Nags Head accepts $500,000 Land and Water Fund grant for Harvey/Soundside living-shoreline project

The Nags Head Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 8 to accept a $500,000 grant from the Land and Water Fund to support a living-shoreline restoration at the Harvey/Soundside site.

Town staff said the project—part of the adopted estuarine shoreline master plan (pilot site 3)—covers less than a mile of restoration and has a total budget of $600,000 for design and construction. Amy, who presented the item, told the board the tourism board provided a $100,000 local contribution toward the project and staff requested authorization for the town manager to sign a contract with the Land and Water Fund so the town can move into a one-year design and construction contract if the grant is finalized.

Amy said the project will require recording easements on roughly eight separate properties, some owned solely by the town, some by the tourism board, and some jointly. Once the town enters a fully executed contract with the fund, staff will have one year under contract for construction and design, with exact contracting strategy (single-firm or separate bids) to be determined during the design phase.

Commissioners moved to accept the $500,000 award from the Land and Water Fund; the motion was seconded and passed with no recorded opposition. Staff thanked the tourism board and the Land and Water Fund for their support and said staff and consultants will return with final easement language and next steps as the project moves into design and permitting.

What happens next: staff will finalize contracting approach, record necessary easements and proceed with design and permitting; the board authorized the town manager to sign the grant contract to allow the project to proceed under the fund’s one-year construction/design timeline.