Article in Voice - Nags Head wins 1 million in grants to start Dowdy

Nags Head wins $1 million in grants to start Dowdy Park

By Outer Banks Voice on November 17, 2015

The plan incorporated elements of three ideas offered for public discussion. (Town of Nags Head)

The park will feature a centralized green space and gazebo for events, a multi-purpose playing field, sport court, fitness and walking trails, children’s play areas and gardens.

With $1 million in grant funding, the Town of Nags Head will soon begin the first phase of construction on Dowdy Park.

The grants — $750,000 from Trillium Health Resources and $250,000 from the Dare County Tourism Board — will help pay for infrastructure, including site prep, parking and stormwater drainage. The money will also go toward the events plaza, the gazebo and a central multi-use turf area, a portion of the fitness trails and playground spaces.

Bought by the town for $1.5 million in 2013, the 5-acre property was once Dowdy’s amusement park. What was left of the rides were hauled off and the old arcade building was used for firefighting practice.

Plans are to develop a park for all ages. The site at the corner of S. Croatan Highway and Bonnett Street is across the street from the Outer Banks YMCA and next door to Nags Head Elementary School.

A park plan was approved by Nags Head’s Board of Commissioners in March 2015 with suggestions from the public.

It will include a centralized green space and gazebo for events, an events plaza to host craft fairs and similar activities, a multi-purpose playing field, sport court, fitness and walking trails, formal and informal children’s play areas and gardens.

Also envisioned are creative components such as interactive art exhibits, art panels and rotating art displays.

The park will be designed for people of all ages and abilities.

“Both Trillium Health Resources and the Dare County Tourism Board are significant funding partners who are helping to move construction of Dowdy Park forward,” said Deputy Town Manager Andy Garman.

“We are extremely grateful to both of these organizations for the assistance they are providing to enable the Town to provide our community with a park that can be used by anyone of any age and any ability.”

State OKs purchase of Corolla land for Mid-Currituck Bridge

By Sam Walker on November 6, 2015

Rendering of the bridge (NCDOT)

The state Board of Transportation voted Thursday to allocate $5.7 million to purchase a parcel of land in Corolla that would become the eastern landing of the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge.

The 7-acre property is adjacent to the Corolla Bay neighborhood and is owned by Northeastern North Carolina Properties LLC, a division of Towne Bank, which had approached Currituck County leaders several times, including as recently as this summer, for approval to develop the land between the Currituck Sound and N.C. 12.

“By purchasing the property now, we are saving taxpayer dollars by purchasing the land at a lower price than it would be if it were to be developed before acquisition,” said NCDOT spokesperson Jennifer Heiss.

The span to connect from the mainland community of Aydlett to the Currituck Outer Banks has been in some form of planning for almost two decades, but talk about building a bridge dates back even longer.

“Currituck County has been advocating for the Mid-Currituck Bridge since the 1970s,” said County Manager Dan Scanlon.

“We are excited to see the acquisition of the right-of-way under way and anxiously awaiting the ground breaking,” Scanlon added.

When North Carolina lawmakers revamped how road projects are funded in 2014, among the changes was removing a legislative mandate for the Mid-Currituck Bridge, throwing it back into the same funding pot as other road and bridge projects in the region.

The most recent estimated cost of the bridge is at least $410 million, with the state kicking about $173 million in for initial planning, design work and right-of-way acquisition.

ABOVE: The parcel to be purchased, in blue. (Currituck GIS)               BELOW: Proposed route of the bridge, in red. The bridge would intersect with N.C. 12 at a traffic circle. (NCDOT)

The rest of the money would come from the sale of bonds that would be paid back using tolls.

Within the layout of the Strategic Transportation Improvement Plan, the bridge was ranked low as a regional and statewide priority, but was included on the list of future projects that was finalized last June.

“This is a regional project with regional benefits and we extremely thankful for the support of our communities, our citizens and the surrounding counties and towns that have all worked hard in advocating and advancing this project and for their support of the project within the Strategic Transportation Investment program,” Scanlon said.

$1,235,505 was previously approved for appraisal and advanced acquisition of specific parcels for the proposed 7-mile-long, two-lane bridge.

The state Board of Transportation on Thursday granted a request for an additional $5,702,571 from the state’s Highway Trust Fund, which is supported primarily by revenue generated by North Carolina’s motor fuels tax.

“If the property were to be developed prior to us purchasing it for the project, it would be of greater expense and we would also have to pay to relocate residents whose homes we would have to purchase,” Heiss said.

The most recent timeline for the bridge would have construction starting by the end of the decade, and the span open to traffic by 2025.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• 1K+Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)1K+
• Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
• Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

The icon Aggie passed away at 23. -See story in Outer Banks Voice.

