Residents and visitors to the North Carolina coast this summer may tap an interactive public map that provides the locations of public beach and waterfront accesses.

The beach and waterfront access map, which may be directly accessed from mobile devices and desktops, includes a “find sites near me” feature that locates sites within 10 miles of a user.

The online map includes the locations and available amenities at those locations at more than 800 local, state and federally funded public accesses along North Carolina’s ocean beaches and estuarine waters.

The map features a “my location” tool, which pinpoints a user’s location, a “near me” tool that searches accesses within 1 to 10 miles of a selected location, a filter tool that allows users to search for accesses based on available amenities, including restrooms and showers, and a basemap tool that allows users to switch between several map styles, including satellite imagery, and street and topographic maps.

The map is made available by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program, which provides funding to purchase land and construction projects, including walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, and piers, that improve pedestrian access to the state’s beaches and waterways.

Since the program began in 1981, 538 grants totaling more than $56.7 million have been awarded.

For questions and comments, email Rachel Love-Adrick at Rachel.love-adrick@deq.nc.gov. Include the site location in your correspondence. 

MOREHEAD CITY – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management has awarded more than $2.25 million in grants to fund 10 projects to expand and improve public access to beaches and coastal waterways.

The grants, awarded through the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Grant Program, will help local governments in the 20 coastal counties acquire land for public access sites and build or improve amenities such as dune crossovers, fishing piers, parking areas, restrooms and kayak launches.

“These state investments will both ensure safe and expanded public access to our coastlines and strengthen the resilience of our communities by supporting infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson in a news release announcing the awards. “As we face increasingly severe storms, these projects will play a key role in safeguarding both public safety and the long-term health of our coastal environments.”

The division on Thursday announced the following awards:

• Atlantic Beach in Carteret County is awarded $115,200 for improvements to the New Bern Street Public Access. The work will entail removing the existing dune crossover and rebuilding 381 feet of the walkway with treated wood, Trex decking and handrails to provide access to the Atlantic Ocean.
• Beaufort in Carteret County is awarded $120,000 for an Ann Street Park water access project. The work will create an access site at the west end of Ann Street featuring an observation deck, greenspace, a picnic area and rain gardens while preserving existing open vistas and improving stormwater drainage.
• Belhaven in Beaufort County is awarded $540,000 for its Harbor Park expansion, which involves acquiring 0.74 acres. Recent site improvements include a new bulkhead and a 200-foot dock.
• Bertie County is awarded $80,000 for the second phase of the Tall Glass of Water Beach Access enhancement and will provide safe, maintenance-free access to the beach by providing a solid surface, accessible 12-foot by 440-foot path to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and expanding the existing public beach by planting vegetation to stabilize the base of the bluff.
• Cedar Point in Carteret County is awarded $305,000 for the second phase of the Boathouse Creek Park bathroom facility project. The project is to add three ADA-accessible bathrooms and associated accessible parking to support and enhance usage of the town’s existing water access site at Boathouse Creek Park.
• Nags Head in Dare County is awarded $400,000 to replace the bathhouse and dune walkover at its Hargrove Street Public Beach Access. The project will also remove and replace existing decking, the emergency vehicle ramp, all wooden stairs and walkways, trash cans, fencing, three shower stations and signage.
• New Hanover County is awarded $265,000 to install a new kayak launch, ADA parking, and an ADA sidewalk to the existing pier, along with additional signage at the Trails End Waterfront Access. The work will be completed concurrently with bulkhead repairs.
• Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County is awarded $82,500 to replace a non-ADA-compliant dune crossover at the Shallotte Boulevard Beach Access. The new access will be widened to 8 feet and made to comply with ADA requirements. The stairs will be replaced with wheelchair-accessible ramps.
• Swansboro in Onslow County is awarded $127,623 to demolish the Main Street Dock, rebuild an existing pedestrian, fishing, and dinghy day dock at the end of Main Street, along the downtown waterfront area south of the White Oak River Bridge. The new docks will be built within the footprint of the existing facility.
• Vandemere in Pamlico County is awarded $167,700 to build an ADA-compliant fishing pier about 80 to 100 feet long and 9 feet wide. It will be located at the end of North First Street and provide access to the Pamlico River.

