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Planning staff previews boardwalk, commercial-overlay ideas and wins $400,000 beach-access grant
Summary
Staff presented an animation and outreach plan for the Commercial Outdoor Recreation Overlay District, discussed potential boardwalk connections and placemaking, and announced a $400,000 NC Public Beach and Coastal Water Fund grant for Harrove Street/Dowy Park access; shoreline management updates and stakeholder feedback on living shorelines were also reported.
Planning staff updated the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 3 about outreach and concepts for the Commercial Outdoor Recreation Overlay District and related coastal projects.
Deputy planning director Joe Costello showed an animation mapping potential pedestrian connections, boardwalk links to the outlet area, public-art and wayfinding concepts and suggested inviting property owners and the tourism board to the planning-board meeting on Sept. 16 for stakeholder feedback. Costello said the overlay runs along the soundside commercial corridor (roughly Forest Street to the town end) and supports mixed uses such as retail, restaurants and recreational attractions.
Separately, staff announced a $400,000 North Carolina Public Beach and Coastal Water Fund Access Grant to improve Harrove Street public beach access and Dowy Park. On shoreline work, staff reported a well-attended estuary and shoreline management stakeholder meeting and noted strong public concern about navigation and the visual impact of some living-breakwater designs; the Harvey site (living-shoreline, event-site area) has design funding and consultants expect concept/schematic deliverables soon.
Staff said next steps include targeted property-owner outreach, tourism-board coordination, and additional stakeholder workshops on shoreline concepts.
