The state Coastal Resources Commission is expected to consider allowing accessible beach mats in Kure Beach when it meets April 27 in Manteo.
The commission is also expected to consider several amendments to rules, including the general permit for beach bulldozing and the elevation of structures.
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The meeting is set for 9 a.m. Thursday at the Dare County Government Complex. A public input and comment period is scheduled for noon. At the chair’s discretion, comments may be limited to three minutes per person.
Kure Beach is asking for a variance request to use Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant beach-accessibility mats at the end of three beach access points. The mats would be in place from May through September to provide access for individuals with mobility issues.
The commission in 2021 approved similar requests from Carolina Beach and Topsail Beach.
The commission is also to consider approval of amendments to beach management plans, shoreline access polices and structural boat covers. Also on the agenda is an overview of North Carolina’s estuarine shoreline rules and stabilization as well as Virginia’s, proposed changes to Coastal Area Management Act land use planning program consistency determinations, and proposed extension of the general permit timeframe.
The Coastal Resources Advisory Council, which advises the commission, meets the day before at 2 p.m. The meeting Wednesday is also at the government complex.
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In addition, two public hearings on Inlet Hazard Area updates are scheduled. The first is at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Hyde County Government Center, 30 Oyster Creek Road, Swan Quarter; and at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Dare County Government Center, 954 Marshall C Collins Drive, Manteo.
The commission’s proposed updates intend to minimize the loss of property and human life by establishing development setbacks between structures and the Atlantic shoreline, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management, which provides staff to the commission, implements rules and issues CAMA permits.
A full meeting agenda and briefing materials can be found on the commission website. Times indicated on the agenda for individual items are subject to change.