The North Carolina General Assembly created the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program in 1981 in response to concerns over declining public access by amending the Coastal Area Management Act, also known as CAMA.

The program was expanded in 1983 to include estuarine areas. The program uses 5% of state Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, or PARTF, annual funds to offer matching grants to local governments. It has supported more than 528 projects, enhancing public access for recreation and coastal enjoyment.

For more information about the program, go to the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access website.

An illegal drive on Oak Island’s ocean shoreline has damaged one of the town’s beach mats beyond repair.

Town officials on Monday morning removed the severely damaged Mobi-Mat at SE 40th St. after drivers of three vehicles, including a pickup truck, car and low speed vehicle, or LSV, failed at an attempt to drive off the beach during the overnight to early morning hours, according to a release.

All three vehicles got stuck, requiring town staff and a private towing company’s assistance to get them removed from the beach.

The drivers were issued multiple citations for violating Town Ordinance 28-5, which forbids motor vehicles on the beach strand.

The Mobi-Mat, or mobility access mat, is one of 10 installed among the town’s 65 beach accesses. Mobi-Mats have become increasingly popular among beach towns in the state because they provide wheelchair accessibility from public accesses to the shore.

“Due to limited availability and seasonal demand for similar products, an exact replacement time is not currently available; however, this notice will be updated once a replacement timeline is established,” the release states. “The Public Works Department is actively seeking repair or replacement options.”

Oak Island has purchased Mobi-Mats through a combination of town funding and community partners. The mats cost anywhere from several hundred dollars up to more than $4,500 each.

The number of accesses where Mobi-Mats may be placed in the town are limited due to geographical features and parking area constraints.

The public can hear an update on the work taking place to clean up the former Buxton Naval Facility site during the next Restoration Advisory Board meeting.

Doors open to the public at 5:15 p.m. and the meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17, in the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club, 47231 Light Plant Road, Buxton.

The public will be able to ask questions the last 15 minutes of the meeting, starting at 7:15 p.m. People from the community are encouraged to submit questions to CESAS-FUDS@usace.army.mil.

Now called the Buxton Formerly Used Defense Site, the area around the Buxton beach access on Hatteras Island was a base for both Navy and Coast Guard operations from 1956 until 2010, when it was returned to the National Park Service. The Formerly Used Defense Sites Program manages the environmental restoration, or cleanup, of properties formerly owned or occupied by the U.S. Defense Department.

Back on Sept. 1, 2023, officials with the Cape Hatteras National Seashore announced that the beach beside the former military site had eroded, uncovering potentially hazardous infrastructure associated with the military’s previous use. This was after surfers and visitors reported a strong smell of petroleum.

Gayle Garland, project manager of the Buxton FUDS property for the Army Corps of Engineers, is to provide an update about the current property environmental restoration projects during the meeting.  

The Corps said last fall that it had removed nearly 4,600 cubic yards of petroleum-laced soil; nearly 100,000 gallons of petroleum-contaminated water; 278,000 pounds of concrete; 1,153 feet of pipe; and 1,088 feet of metal cable and wire.

The section of beach was closed in 2023 because of health and safety concerns related to petroleum contamination and potentially hazardous remnant military infrastructure, until it reopened in June.

This is the second meeting of the advisory board that was selected March 25. The first meeting was April 10. The board does not make decisions, but allows for the community to take part in the cleanup process.

Want to visit a particular spot along one of North Carolina’s beaches or coastal waterfronts this summer?

There’s a map for that.

The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management’s Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program is an online, interactive map accessible from mobile devices and desktops that allows users to find sites within 1 to 10 miles of a location.

The map provides information on the location and amenities within the area, such as public restrooms and showers, for more than 800 local, state and federally funded access sites along the state’s ocean shores and estuarine waters.

Questions or comments may be directed to Rachel Love-Adrick at Rachel.love-adrick@deq.nc.gov. Include the site location in your correspondence.

The Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program began in 1981. Since that time 30 grants totaling more than $55 million have funded improvements to public waterfront access, such as walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, and piers. Funds may also be used for land acquisition or urban waterfront revitalization.

Guest Commentary

To stimulate discussion and debate, Coastal Review welcomes differing viewpoints on topical coastal issues. 

