Beach sandstorm
Suppose you threw a party and everyone came? Or worse, suppose you were just thinking about a party and people showed up anyway?
That is how members of the Dare County Board of Commissioners and the Shoreline Management Commission must feel right about now.
Five weeks ago, beach nourishment was something talked about quietly, but no plans existed. Uncle Sam had approved a project during the days of Bill Clinton, but Congress never provided funds. A county sales tax to pay the local portion of the elusive federal project went down to defeat, as did a referendum in Nags Head on a “go-it-alone” plan.
Enter Nags Head again. A nourishment plan was presented and approved in a resolution by the town’s Board of Commissioners, taken quickly to the Dare County Board of Commissioners, then presented to the Shoreline Management Commission the next day. That was when Kill Devil Hills crashed the party with a competing request at the same meeting.
Kill Devil Hills’ entry wasn’t a complete surprise to everyone. Rumors had been circulating, but members of the shoreline commission appeared a tad perplexed anyway.
So where do we stand? The outlook is cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. The current county nourishment fund holds about $24 million, funded by one percent of the occupancy tax. At current rates, it accumulates about $3.3 million per year.
The Nags Head plan, with a total price tag of $36 million, seeks to “borrow” $20 million from the fund, to be repaid over five years by raising the entire county occupancy tax another one percent. The Kill Devil Hills plan, under its “preferred local option,” weighs in at just under $27 million and requires $17.3 million from the county fund, to be repaid over the course of about two or three years from a federal reimbursement program.
Thus, two of the seven municipal governments feeding the fund are asking for an overdraft of about $13 million. Obviously this cannot work mathematically. The politics aren’t so pretty either. None of the other towns appeared to be thrilled about the prospect of the entire fund being drained for two projects.
One must also be concerned about the financial numbers of the two plans. Nags Head is nourishing 10 miles of beach for $36 million while Kill Devil Hills proposes spending their $27 million on just 2.7 miles of oceanfront. On a “cost per mile” basis, Nags Head is spending $3.6 million per nourished mile while KDH’s efforts runs $10 million per mile. Even taking into consideration the differences in each plan’s methodolgy, somebody’s cost estimates appear way off the mark.
The good news for proponents of nourishment is that there are now two viable plans that address a major obstacle in prior efforts — neither plan raises property taxes or sales taxes on a vast majority of local residents. Instead, funding comes from Uncle Sam, the state, occupancy taxes collected on visitors, and in the case of Nags Head, an assessment on oceanfront property owners.
The bad news is that it appears the two largest components of the tourist engine did not consult with one another or other municipal leaders before unveiling their projects. There is duplication in mechanics (dredging, piping, pumping and other startup costs), different contractors for each town, and that really hairy issue of asking for $13 million more than exists in the county fund and expecting the other mayors and commissioners in Dare County to sign off on that request.
If beach nourishment is ever going to see the light of day, it will require far more cooperation among the towns and the county. As it stands, Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills have placed the Shoreline Management Commission and the county Board of Commissioners in what appears to be an unworkable situation.
Let’s hope Chairman Warren Judge, community leaders and the various mayors can work together. Otherwise, supporters of putting sand on the beach will find themselves disappointed once again.
See what people are saying:
Join the discussion:
Duke says:
Are you surprised there is no cooperation between municipalities? As a relative newcomer to Dare County, (19 years) I always feel bewildered by the lack of unity on services such as trash pickup, lifeguards, building inspections and now beach nourishment. The duplication of government is way too complicated for me to comprehend. As a small business owner who has to deal with each one and likes to follow the various town councils, it becomes impossible to attend 14 Board of Commissioner meetings, seven planning board meetings and the various committee meetings assigned by each, every month. The one common thread by each is they have kept our taxes relatively low compared to areas where most of us come from. I applaud that and think we get a pretty good value in return for what we pay. I am willing to pay a little bit more to preserve our beaches.
newjake says:
Great analysis, again the question from locals who do not think it can work. What is Plan B?
Zach says:
Plan “B” appears to be “SEE PLAN A”.
newjake says:
Good point.
If history repeats, they’ll make a big push for it, not be able to pay or get permits or get walloped at the polls again . . .
. . . and then the proponents will sulk about it for 3-4 years, all that time nothing else happening because no one will discuss alternatives rationally.
Let’s form an ALTERNATIVES task force to put together some numbers and some ideas and look at things we can afford and that might work. We can help our elected officials do the other half of their jobs.
Bob O says:
For Nags Head, I hope that alternatives group will be the Beach Plan committee, meeting Saturday March 6. We need everyone’s ideas.
charlie says:
Has anybody looked into buying our own small dredge, telling the powers that be to go to heck and doing it ourselves? Just trying to think outside the box!
charlie says:
Pete King earmarked over 30 million for beach nourishment on Long Island.
Our representatives have earmarked Zero.
