A private contractor is expected to be selected this month to carry out the state’s new $15 million plan for addressing shoaling problems in shallow-draft inlets.
Beach & Inlet Management
Topsail Beach Board Upholds Building Permit
Topsail Beach’s board of adjustment has denied a building permit challenge by nearby property owners who say that construction on the oceanfront would put their land at greater risk of flooding.
Panel Proposes Redrawn Inlet Hazard Areas
The Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel, after more than a decade of study, is ready to present its recommended boundaries defining inlet hazard areas on N.C. beaches, setting the stage for new development rules.
Board Denies Freeman Park Owners’ Appeal
The Carolina Beach Board of Adjustment this week denied an appeal by Freeman Park property owners to dismiss violations for erecting a post and rope barrier in the public right of way.
Dare County’s Beach Restoration Recognized
Dare County has been recognized by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association for having one of the country’s best restored beaches.
N. Topsail Removes More Rocks From Beach
As directed by regulatory officials, North Topsail Beach has for the third time removed rocks pumped onto a section of beach in 2015, completing the work in time for sea turtle nesting season.
Holden Beach Says ‘No’ to Terminal Groin
The Brunswick County beach town has voted to withdraw its application to the Army Corps of Engineers for permits to build a terminal groin at Lockwood Folly Inlet.
N. Topsail Board Refuses Revetment Contract
The North Topsail Beach Board of Aldermen has refused to accept the lone contract proposal offered so far to repair the sandbag wall built to protect beachfront homes and condos from erosion.
Dune Protection Fight Put On Hold … Again
A state appeals court has upheld the judge’s ruling that dismissed a challenge to Topsail Beach’s repeal of its longstanding dune protection ordinance, shifting the fight back to the local level.
N. Topsail Board Hears Terminal Groin Plan
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.
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.
