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Planning board reviews living-shoreline plan and vision for commercial outdoor recreation district
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Summary
Staff presented the town's Esplan Shoreline Management Plan emphasizing living-shoreline, pilot-site designs (sills and offshore breakwaters) and funding/permitting questions; the board also discussed a commercial outdoor recreation district with potential boardwalk extensions and zoning changes to encourage walkable, mixed-use development.
The Nags Head Planning Board spent the bulk of its Feb. 17 meeting on two major planning efforts: a living‑shoreline approach in the Esplan Shoreline Management Plan (ESMP) and a staff proposal for a commercial outdoor recreation district to improve walkability and steward sound-side access.
Joe, a town staff member leading shoreline efforts, told the board the ESMP prioritizes nature-based shoreline projects that reduce erosion, support seagrass and preserve recreational access. "The primary purpose of the plan was really to develop strategies that prioritize living in major based shoreline management projects for each segment of the town's extreme shoreline," Joe said.
For the Harvey site, staff presented a design package that includes granite sills and offshore breakwaters. Joe said the breakwaters are about 50 feet long and 30 feet wide and stand approximately 2.5 feet above mean high water; sills would be roughly 9 feet wide and about 1.5 feet above mean high water and would protect about 200–250 linear feet of shoreline. He said the design has been submitted to the Division of Coastal Management (DCM) for a major permit and that the tourism board preferred granite so materials can be sourced and maintained long term.
Staff framed the ESMP as a pilot-based approach because most shoreline is privately owned and long-term maintenance, easements and funding are significant constraints. Joe said the town asked a granting agency to consider a focused berm/sill section in the Southside Road area to combine coastline protection with a larger stormwater project; the North Carolina Land and Water Fund was cited as one potential funding source for beach renourishment efforts.
Board members asked technical and programmatic questions, including whether hardened bulkheads can be retrofitted to reduce scour (Joe said retrofit can reduce scour but not replicate a fully natural shoreline), the suitability of dredged material for renourishment (staff said dredge silt likely would need compounding with harder materials), and how pilot sites would be monitored for sediment and habitat responses. Joe also described outreach and partnerships; the Coastal Federation assisted with GIS data collection and the design team is coordinating with regional engineers.
Separately, Joe reviewed a year of work on a "commercial outdoor recreation district" focused on the sound-side activity node: staff recommended measures to improve pedestrian connectivity, encourage group developments that include outdoor recreation, pursue grants and boardwalk extensions, and consider zoning text amendments to protect corridor character. Joe told the board staff will present these priorities to the Board of Commissioners at an upcoming retreat and may pursue grant applications and easements depending on BOC guidance.
Next steps: staff will continue permitting for pilot shoreline projects, pursue funding where feasible and report back to the planning board after further coordination with the Board of Commissioners and permitting agencies.