Beloved roadside icon, Aggie, passes away at age 23

By Sam Walker on November 4, 2015

Aggie’s stall was near the corner of U.S. 158 and Aydlett Road. (Marianne Gradeless/Facebook)

For years, a sure sign that someone was getting close to the Outer Banks was seeing Aggie the Horse roaming the pasture outside her stall along U.S. 158 just south of the Knapp Bridge in Coinjock.

Owned by Mack and Karen Pierce, a visit with Aggie to share a snack or just a pat on the head has been almost a required part traveling the busy highway by locals and visitors for the last two decades.

Sadly, word came Wednesday morning that she passed away during the night at age 23.

“The Pierces wanted me to convey to all of you how much they have appreciated the public’s care, concern and love for Aggie over the years,” according to a post from Steven Craddock, administrator of Aggie’s official Facebook page.

“Aggie, you brightened all our days, and you made all our lives happier during the 23 years you were with us. Currituck County has lost one of its greatest treasures, but heaven has gained another beautiful winged angel.”

Cover photo by Dianna Keen/Facebook

Share this:

Fuel Prices OBX By Rob Morris in The Outer Banks Voice

Numerous factors drive up OBX fuel prices, distributor says

By Rob Morris on September 22, 2015

Lynn Keffer of Crossroads Fuel Service spoke Monday.

Higher maintenance, insurance and real estate costs are among the factors contributing to the disparity in gasoline prices between the Outer Banks and neighboring areas, a regional fuel wholesaler says.

Lynn Keffer, president of Crossroads Fuel Service, was the only one to speak Monday after Dare County commissioners had invited local service station owners to explain why gasoline prices are so much higher here.

Keffer said that he has no influence on prices at the pumps, but as an owner of a family business in operation for 50 years, he said he knows what service station owners on the Outer Banks deal with. His Chesapeake company distributes fuel in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.

Complaints about high fuel prices are long-standing. Earlier this year, Dare County commissioners asked for an investigation by the state Attorney General’s office. An official was assigned to look into the disparity, but the county has yet to receive a report.

This week, prices were running about $2.19 a gallon in the northern Outer Banks compared to less than $2 in Southeastern Virginia and Elizabeth City.

Keffer agreed to step forward after the board sent letters to Outer Banks station owners earlier this month asking why prices here are higher — often 20 to 40 cents per gallon — than in Currituck County, Elizabeth City and southeastern Virginia.

“One of my customers in Dare County showed me his property insurance bill, and his was for wind only, for last year,” Keffer said. “He is paying nearly 30 percent more for one property with one canopy and two buildings than we are paying for a combined 11 properties, five canopies, 13 buildings and an assortment of above-ground storage tanks.

“Ours is property insurance that includes wind, fire, vandalism, even a little bit of pollution . . .”

Wind and salt air take a toll on equipment, such as pumps, he said, and the lifespan is about 50 percent lower than in other areas. Service calls, he said, are more frequent and expensive.

Outer Banks dealers can expect at least one service call a month for repairs to pumps, he said, while a dealer in Elizabeth City might have four to six a year.

“The trip charge for repair to Avon is $459,” he said. “That’s the trip charge for repair. That compares to what we pay in Elizabeth City to about $75 per trip.”

Property values also contribute to higher prices at the pumps. Keffer said that three convenience stores his company owns inland are valued about 50 percent less than a service station for sale on the Outer Banks.

He said he couldn’t cite figures on the difference in mortgage and rental costs, but “whatever it is, it’s more. And it’s going to affect the cost of your gasoline.”

Higher freight costs amounting to about 5 cents a gallon also should be taken into account, he said. Credit cards are used more frequently during the tourist season, so they can add to operating costs as well, he said.

Dealers in Elizabeth City often sell at or below costs, Keffer said, for competitive reasons, to maintain cash flow and to honor contractual commitments to suppliers to sell a specified amount of gas.

Keffer does business directly with four retailers in Dare County — one for 33 years — and with others as a common carrier, he said.

“They’re not out to get anybody,” he said. “They’re just out to make an honest living.”

None of the commissioners asked questions or commented after Keffer’s presentation.

Colington Road Gets a Facelift

Busy Outer Banks road due for a facelift

Share 5

2

3

0

0

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 20, 2015

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C.

A busy Outer Banks road that winds past flood-prone waters in the shadow of the Wright Brothers National Memorial will get resurfaced, widened and lifted in places.

Colington Road runs 4.3 miles from U.S. 158 next to the memorial past Colington Creek and Blount Bay before ending at the tip of the island on Kitty Hawk Bay. The scenic views are great, until the wind whips up and waves splash onto the pavement, or heavy rain pools deep across the center line.