The Outer Banks is known for its beautiful coastline and rich ecosystems, drawing millions of visitors each year. Millions of dollars in tax and business revenue are collected as a result. Unfortunately, beach erosion poses a significant challenge to homeowners, business owners and vacationers along the barrier islands, particularly those in Rodanthe. Last year, the community lost seven oceanfront homes, a record high and an indicator of a worsening problem.

Beach erosion, which has occurred for millions of years, is the defined result of changing sea levels, currents, wind patterns, and severe weather events. In fact, the Outer Banks would not exist if not for this natural process. However, erosion is consuming as much as 15 feet of shoreline each year along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

To preserve structures in place, federal, state, and local governments have launched coordinated responses, investing heavily in beach nourishment, inlet relocation, and terminal groin projects in a race against the sea. To put the severity of this issue into perspective, a 2020 review by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NC DEQ) Division of Coastal Management found that nearly 9,000 oceanfront structures are at risk.

Despite the growing problem, many property owners are forced to wait until their home collapses before they can file a claim through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Shoreline erosion damages are excluded from standard homeowners’ insurance, and the NFIP only covers flood-related damages, creating confusion and prohibiting proactive planning.

That is why I introduced the Preventing Environmental Hazards Act, a commonsense bill to address the unfortunate reality of beach erosion coastal homeowners face. The bipartisan legislation would authorize NFIP compensation for structures condemned due to chronic erosion or unusual flooding and allow advance payouts for demolition or relocation of up to 40% of the home’s value, capped at $250,000 – the same terms as current NFIP policy. The purpose here is to use the money to remove the structure before it collapses, rather than wait until it creates an environmental disaster.

As erosion continues to accelerate, thousands of homes across the Outer Banks are at severe risk of being swept away by the sea. Additionally, when a home collapses, debris can spread up to fifteen miles along the coast, contaminating groundwater through failing septic systems, harming aquatic species, shorebirds, and their habitats, posing safety risks to beach visitors, and creating other serious environmental hazards. Our coastal communities cannot afford a delay any longer for proactive solutions to address these challenges.

Since coming to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to address the challenges created by our shifting shoreline, meeting regularly with local officials, representatives from NC DEQ, and the National Park Service. It is a privilege and a top priority of mine to secure federal funding to help cover the cost of projects to protect our beach communities. However, mitigation programs intended to protect threatened homes are often slow, suboptimal, and difficult to access. Advance NFIP payouts will empower homeowners by providing flexibility to prepare for or recover from natural disasters while at the same time mitigating risks to beachgoers and mariners.

Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of Coastal Review or our publisher, the North Carolina Coastal Federation.

Nine coastal communities have been awarded more than $2.8 million to improve public accesses to beaches and waters.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management announced Monday the awards for fiscal 2023-24.

“This funding makes our coasts more accessible to all North Carolina residents and visitors, so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy our natural resources,” NCDEQ Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser said in a statement. “We are proud to partner with local governments and communities to support projects that also benefit our coastal economy.”

The Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program provides matching funds to local governments in the 20 coastal counties. Governments that receive grants must match them by contributing at least 25% toward the project’s cost. Funding for the grant program comes from the North Carolina General Assembly through the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

Carolina Beach received $600,000 for the acquisition of three adjacent parcels on Canal Drive on the north end of town to provide parking and access to the beach and Freeman Park.

Washington received $800,000 to complete renovations to the 1,981-foot boardwalk along the Washington Wetlands Boardwalk.

Holden Beach received $420,000 for development of Block Q. This project will create new restrooms and parking for beach access, a boat ramp, and public entertainment area. The project also includes landscaping and stormwater improvements.

Hyde County received $108,900 to complete boardwalk renovations at Far Creek Boardwalk along Far Creek in Englehard.

Kure Beach received $71,025 to replace the existing 8-foot wide, 134-foot long wooden walkway with a 10-foot wide Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible walkway to the beach at Public Beach Access No. 140, and $62,700 to replace the existing 8-footwide 97-foot long wooden walkway with a 10-foot wide, Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant walkway to the beach to Public Beach Access No. 99.

Nags Head received $89,313 for improvements to the Governor Street Public Beach Access. Improvements include a new ADA-compliant elevated dune crossover with associative ADA-compliant parking stalls, and a shower station upfit.

