The North Topsail Beach Board of Aldermen want to hear from residents about two proposed municipal service districts on the southernmost end of town related to the town’s beach erosion control and flood and hurricane protection works project.
The public hearing will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 15, at the North Fire Station, 2049 New River Inlet Road, North Topsail Beach.
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The town has prepared a report with information on the proposed beach nourishment project, proposed municipal service district, a statement regarding the service proposed for municipal service district, and plan for providing the proposed service.
Of the 11 miles of North Topsail Beach’s beachfront, only the southernmost 4 miles are proposed for the municipal service districts, or MSDs, the initial storm damage mitigation project. According to state law, a city council can define any number of service districts in order to finance, provide or maintain for the districts a number of services, including beach erosion control and flood and hurricane protection works.
There are two proposed districts. One district, Phase 5 East, includes properties on the ocean side of Island Drive. The second district would include properties on the Intracoastal Waterway side of Island Drive. Once the two districts are established, the town will be able to allocate the project costs within the area that will benefit from the Storm Damage Mitigation Project.
The project is to begin at the North Topsail Beach and Surf City limits and extends to the Coastal Barrier Resources area, “which will benefit from the dramatically increased protection provided by the storm damage mitigation project,” according to the report. The 4-mile MSD area will be the only portion of town to benefit from this project, and will be protected for the next 50 years.
The total project is expected to place 12 million square yards at first and build a new protective dune that is 25 feet wide and 14 feet high. The project will widen the beach with a 6-foot high, 300-foot wide berm.
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The report is available for public review in the town clerk’s office at town hall, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Officials said that substantial changes may be made in the report to reflect objections, debate and discussion during the hearing.
Town officials have determined that the proposed districts need the services provided by the Army Corps of Engineers beach erosion control and flood and hurricane protection works project “to a demonstrably greater extent that the rest of the town,” the report states.
“In order to maintain the aesthetic, environmental, protective, and physical value of the beach, the North Topsail Beach Board of Aldermen has determined that the creation of two municipal service districts for erosion control and flood and hurricane protection would benefit both public and private property owners,” according to the report.
