TOWN REPORT

town report COMPILED BY CATHERINE KOZAK

What’s happening in your town? Here’s a report from all over the Outer Banks.

Currituck County

In April, the Currituck Board of Commissioners voted to amend the Carova beach ordinance for safety reasons, limiting the parking permits for Carova day trippers to 300 per week from April 30 to October 1. Visitors who are not renting a house in the four-wheel-drive area can purchase a weekly permit on the county website for $50 each, and they must be picked up at the Corolla Visitors Center. Weekly renters in Carova will be provided two free parking permits, and county residents and property owners can use their solid waste decal as a parking permit.

Duck

A year after being chosen to participate in the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management’s Resilient Coastal Communities Program, the town of Duck is expected to complete phase two of the program (which involves planning, identifying and prioritizing projects), and advance to phase three (engineering and design), this summer, according to information on the town’s website.

The new program is focused on assisting coastal communities with technical expertise and funding in order to develop resilience strategies and incentivize innovative and nature-based solutions to climate change challenges. The goal is to complete a resilience strategy for the town, and updates on the process can be found on the town’s website.

Southern Shores

After a proposed 2022 street maintenance project planned for a total of 20 streets in Southern Shores failed to get any bids by late March, the town modified the project and included more details about the areas in need of maintenance. At an April town council meeting, Town Manager Cliff Ogburn said that the town could also divide the proposed work into two different projects if necessary. The proposed project would be the first year of street rehabilitation work identified in the town’s 10-year Capital Improvement Plan, which incorporated results of an earlier study on pavement conditions.

Kitty Hawk

Beach renourishment work in Kitty Hawk is expected to begin in early July and last for about 40 days, according to an update on the town’s website. Based on a presentation at a public information meeting the town held in April, contractor Weeks Marine would likely use the public bathhouse near Black Pelican and the Byrd Street beach access parking areas to stage equipment, and work closures along the beach would be done in 1,000-foot sections. The project is mostly intended to replace sand that has eroded over the last five years, but may also include several areas where dunes need further attention. In most sections, the goal is to build an 80-foot dry sand beach area with a six-foot slope, using about 750,000 cubic yards of sand removed from deposits about six miles offshore.

Kill Devil Hills

A budget amendment for $261,468 from the town of Kill Devil Hills’ undesignated fund balance was approved at the April board of commissioners meeting for improvements at Meekins Field, which is expected to be completed by this summer.

The board had initially approved the four-phase project at a cost of $888,000 in September 2020 to update the old site into a modern recreational facility with new playground equipment, expanded parking, and new restrooms and shelters. The proposed improvements even include a splash pad for water play – Dare County’s first – though the site’s existing tennis courts will remain unchanged.

Nags Head

Input from a recent survey of town residents will be incorporated into ongoing work on the town of Nags Head’s Estuarine Shoreline Management Plan, which is intended to create the community’s first comprehensive management plan for its 17-mile estuarine shoreline. While working with partners that include the Coastal Studies Institute and the North Carolina Coastal Federation, as well as an advisory committee of local citizens, the plan will include a biogeographical inventory of shorelines and the changes and impacts they’ve experienced, according to information on the town’s website. Part of the process of identifying the best management practices will also include examining regulatory/legal barriers and other issues. The plan, which was kicked off in October 2021, is scheduled to be finalized by late 2022.

Manteo

Manteo town commissioners voted in April to approve, with conditions, a special-use permit for a mixed residential/commercial project on Old Tom Avenue at the site of the former Evans building. The proposed three-story project would consist of motel rooms on the first floor and apartments on the other two floors.

Also in April, the town announced that installation of high-speed internet broadband fiber technology recently began in Manteo. According to a statement on the town website, Charlotte-based Brightspeed acquired CenturyLink properties in 20 states, including North Carolina, in August 2021. The company plans to invest more than $2 billion in fiber optics, reaching up to three million homes and businesses over the next five years. Manteo is the first community in the nation in which this broadband technology is being installed, according to the town, and when it’s completed, internet connectedness is expected to be “simple and seamless.”

“We are very excited to be in Manteo and hope to offer our highspeed broadband service to its residents shortly after the CenturyLink transaction closes,” said Tom Maguire, chief operating officer of Brightspeed.

Dare County

The former Dare County Center in Manteo was officially renamed in May in honor of the late Virginia Tillett, a longtime community leader who spurred its creation.

Tillett, who passed away on October 7 at age 80, served Dare County as an educator and elected official for more than 30 years. When the center was first proposed, Tillett insisted that it had to be a multi-generational place for the entire community, not just senior citizens or youth. In testament to her vision, the facility now offers a variety of programs for youth, adults, seniors and families, and includes a wellequipped fitness room and a library/media room. The range of classes to choose from includes exercise, arts and crafts, cooking, estate planning and more.

The Virginia S. Tillett Community Center is located near the Dare County Administration Building and the Dare County Justice Center in Manteo.