Sunset Beach received $460,734 total to renovate the existing beach accesses at 29th, 34th and 37th streets.

Surf City received $10,875 for updates to the Broadway Street Access Site. This project will update the existing public restrooms and outdoor showers to meet federal accessibility standards, pave dedicated handicapped accessible parking spaces and walkways to the restrooms and beach accessway.

Winton received $189,325 for improvements to the Winton Town Park. Improvements include construction of a new fishing pier with boat slips; replacement of the decking on the existing boardwalk; renovation of the restrooms to meet federal accessibility specifications; paving of dedicated handicapped accessible parking spaces and walkways to the restrooms and water accessway; and the addition of riprap to shoreline to secure the eroding shoreline.

The program has awarded 497 grants totaling more than $53.8 million to improve public waterfront access sites since it began in 1981. For more information about the program, go to the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access website.

Access projects may include walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, piers and related projects. Funds also may be used for land acquisition or urban waterfront revitalization. Division of Coastal Management staff selected the recipients based on criteria set by the Coastal Resources Commission.

This story has been updated to clarify the headline.

TOPSAIL BEACH – As summer crowds grow larger and more full-time residents settle down for island life, once-sleepy small beach towns along North Carolina’s coast are left looking for ways to manage public parking.

Topsail Beach, the lone town on Topsail Island to maintain free public parking, could be next in joining the ranks of beach towns that charge public parking fees.

In a special-called meeting Wednesday morning, the Topsail Beach Board of Commissioners discussed the possibility.

Wednesday’s meeting was not the first time that commissioners have mulled whether to charge for parking at its accesses.

The board struck up an agreement last year with parking management company Otto Connect to implement paid parking at the town-maintained south-end lot where people can access “The Point,” where residents and visitors are drawn for its undeveloped, unspoiled beauty.

Facing some hefty capital projects in the future, including construction of a new town hall and firehouse, commissioners are once again debating whether to take the leap and implement paid parking at public access lots.

Commissioner Joe Bell said paid parking is “a major issue,” one that should be discussed in a regular meeting of the board of commissioners.

But that does not mean a public hearing will be held on the matter, commissioners said.

The Pender County town has about 172 parking spaces at beach accesses. There are also town-owned properties where an additional estimated 155 spaces could be created, said Assistant Town Manager Christina Burke.

Commissioners instructed town staff to provide additional information, including details about rights-of-way in the town, at the board’s March meeting.

Just last month, Oak Island in Brunswick County became the latest beach town along the southern portion of the coast to charge for public parking.

That town council’s vote to enter into an agreement with Otto Connect ultimately resulted in a group of property owners petitioning for an election recall for four of the town’s council members.

The move to seek a recall was not about paid parking, said Oak Island resident Gail Baker, but what the group says is a lack of representation.

The Oak Island Civic League, which now has more than 130 members, was born out of frustration, and the recent vote on paid parking was the straw that broke the camel’s back, Baker said in a telephone interview.

“All we want to do is keep Oak Island a friendly, family-oriented beach community,” she said. “Unfortunately, the council is not listening. They’ve failed to listen to the people. It was almost like they knew what they were going to do before they even walked in the room.”

The group will have to obtain a minimum of 2,050 signatures from registered voters in the town. Those signatures must be verified by the county board of elections.

Baker said earlier this week she did not know how many signatures had been collected.

“We’re working every day on it,” she said. “We’ll just see what happens.”

Oak Island Mayor Elizabeth White declined to comment on the recall petition.

Since White is mayor, she did not cast in the move to paid parking. But she said charging parking fees is a way to help the town deal with a cultural shift.

“The shift has to do with the rapid growth that we’ve experienced in the last five years,” White said.

Between 2019 and 2021, the year she ran for mayor, White said the number of registered voters in Oak Island jumped by nearly 2,000 people, a signal of the rapid growth the town is experiencing.

“And it’s only been increasing since then,” she said. “During the summer months our population grows by plus or minus 40,000 and what we experienced last year was sheer chaos.”

There were issues with visitors being disrespectful of private properties and the town was fortunate that no one was injured or killed, White said.

