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Beaufort staff recommend phased rebuild of Pigeon Point landing; council asks contractor to scope temporary fix
Summary
Staff recommended a phased design-build approach for the Pigeon Point boat ramp and dock after identifying long-term structural and tidal issues; council asked staff to have the selected proposer (O'Quinn Marine) evaluate a safe temporary ramp or dock option to restore limited usability while longer-term permitting proceeds.
City capital-project staff presented a phased design-build recommendation for Pigeon Point Landing after receiving one responsive proposal from O'Quinn Marine Construction. Staff said the city's records include a 1929 deed confirming municipal ownership of the landing, clearing a potential legal hurdle for grant applications. Raul and public-works staff reported recurring maintenance costs on the existing dock and structural issues with the ramp and piles; engineers expressed concern that simply restoring the existing layout could repeat the same problems under changing tide and wake conditions.
O'Quinn's proposal would begin with a comprehensive as-built survey, survey-grade mapping, permitting groundwork and conceptual layouts for future phases. Staff warned that coastal permits (Bureau of Coastal Management / formerly OCRM and Army Corps) can take 16 to 18 months, and that full reconstruction would be a multiyear process; staff estimated the full project could reach the multi-million-dollar range under current scopes and noted a recent staff estimate that dock-only replacements elsewhere were between roughly $250,000 and $300,000.
Public commenters pressed for faster restoration of usable access. Patrick Canning and Jim Glad, frequent users of the landing, urged the city to pursue repairs that return the launch to service sooner than the 2027 horizon some proposals implied. Staff acknowledged prior short-term band-aid fixes had been used and said the procurement was intentionally phased to allow both thorough assessment and the possibility of a temporary, safe fix if feasible.
Council directed staff to ask the recommended proposer to include in its scope an analysis and pricing for any safe temporary solution that could restore limited functionality while the long-term design and permitting proceed. Staff also said they would coordinate with Beaufort County and adjacent landings as needed for overflow boat-launch demand.
Next steps: staff will ask O'Quinn (or the chosen proposer) to evaluate short-term, safe options and return cost and feasibility estimates to council as part of the phased contract authorization.
