OUTER BANKS, N.C. — Currituck County has now taken the first step in exploring a beach nourishment project for a portion of northern Corolla that neighbors there have wanted to see for years. County leaders presented the final beach management plan at their meeting in early November.
"I sent a complimentary note saying thank you for getting along with it and not kicking the can down the road looking for more time," said Tony Cerri, with the Corolla Civic Association.
That's Cerri's response to seeing and hearing about county commissioners approving a resolution to start the process of determining what a beach nourishment project would look like. From Corolla Village Road north to the wild horse gate is the area that Cerri and fellow neighbors have raised concerns about with News 3 for more than a year.
"Everybody says that it's the worst they've ever seen the beach. It is in horrible shape," said Cerri.
Right now, $35.3 million is the estimated project cost that the county showed in its presentation earlier this month for the North Corolla Reach area. It's about a 6-mile stretch from the wild horse gate south to Seabird Way.
The hypothetical timeline shared by the county puts potential construction of the project in summer 2028 or 2029. The plan says the start could spill over into 2029 because of a lack of bids or higher-than-expected bids in 2028. Cerri hopes it can happen sooner rather than later.
"(I think) that it can be done in 18 months from last Friday," said Cerri.
The county is also now looking at setting up a service district to help with the cost of the project, but right now, that would only impact Corolla neighbors. Commissioners Chairman Paul O'Neal said this at the meeting earlier this month:
"It'll be paid for by the people receiving the benefit, so people on the mainland don't have to worry about being taxed for this," said O'Neal.
Tony and fellow neighbors feel that the entire county should share in the cost of taking care of the beaches.
"The mainlanders got to contribute," said Cerri.
If all goes according to plan, the county would start working on a beach nourishment design by next month. But until the day neighbors see the equipment on the beach, their worries will remain.
"Right now we have houses — the actual structure, not the swimming pool, not the deck — we have actual houses that are threatened by the next nor'easter," said Cerri.
For more information about Currituck County's final beach management plan, head to this link here.
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