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Engineers recommend smaller covered fishing pier and possible site upgrades for deteriorated Whimbey Creek pier; county to target ~$2M for combined improvements
Summary
An alternatives analysis found the derelict Windy (Whimbey) Creek fishing pier is close to collapse; engineers recommended rebuilding a smaller fixed covered pier with upgraded materials (estimated $1.1–1.3M) and presented a hybrid option combining pier replacement with boat‑landing and parking improvements that could cost around $2M; staff will bring funding proposals for A&H tax or CIP consideration.
Engineers presented an alternatives analysis to Beaufort County's Public Facilities and Safety Committee on Nov. 18 for the Whimbey (Windy) Creek Fishing Pier, a former railroad trestle partially collapsed after a fire.
The pier was rated poor to serious in a 2019 inspection and is in critical condition now because of fire damage and foundation failure, the engineer said. The county considered multiple options: doing nothing (not recommended because of liability); demolishing the pier and not replacing it; rebuilding the full existing pier with timber (lower cost, lower longevity) or upgraded materials (higher durability); or building a smaller fixed covered pier with a gangway down to a floating dock for fishing and crabbing.
Engineers recommended a smaller covered fixed pier using upgraded materials (aluminum, fiber‑reinforced polymer, concrete or steel) with a smaller floating dock; that configuration was estimated at roughly $1.1–$1.3 million inclusive of demolition. Staff also presented a hybrid option combining the preferred pier rebuild with site work to expand parking and improve the adjacent boat landing, which could approach $2 million depending on site‑work scope. Staff noted the larger hybrid option could be phased and that any project will need design and permitting (estimated one year for design/permitting and six months for construction once funded).
Committee members favored a combined approach to both remove the dangerous structure and provide improved access and parking; they requested staff return with refined cost estimates and a proposed funding source. Staff suggested A&H (Accommodations & Hospitality) tax funds as an appropriate source and said a small CIP/A&H package would be proposed to finance some county projects.
What happens next: Staff will refine a recommended option (combination of D1 and E0.1 in the analysis), prepare detailed designs and cost estimates, and include the project in an A&H tax mini‑CIP proposal coming to finance committee in the next week for broader funding discussion.