“It is about safety, helping to ensure the safety of not only our residents, but our visitors,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to ensure that everyone that uses our beach contributes to its maintenance, otherwise it falls only to our taxpayers and that’s very costly. And it’s to help manage growth.”

For additional information about Oak Island’s paid parking program visit https://www.oakislandnc.gov/residents-visitors/paid-parking-program.

Kure Beach has the state’s go-ahead to place a mat for wheelchair users at three varying beach accesses throughout the season.

The Coastal Resources Commission during its regular meeting April 28 in Manteo approved the variance to place the Architectural Barriers Act/Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant beach accessibility mat at accesses at 99 Atlantic Ave., 110 Atlantic Ave., and 140 Atlantic Ave.

The town plans to use one mat and vary the location of that mat between May and September.

The town applied Feb. 21 to the Division of Coastal Management for a Coastal Area Management Act minor development permit for the proposed use of the mat. The division denied the application March 8 because of an inconsistency with two rules, which is why the commission was voting on the variance during the meeting.

The intent is for the beach mats to facilitate greater beach access for individuals with mobility disabilities, to foster greater sense of independence for those individuals and enhance opportunities for public beach access, Alyssa Wright, assistant general counsel, explained to the commission during the meeting.

Jim Eldridge, town attorney, added that the mat is flexible, durable, nonobtrusive, easy to remove and easy to install.

The commission had previously approved accessible beach mats for other towns including Carolina Beach.

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.

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.

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.

More than $1.1 million has been awarded to seven towns and two counties to improve public access to coastal beaches and waters.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management announced Friday recipients of the funding through the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program, which is now in its 40th year. The program provides matching funds to local governments in the state’s 20 coastal counties.

“For 40 years, the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program has helped fund key projects that enhance access and improve experiences for residents and visitors enjoying the natural beauty of our coastal waterways,” said Elizabeth S. Biser, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality. “DEQ is honored to offer this support for our local partners and the coastal economy.”

The following local governments received the grants:

• Atlantic Beach received $73,288 to build a 290-foot handicap-accessible dune crossover at the DoubleTree East Public Beach Access.
• Cedar Point received $60,000 to build an accessible kayak launch that complies with Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines with shaded wheelchair parking at the Boathouse Creek Walking Trails Park. The project includes both an accessible parking area and walkway to the kayak launch.   
• Elizabeth City received $92,180 to fund the George M. Wood Memorial Park Restoration Project, which will rehabilitate the existing boardwalk on the Pasquotank River and provide parking space that complies with ADA access guidelines at the existing public access.
• Holden Beach received $180,460 for the acquisition of oceanfront property.
• Hyde County received $90,750 to renovate the Engelhard Far Creek Boardwalk.  
• Nags Head received $200,000 to remove the existing bathhouse and dune walkover and install a new bathhouse and dune walkover with upgraded parking, site amenities and landscaping at existing oceanfront access with improved accessibility at the Epstein Street Public Beach Access.
• New Bern received $110,809 to extend the existing marshwalk and add a fishing platform at Lawson Creek Park.   
• Tyrrell County received $25,650 for Phase III of the Scuppernong River Park Renovation to expand existing pier platform at the existing public access site.
• Washington received $350,000 for Phase II of the Wetlands Boardwalk Reconstruction to renovate 1,024 feet of the pedestrian boardwalk.           

Governments that receive grants must match them by contributing at least 25% toward the project’s cost. The program is funded by the North Carolina General Assembly through the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. Access projects may include walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, piers and related projects. Funds also may be used for land acquisition or urban waterfront revitalization.

Staff with the state Division of Coastal Management selected the recipients based on criteria set by the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission.

The grant program has provided more than $48 million for 461 public waterfront access sites since the program began in 1981. For more information about the program, go to the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access website. To find access site locations visit the interactive webmap at coastalaccess.nc.gov. 

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore will begin next week an improvement project at its Frisco Beach access on the southern part of Hatteras Island.

The Frisco Beach access offers showers, changing rooms and restrooms and, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, daily lifeguard services.

Awarded to T.D. McGhee Co. from Wilmington, the $896,506 project is scheduled to begin Wednesday.

