Nags Head takes a step closer towards beach nourishment

Nags Head held two public hearings on Wednesday night to discuss creating a new Municipal Servicing District and the issuance of $24,000,000 bonds to cover the cost of the Nags Head Beach Nourishment project.  You can find more details at The Outer Banks Sentinel.

My understanding of the project is as follows:

• Total estimated project costs are $32,000,000 and will cover 10 miles of beaches
• Dare County has agreed to pay for 25% of the project up to $8,000,000
• Nags Head is proposing a 5.5 cents per $100 assessed value Real Estate tax increase to cover another 25%
• The Municipal Servicing District will be responsible for the remaining 50%.  The servicing district is mostly oceanfront and second row homes.  The proposed tax assessment for these properties will be 32 cents per $100 in assessed value Real Estate taxes
• The town expects a referendum to be presented to residents in April of 2007.
• The town hopes the project can begin as early as November 2007.

Beach Nourishment has been a hot topic on the Outer Banks for some time.  Dare County tried to implement a program which was defeated by the county voters.  Nags Head decided to proceed with their own plan once the county proposal fell through.

According the the Sentinel, there was a mailing sent to non-resident owners encouraging property owners to switch their voter registration to Nags Head so they can cast a vote in April.  The Sentinel published a copy of the letter.  Some are claiming that the letter encouraged voter fraud.   

There is something to be said for allowing the property owners to have a say in the program.  They are allowed to attend the public meetings but when it comes to casting a vote, they have no say in how or if the program is implemented.  Non-resident owners pay property taxes just like the residents.  They will also be footing the largest portion of the bill if the plan is passed.  I do believe most would support the plan - the alternative is not a rosy picture.

One Letter to the Editor suggested Nags Head drop the beach nourishment program and purchase at-risk properties.  This sounds like a great idea - until you consider what that would take.  $32,000,000 would not go very far when you are talking about purchasing oceanfront homes. 

The vote to approve the bond referendum was unanimous. 

 

Comments

[Ray]

Non-resident property owners knew, up front, they would not have voting rights in Dare County at the time they made their investment/purchase here.
Nothing else needs to be done or said about that matter.

[Paula The Surf Mom]

I live on the Oregon Inlet Road and there was a time that mine was one of the only houses out here, but people have now built over the dunes right up to the ocean, so if their house are getting washed away what did they expect?

Now I know that their property taxes pay my salary but maybe its time to slow things down out here in South Nags Head.