For the second time in less than a year, North Topsail Beach will ask for more time to remove an illegal portion of a sand bag wall it built in 2014 at New River Inlet. Now, the town wants six more years.
Sunset Beach Votes to Go to Court
The Sunset Beach Town Council voted Tuesday to file a lawsuit against the company planning to build an upscale development on a portion of land that the town says it owns.
Topsail Beach’s Sand Dune Debate
The much-debated dune ordinance Topsail Beach adopted a year ago is once again under review with the town planning board determining how much sand, if any, may be removed from a property in order to build.
New Day Finally Dawns for Living Shorelines
More natural methods of erosion control should be easier to permit under a new proposal by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Will Beach Towns Seize Property?
Town officials hoping to build terminal groins say they don’t plan on taking private property for the needed easements. Eminent domain is politically unpopular and rarely used in North Carolina.
Terminal Groins: Easements Needed
Communities proposing terminal groins may have to get the permission of property owners to build these controversial structures. What happens if they say no? We explore possible answers in this Special Report.
Critics: Terminal Groins Don’t Stop Erosion
A terminal groin at Holden Beach would do far less than advertised, opponents said at a public forum. It would likely just benefit a handful of homes, they said, and push chronic erosion farther down the beach.
Same Tune, Different Players at Holden
The newest proposal to build a terminal groin to control erosion on the east end of Holden Beach has been tried twice before. The latest version will be the subject of a public forum tonight on the island.
Coastal Sketch: Kathleen Riely
Meet Kathleen Riely, a passionate advocate for coastal issues who was recently named executive director of the N.C. Beach, Inlet and Waterway Association.
Land Disputes Stall Sunset Beach Projects
A developer’s plans for residential projects at both ends of Sunset Beach in Brunswick County are in limbo over questions regarding ownership of the some of the land.
Woodpeckers and the Havelock Bypass
The proposed U.S. 70 bypass around Havelock still has environmentalists worried about the effects on endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers in the Croatan National Forest.
Topsail Seeks Exception to Federal Rule
Topsail Beach officials are asking the Army Corps of Engineers for an exemption to federal Coastal Barrier Resources Act restrictions to secure their preferred source of sand for beach re-nourishment projects.
Experts Weigh In On Figure 8’s Groin Plan
Coastal geologists, environmental groups and others came together recently to discuss Figure Eight Island’s plans for a terminal groin to fight erosion, but the opposing sides in the debate didn’t get any closer to a consensus.
North Topsail Must Remove Rocks by May
State and federal wildlife officials say North Topsail Beach must remove the rocks pumped onto its beach during a 2015 renourishment project by May, when sea turtle nesting season begins, but discussions continue over how deep to dig.
New Industry to Face More Scrutiny
A proposed new permitting process in New Hanover County would provide more rigorous vetting of new heavy industry, requiring disclosure of projected environmental and public health effects.
Critics: Shoreline Permits Need Reform
In most cases, permits for bulkheads are pretty easy to come by in North Carolina. Federal and state regulators approve most with little review. Permits for living shorelines projects, however, can take months. That may be changing.