The National Park Service has the following improvements planned:

• The current 44-space parking area will be expanded by 36 spaces, which will replace the parking area lost due to Hurricane Florence in 2018 at the old Frisco Pier site.
• A new asphalt overlay will cover the parking area. This project will require a short closure during the process. The public will be notified in advance.
• The restroom facility, including new toilets, urinals, sinks and lighting will be renovated.
• Exterior decking and shower area flooring will be replaced with precast concrete panels.
• The restroom facility will receive new siding.
• Outdoor showers will be replaced.

“This project will improve visitor access and experience at one of Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s most popular beach areas,” David Hallac, superintendent for the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said in a statement.

During the 120-day project, expected to be completed by mid-January 2022, portable restrooms, temporary showers and access to the boardwalk will be available to the public. There are 25 parking spaces at the south end of the parking area that will be made available for public use, except during the paving phase of the project.

Wheelchair users will continue to get front-row access to a stretch of Carolina Beach’s ocean shoreline this coming summer.

The North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission on Thursday granted the New Hanover County town a variance allowing the seasonal installation of beach mats to create a nearly 3,000-foot-long hard surface atop dry sand beach.

The commission’s unanimous decision during its virtual meeting ends more than a year of wrangling between state agencies and the town, which last October was denied a state permit to have the mats installed.

“I felt like popping a bottle of champagne,” Carolina Beach Parks and Recreation Director Eric Jelinski said of the vote to approve.

The mats were initially installed with the town’s approval in spring 2017 by Ocean Cure, a Carolina Beach-based nonprofit organization that offers surfing programs to people with disabilities to give people in wheelchairs independent access to the beach.

“We were the first ones to kind of go against the grain and extend (access) down to just above the high tide line,” said Kevin Murphy, Ocean Cure’s founder. “The whole point is to allow some independence. That’s really what we were striving for.”

One large mat, created by a series of light gray-colored, hard plastic mats that link together, is connected to the town’s boardwalk in Carolina Beach’s central business district, where two oceanfront hotels, restaurants and shops pepper the popular ocean strand.

To someone in a wheelchair, the mat allows freedom to spend time on the beach without having to rely on others for help.

“Realizing that they can now get to the beach and get back up to the boardwalk and use the restrooms, go eat at a restaurant, go to the shops, that’s huge,” Murphy said.

What he and town leaders did not know that first summer the mats were installed was that, under state rules, the mats are considered a structure and thus require a Coastal Area Management Act, or CAMA, permit.

Ocean Cure reinstalled the mats for the 2018 summer season, which runs Memorial Day weekend at the end of May through to Labor Day weekend in early September, and the group reinstalled them again in 2019.

On May 9, 2019, the state Division of Coastal Management, or DCM, and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission notified the town that the mats would have to be removed from the beach each night to avoid potential harm to nesting sea turtles. Turtle nesting season runs mid-May through August.

The mats were not removed.

The following year, in July 2020, the division issued an enforcement letter to the town, explaining that the beach mats were “development” within an ocean hazard area of environmental concern, or AEC.

Ocean hazard AECs are defined by the state as areas where a substantial possibility of excessive erosion and significant shoreline fluctuation exists. The average erosion rate for the site on which the beach mats are placed is 2 feet per year.

In the CAMA minor permit application that Carolina Beach submitted to the Division of Coastal Management last September, the town requested the mats remain in place between May and September.

The president of the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project, a nonprofit organization whose volunteers monitor sea turtle nests in Carolina Beach, said in an affidavit that in 15 years, two nests have been laid where the mats were placed and that none had been laid since the Hampton Inn was built in 2016.

The commission’s variance does not restrict the time frame in which the beach mats may stay on the shore, as proposed in the town’s CAMA permit application, just in case the town decides to use the mats beyond that time frame. The town will still have to receive a permit modification if it chooses to go that route.

The town’s parks and recreation department has 10 beach wheelchairs, most of which were funded by Island Women, another Pleasure Island nonprofit organization.

The wheelchairs are available to the public at no cost and can be reserved by emailing reccenter@carolinabeach.org or calling 910-458-2977.

“Those wheelchairs can be checked out any time of the year, but during the summer season, they’re heavily used,” Jelinski said. “We do allow folks to reserve a beach wheelchair for up to a week at a time. Usually it’ll be returned on a Saturday morning and turned around and sent back out again.”

His department has already received calls for reservations for the upcoming season.

