A design firm presented its preliminary preferred alternative to aldermen in erosion-prone North Topsail Beach last week, suggesting application for federal and state permits to build a 2,000-foot terminal groin.
Beach & Inlet Management
N. Topsail Manager: Avoid Rocky Sand Site
North Topsail Beach’s outgoing manager stressed to town aldermen that pumping sand from the offshore borrow site the Onslow County town is permitted to use could get expensive … again.
Onslow County to N. Topsail: Focus on Inlet
North Topsail Beach officials were advised this week to focus on inlet navigation rather than the town’s chronic north-end erosion in their appeal to Onslow County for help paying for a proposed terminal groin.
Popular New Shelly Island Comes At A Cost
The same coastal processes that recently created the popular new feature known as Shelly Island at Cape Point on Hatteras Island are robbing areas farther south of sand.
Sand Project: More Turtles Than Expected
A major beach re-nourishment project on the Outer Banks has encountered far more sea turtles than expected, which has prompted further study but hasn’t slowed progress.
Topsail Dune Rule: Is Legislative Fix Possible?
Both sides in the ongoing battle over Topsail Beach’s repeal of its dune-protection ordinance agree that a related provision recently stripped from a pending House bill was too broad.
Cahoon Gavels First CRC Meeting as Chair
Renee Cahoon of Nags Head recently presided over her first meeting as chair of the state Coastal Resources Commission, and she also spoke with CRO about her new role.
Judge Dismisses Topsail Dune Rule Case
A judge has thrown out a lawsuit challenging Topsail Beach’s repeal of the town’s dune ordinance, a decision that lifts a block on new building permits.
Inventory Tracks ‘Armoring’ of Beaches, Inlets
Newly released data lists all hardened structures, beach re-nourishment projects and other changes made to East Coast beaches since 2012, raising questions about what should be done to offset their effects.
Coastal Towns Brace For Beach Funding Cuts
Local government officials gathered last week in Nags Head to discuss how to respond to expected federal and state funding cuts to beach and inlet management programs.
Plan Streamlines Re-Nourishment Permitting
The state will soon roll out a new biological review system to fast-track permitting for certain types of beach re-nourishment projects, trimming at least three months from the approval time.
Corps OKs Ocean Isle’s Terminal Groin Plan
Ocean Isle Beach has the federal permit needed to build an estimated $5.7 million terminal groin at the erosion-prone east end of the Brunswick County town.
Topsail Beach’s Request for Sand Site Stalled
The Corps will not seek an exception to federal restrictions in order to designate an area of Banks Channel as a sand source for Topsail Beach re-nourishment projects, but town officials aren’t giving up the idea entirely.
Judge Halts Topsail Beach Building Permits
A judge has blocked Topsail Beach from issuing building permits for a stretch of oceanfront lots, a move prompted by a lawsuit brought by property owners upset about the town’s recent repeal of its dune protection ordinance.
Topsail Beach Repeals Dune Ordinance
Rather than add controversial provisions to accommodate development, Topsail Beach commissioners voted 4-1 Wednesday to simply scrap the town’s longstanding dune-protection ordinance.
Property Owners Divided Over Dune Rule
Topsail Beach property owners, some with their lawyers, turned out Saturday for the first of two public hearings over proposed changes to the town’s dune-protection ordinance.