"It can be dangerous," said Jocelyn Midgette, who manages Joe and Kay's Campground with her husband.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation held a public meeting Thursday on the $17.4 million project in Kill Devil Hills. Dozens attended the meeting to peer at large maps and question highway officials. The work includes widening the two-lane route, lifting the pavement in low spots and adding paved paths for cyclists and pedestrians.

The state plans to have more public meetings and acquire the land needed for widening the road in 2017. Construction is planned to begin and likely wrap up in 2018.

The state also plans to straighten a curve in the road near the intersection with Sandpiper Drive.

But a straighter road means more speeding, said resident Phil Kadala.

"That curve is not so bad if it slows people down," he said.

The road passes a mix of mobile homes and high-dollar houses. Popular stops along the way include Billy's Seafood and The Colington Cafe. In places, marsh grasses grow near the pavement. Locals and tourists fish and crab within sight of the zooming cars.

Despite the rural character, more than 12,000 vehicles a day on average travel the narrow route. The state added large rocks known as rip rap to the shoreline years ago, helping keep the water back. Two new bridges were built in the 1990s, and some sections of pavement were raised later. Two years ago, crews rerouted the road to remove a sharp loop around a church.

Still, floodwaters breach the improvements at times. When the lane nearest the water submerges, drivers typically wait their turn to pass. Some take the risk of stalling out.

"I've driven through when I probably shouldn't have, just because I wanted to go home," said Colington Harbor resident Martha Cain.

Jeff Hampton, 252-338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com

The Outer Banks Voice - Why does El Niño mean a ‘quieter’ hurricane season for us?

The Outer Banks Voice - Why does El Niño mean a ‘quieter’ hurricane season for us?

Article in Va. Pilot ---Outer Banks Mansion Raises Questions

The Virginian-Pilot
© September 6, 2015

COROLLA, N.C.

A massive house looms above the dunes in the northernmost developed part of the Outer Banks. The structure dwarfs the 5,000-square-foot home nearby in a place where big-wheeled buggies rumble over unpaved roads and wild horses graze in yards.

With 24 bedrooms, it is one of four similarly sized structures in the county raising questions about how big a single-family dwelling can be.

"We think the definition is very clear. This house should not be allowed as a single-family dwelling," said Marie Long, owner of the house next door on Ocean Pearl Road.

Long has protested the home's 20,000-square-foot size and planned use for events such as weddings where roughly 50 people can stay overnight. She has taken her fight to the court system.

She argues that the volunteer fire department is 7 miles away and emergency trucks would have to navigate narrow sandy roads to respond. As a single-family home, it is not required to meet commercial standards for sprinklers, marked exits, floor loads or handicapped access.

Weeklong stays with weddings can cost between $20,000 and $30,000 in the peak season. The house is primarily for commercial purposes rather than family gatherings, she said.

But a local board ruled in 2013 that the house falls within the county's development ordinance as a single-family dwelling. After Long appealed, the Superior Court upheld the county's decision. Long is waiting for a decision from the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Her chances don't look good.

The state passed a law earlier this year that prohibits local governments from limiting the number of bedrooms in homes.

"If a large residential structure is not a single-family dwelling, then it would likely have to be considered a hotel," Currituck County planning director Ben Woody said.

The county's development ordinance does not address a building that is a mix between a house and a hotel, he said.

The debate pits old adversaries of personal property rights against government regulations intended to protect the community. Locals in the four-wheel drive area north of Corolla have successfully opposed business districts and major road improvements over the years. Isolation and less control is part of the attraction.

This rental home should be no different than others, said Bernie Mancuso, builder of the large house on Ocean Pearl Road.

"Just because it gets bigger does not mean its rights should change," he said.

Currituck County lists 247 homes of 5,000 or more square feet built since 2005. Most are rentals.

Fears of mansion-like homes going up all over the beach are unfounded, Mancuso said. Few lots can handle the size. The county imposes setbacks and a height limit of 35 feet.

In the more urban Currituck Club subdivision in Corolla, another 24-bedroom home named The Black Stallion is open for rentals at nearly $28,000 a week in peak season. The pool house is more than 2,000 square feet. The Twiddy & Co. Realtors website lists amenities such as a spiral staircase three stories tall and a dining room that seats 50. A life-size statue of a rearing black stallion stands out front.

Most homes in the neighborhood are about 5,000 square feet.

Former real estate agent and neighbor Dave Knoch has protested the home's frequent use for big parties. He has been awakened by gatherings held there. Knoch has filed a request to amend county ordinances to say that any house over 5,000 square feet that hosts more than two events a year must get commercial zoning and building permits.

The county planning board is expected to consider the proposed amendment next month.

"Every weekend there is a church party or wedding party or whatever," Knoch said. "I'm not against large houses. I'm against how they're being used."

Jeff Hampton, 252-338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com