Beach wheelchairs are larger than regular wheelchairs. They require transport in “sizable” vehicles, Murphy said. And, they’re not particularly easy to push on the beach.

Murphy said he has received more than 100 letters from people who have used the beach mat in Carolina Beach.

“I know it’s used constantly,” he said.

He lauded state officials for their role in ensuring the future of the beach mats.

“We were a little upset when we were told we had to pull it up,” Murphy said. “(The division) really wanted to listen to what we have done. They advocated for us. It really was a team effort.”

Division Director Braxton Davis said the stories people shared with him through emails and letters about the beach mats “moved me personally to advocate for these issues.”

“I think it’s a stellar example and I appreciate everyone going through this process,” he said.

Commission Chairwoman Renee Cahoon applauded the town’s efforts to provide beach accessibility to those with disabilities.

“I think more these are going to come forward,” she said. “It’s a component of family vacation for everybody in the family to be able to enjoy their beach vacation.”

Reprinted from Outer Banks Voice

The Sand Dollar Shores Homeowners Association has announced, through its attorney Casey Varnell, that it has appealed a Feb. 14 ruling by a Camden County Superior Court Judge that sided with plaintiff Bob Hovey’s claim that a beach access in Duck belongs to the public.

“It goes without saying that the HOA does not agree with the decision of the trial court,” read a March 9 statement issued by the Sand Dollar Shores HOA, which described its position in the litigation as, “respecting private property rights legally established within the public record.”

The statement added that “the current ruling by the trial court affects many other Outer Banks Communities, and communities statewide, and not simply Sand Dollar Shores.”

The HOA also indicated that it is seeking a stay of the trial court’s order that the Sea Breeze beach access in the Duck Subdivision of Sand Dollar Shores is public property.

The dispute over the beach access in Duck exploded into public view last May when Hovey was arrested and charged with second-degree trespassing while attempting to use the access at the end of Sea Breeze Drive. A video of Hovey being confronted by two angry homeowners at the time of that incident went viral and stirred up considerable public and social media passions.

In August, Hovey and his wife Tanya filed a suit against the HOA arguing the walkway was a public trust.

Last month, Judge Lamott Wiggins granted them a summary judgment without a trial, ruling that, “It is declared that the “8’ pedestrian beach access easement … is an easement dedicated to the general public for the purpose of providing pedestrian access to the Atlantic Ocean beach held in the public trust by the State of North Carolina and is now in the jurisdiction of the Town of Duck.”

In its March 9 statement announcing the appeal, the HOA, in an apparent reference to social media commentary on the case, said it “will not address this legal matter through the use of social media, nor any other online outlets, as these mediums have shown to misconstrue and/or misrepresent the facts surrounding this case and further the vitriol within the entire Outer Banks Community.”

DUCK — If there is one philosophy uniting the long string of communities along the Outer Banks, it is that their beaches should be open and free. And accessible.

But the town of Duck is one of the few communities along the entire coast of North Carolina that provide no public access to the ocean shoreline. The adjacent town of Southern Shores also lacks public beach accesses, effectively cutting off a total of about 12 miles of ocean coastline on the northern Outer Banks to all but private property owners, renters and their guests.

That might be why the recent arrest of Duck resident Bob Hovey for using what a property owner contends is a private beach access in his neighborhood has ignited a firestorm on social media about private property rights versus public rights to access the beach.

“What it comes down to it is the closest access to my house,” Hovey said in an interview. “I feel like I should be able to use it.”

A confrontation between Hovey and two homeowners at the Sea Breeze Drive beach access in the Sand Dollar Shores subdivision on May 29 culminated in the owners calling the police on Hovey, who was arrested for trespassing.

In a Facebook video Hovey took and subsequently posted, a man and woman cursed at Hovey for using the access, while he responded that the access was deeded to the public in 1981. He also posted another video of police questioning his right to use the access to get to the beach to go surfing, which happened after police said that parking on the nearby street was not allowed.

Hovey has owned his home in the Osprey Ridge subdivision since 2003, but the access in question, which is across the street, is in a different subdivision. Property owners in the private subdivisions have rights to use designated accesses.

