Battle brewing over road improvements in the 4WD area of the Outer Banks

The Great Yogi Berra once said - This is like deja vu all over again.  It sure does seem that way for the 4 wheel drive area of the Outer Banks.  The Currituck County Commissioners are meeting on Monday night to discuss creating a service district to help maintain the sand roads crater sized mud holes in Carova.  This idea has been proposed many times but the 150 or so permanent residents have fought to have the proposal defeated each time.  The article in the Virginian Pilot states:

Commissioners could approve the project after a public hearing planned for 7 p.m. Monday at the Historic Currituck County Courthouse. Real estate officials, the sheriff and emergency agencies support the project. In the summer, nearly 5,000 visitors a week stay in the area, and emergency vehicles struggle to navigate the roads.

Many of the approximately 150 permanent residents in Carova Beach, North Swan Beach and Swan Beach oppose the project and plan to speak Monday. Better roads would draw more traffic and speed up development, they say, and further shrink the habitat for the Corolla wild horses.

They listed Real Estate officials at the top of the list - not exactly sure what a Real Estate official is, but it might have something to do with the sales and service folks that maintain the rental properties.  Every week during the summer, you have 5,000 visitors checking in and 5,000 checking out.  You also have cleaning services, property management, Outer Banks Real Estate Agents showing properties and delivery services picking up and dropping off goods.  That is a lot of traffic already for a sand road.

The emergency agencies have a valid argument.  If someone gets hurt and the emergency service is delayed - it sure might open the door for potential lawsuits.  Currituck County would probably be pretty high on the list of parties to sue. 

So, if you come to a fork in the road while in Carova - take it.  The permanent residents are saying that it aint over til it's over.  I will post an update with the meeting results later in the week. 
 

Update:  No road improvements authorized.  About 70 Carova residents lined up to protest any improvements.  According to the Daily Advance Article - the board of commissioners motion did not get a second.  Some of the residents are concerned that if you got rid of the mud holes - it would open the door for a flood of development.  Poor choice of words on my part.  In my opinion, the flood insurance is the thing that will keep development low in the 4WD area of the Outer Banks, not the leveling of the sand roads. 

Comments

[Paula The Surf Mom]

aren't you a real estate official?

I think it is all of the Horses fault... they need to stop tearing up that road...

[Ronnie Roach]

Maybe the Real Estate officials are representatives from the Outer Banks Association of Realtors.