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Council weighs $300,000 boardwalk quote, Ocean Front Park shower and beach‑access plan
Summary
Public Works presented a $300,000 quote for boardwalk replacement and recommended an engineering scope to evaluate options; Council asked staff to develop cost comparisons, landscape/drainage plans and to involve the public. Recreation staff advised a minimum $100,000 cost for adding a public shower and recommended delaying that project.
Public Works Director Jimmy Mesimer told the Kure Beach Town Council at its Jan. 30 retreat that he had received a $300,000 quote to replace the Ocean Front Park boardwalk and asked Council for direction on next steps.
Council members said they want an engineering review and options so citizens can weigh in before committing to a specific approach. Mayor Allen Oliver said he would circulate a proposal he had received and asked for a Council member to take point on the project. MPT David Heglar said he and Director Mesimer would write a scope of work for the engineering review for Council to consider.
The Recreation Department raised a related maintenance question: Recreation Director Nikki Keely said staff did not support placing a public shower adjacent to the Ocean Front restrooms because that location would be visible from the road and event rentals. Keely estimated a minimum cost of about $100,000 for a shower installation and contrasted that with the $7,000 typical sod replacement cost for park turf; Commissioner Mark Dirks suggested locating a shower near the pier and supported postponing the project for now.
Council also instructed the Shoreline Access and Beach Protection Committee to evaluate which beach accesses need repair or replacement and return a prioritized list for the budget process. The minutes record discussion and direction to staff for additional estimates and community engagement; no formal appropriation or construction authorization was recorded during the retreat.
Next steps: staff will prepare a scope of work for an engineering review and provide cost options and landscape/drainage plans for Council consideration in a future budget workshop. Council asked to involve citizens in selection of options and cost tradeoffs.