About two years ago, Hovey filed a lawsuit that has since been withdrawn against the town, claiming that the access and others in the town were deeded to the public in 1981. Hovey said he has a copy of the original plat.

“The beach is for everyone and something needed to be done to protect beach access rights in Dare County,” Hovey said in a Facebook post. “The town of Duck has received millions of Dare County taxpayer money for beach nourishment and other beach services.”

But Hovey’s business, Duck Village Outfitters, in operation off Duck Road since 1998, involves rentals of equipment for the beach and recreational water activities, which has perhaps made him more aware of the value of beach access.

“I’ve been doing deliveries and surfing in Duck more or less for 23 years,” he told Coastal Review Online. And as a surfer, he wants to check different places on the beach for waves. “I own a surf shop in Duck and I’m not allowed to access the beach to surf in Duck.”

The situation with no public beach access to Duck’s 7 miles of ocean shoreline had existed prior to when the town was incorporated in 2002, said Town Manager Chris Layton. Only three subdivisions in the town don’t have deeded beach accesses associated with them, he said, and they were approved before or during the town’s incorporation.

“The town doesn’t own or maintain any access point (to the ocean) in Duck,” he said. “But getting to the beach has not been an issue.”

In his 17 years as manager, Layton said, Hovey is the only person who has officially complained to the town about the lack of a “traditional” public beach access. The town manager said that there have been “many, many, many” calls to police over the last four years about Hovey trespassing.

The town council has not gone beyond passing discussions about creating a public access, he added, and there has been no state requirement to do so. “The opportunity has not presented itself in a way where the town thinks we need to move forward.”

With nearly all available land in private developments, except for the federally-owned Duck Pier, Layton said that for the town to provide an access – short of exerting eminent domain – it would require the town to purchase expensive oceanfront land, or depend on a donation from a private property owner. But he said the town is open to exploring a way to create an access if that’s what the public wants.

“The challenge for the town would be to go in and retrofit public access points,” he said. “That’s a lot more complicated than people believe it is.”

All the accesses – about 40 or so 20-foot corridors – along Southern Shores’ nearly five miles of beach are owned and maintained by the Southern Shores Civic Association, said Peter Rascoe, the town’s manager. And that was how it was even before the town was incorporated in 1979, he said.

Rascoe said that the issue of public access has not been raised.

“I guess there’s never been any conflict to force a discussion,” he said.

The state Department of Coastal Management provides about $1 million a year in matching grants to local governments for public beach access projects and improvements. The funds can also be used to help acquire land needed for access sites.

The Outer Banks chapter of The Surfrider foundation, a national nonprofit environmental group that advocates for open beach access, is currently going through a transition and is looking for a local volunteer to work on the issue, said Ivy Ingram, chapter chair.

“Unfortunately, our chapter is currently overwhelmed and needs help in order to take on any more issues including the Duck access issue,” she said in an email. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the group at outerbanks@surfrider.org.

Municipalities that use public funds to nourish beaches – as Southern Shores and Duck have done – are required to provide public beach accesses. But Rascoe and Layton claim the requirement only applies to federal funds. The projects were funded by county and municipal funds.

But attorney Norm Shearin, a partner in commercial law firm Nexsen Pruet in Raleigh, disagreed.

“It doesn’t matter where the money comes from,” he said. “It does not have to be federal money. It just has to be public money.”

Shearin had previously represented Hovey in filing lawsuits against the town, which has been dismissed after Hovey’s request, and the homeowners’ association, which was dismissed by the judge, but he is only now helping as a consultant. In the legal challenges, the town of Duck had sided with the property owner in arguing that the beach accesses in the town were privately deeded.

But the town’s position, Shearin said “pays lip-service” to public access. Under North Carolina law, the public trust area is below the mean high water.

“Obviously, you’ve got to get to the interior area to get out to the ocean,” he said. “The public trust rights would be meaningless if they were just lateral along the oceanfront.”

Power companies and other public services possess “secondary use rights” to access, he said, but the right to access the beach has not been litigated in the state.

“The public trust rights are still being defined in North Carolina,” he said.

Hovey, meanwhile, is trying to raise funds to hire a local attorney. But he holds out hope that a reasonable solution can be worked out with the town.

“At this point, it’s still in motion,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get some negotiation (to resolve it) without a costly court procedure.”

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