A $30 million buyout of North Topsail Beach’s most vulnerable properties would save over 30 years nearly twice what the town will spend trying to hold back the ocean, says a new university analysis that Mayor Dan Tuman calls “uninformed.”
The $20 million, post-Florence renourishment of beaches on Bogue Banks should be completed by April 30, just ahead of the busy tourist season, but damaged public beach accesses may not be repaired as quickly.
With attention long spent on navigation in Hatteras Inlet, Dare County Waterways Commission discussions recently turned to Oregon Inlet, where shoaling at the old bridge is too severe for dredge access, and other problem areas.
North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach are selecting storm mitigation projects to be funded with multi-million-dollar state grant from the state Division of Water Resources.
The state Coastal Resources Commission last week gave preliminary approval to newly redrawn inlet hazard areas and guidelines for development within those areas.
Topsail Island officials, with support from the state’s congressional delegation, are calling for changes that would once again allow use of a longtime source of sand for beach renourishment projects.
The N.C. Beach, Inlet and Waterway Association has presented a plan to the Corps of Engineers to again allow towns and businesses to place dredge spoil in federally maintained disposal sites.
An alternate member of the Oregon Inlet Task Force has questioned the proposed selection of a new company with no significant dredge experience as contractor to maintain Oregon Inlet.
The state Division of Coastal Management has informed Sunset Beach that its application to dredge part of Jinks Creek must be resubmitted because of missing information, delaying the project until late 2019 or early 2020.
The loss of hotel and motel rooms, rental cottages and condos from Hurricane Florence damage has yet to become clear as North Carolina beach town officials begin their annual budget process.
Changes to sand dune rules that would give property owners more leeway in moving sand shifted by winds or storms and allow for improved beach accesses are now set for final state approval.
Restoring beaches and inlets damaged by Hurricane Florence will mean moving mountains of sand and securing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Winner of 26 North Carolina Press Association awards in 2019
