and minds of the waterfront property
owners is essential to protecting the creeks, rivers and bay. Although
enforcement is necessary in certain situations, I believe that convincing these
property owners that appropriate shoreline management is a) possible and b) in
their best interest (and will increase their property value!) will likely have
far greater effects than ramping up enforcement."
He offered his property as a way to generate good publicity for the environment
- a perfect opportunity for a model residential shoreline.
Ms. Owens responded, "I was so completely dumbfounded by your enthusiasm
for protecting the shoreline, it took me a minute to know how to proceed.
"Your offer to use your property as a model is very generous of you. The
opportunity to have some positive press on the critical area program of the
county is certainly a worthwhile endeavor."
She offered to have his property videotaped to produce a before, during and
after video to air on the local government cable access channel. Once the
project is complete, she wrote: "I would love to have you guide me on a
nature walk on your new shoreline."
As he watched some hazy clouds pass overhead, Mr. Buckley emphasized, "We
want to do something positive here."
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Wendi Winters is a freelance writer living on the
Copyright © 2005 Capital-Gazette Communications, Inc.