Pork is pork and ideals are ideals. However one should ask our representatives in Congress what they have done for us lately. Our state leaders should be pushing them because the Outer Banks is a cash generator for the state coffers as well. Think of it as an economic stimulus package if you like buzz words.
newjake says:
Good stuff, I can’t wait to learn more. Now that is taking the long view. Every community can benefit from that committee’s research too.
This can really only go two ways, NH/KDH finds the funding and is able to get the permits and it happens . . . or it doesn’t. There are a lot of reasons why it might not happen, even with the best of intentions.
And if it doesn’t happen (no funding, no permits, a ban on nourishment, anything could happen) it would be great if the elected officials could say “OK, not this time either, did our best, so, no more digging in on our position, our next best option is _______ and we can start it ______.”
Could this be the first win-win in this 10-year debate? I hope so, we don’t need any more division, a softening of each side’s position, a search for options . . . nice.
Ray says:
There is only one option, folks. Beach nourishment will not work on the Outer Banks. When are the special interest people going to admit this is true? The only economically sound option is to require oceanfront property owners to retreat, when their time comes; and at their own expense. We didn’t pay them to make their business investment and we darn well shouldn’t pay them when they have to shut it down.
Tim says:
There is no way to make people take the houses down at their own expense. Most people will not be able to afford it. The taxpayers are going to pay for retreat options or beach nourishment options. Retreating is going to be much more expensive and will destroy the tax base and our best industry. Retreating will also be harmful to the environment. Beach nourishment will work on the Outer Banks. When will the special interest people admit this is true?
Zach says:
Tim,
Which “special interest people” are you talking about?
The ones who won’t even allow a discussion of alternatives to BN in NH and cling to the rediculous notion that their opponents just need more “educating”?
Tim says:
The only people I see with a plan or are allowing a discussion is the people for beach nourishment.
Zach says:
Trying to sustain an economy that is unsustainable on a dynamic barrier island system is not a plan.
It is pure folly.
Mico says:
Beach nourishment sure seems unrealistic and certainly shortsighted . . . There is nothing to prove it will work and much to show it won’t. The beaches that have had any success with this are much less dynamic. It would be an unsightly nightmare during and after.
Has anyone approached insurance companies as partners in removing these houses? They may be open to a one-time assistance payment in order to avoid the continual repairs to oceanfront policyholders’ investments. Aren’t there figures showing that removing these structures would actually be quite cost competitive with BN, or am I mistaken? Now, with property values down would be the time for buyouts. If an owner resists, no insurance. Not thrilled we all have to subsidize in that area either. If foolish building investments were not made, all of our insurance rates would not have gone up.
I think no houses and a nice boardwalk in Kitty Hawk(maybe over N.C. 12) and South Nags would be a much bigger repeat draw than moldy houses littering a dead beach. And could provide some great opportunities to small local entrepreneurs as well. Get back our quirky personality nearly lost now to big ugly boxes and chain stores.
Butch Stone says:
to Mico
Beach Nourishment does work. Look just north at Virginia beach and Sandbridge. And no, don’t think we will look like Va. beach, just because we do a nourishment. The sand being used is the sand that was on the beaches, not trucked in, but pumped in by pipes.
Why would we ever want to remove these homes, the renters’ tax of 12 3/4 % per week, plus the many tourist that they bring in to spend there money here. the homes also save the beach road.
A nice Boardwalk?? How long to you think that would last?
Without the homes there, with their long pilings holding the sand back and people doing beach pushes, the boardwalk would be nothing but ocean trash and the ocean will reach the next homes and then, they will have to come down, until the ocean finally reaches the sound. Do you really think that the Outer Banks will go back to what it used to look like? All we can do is hope that someone will save the oceanfront homes and the beach. This in turn will keep tourist coming back, year after year, saving the jobs on the outer banks.
Butch Stone says:
to Ray
How do you know that beach refurbishment will never work?
Nothing has every been done to save the beaches here.
If we give up, the future of the Outer Banks will be in the ocean, just like the sand. This country was made up of people being positive and trying new things.
We can build islands in the middle of the ocean if we want and move mountains that get in the way. Putting sand on the beach is nothing.
Tim says:
There is nothing folly about this economy or a plan to stabilize it or our beaches. Beach nourishment will work on the Outer Banks.
newjake says:
Butch, read the science, pilings contribute to erosion, not help stop it. By your very argument you should have healthy beach under your beachfront houses. And whether you like it or not, the original berm project was a nourishment project, and it failed. It failed, in part, due to incompatible sand (that caused the dead zone), but it ALSO washed away immediately.
There are a lot of studies that say that any sand brought from the bottom of the ocean, like you propose, will not work as it is heavier grain. That’s why it’s down there. And Tim, there are about a half-dozen other alternatives. From jetties (which may actually be allowed very soon) to undersea reefs or check out erosion.com . . .
The point is, open your eyes. You have other options. And you can’t fund the one you keep pushing. Is it nourishment or nothing with you guys? Sounds $ real estate-motivated to me. Or do you really have the actual beaches in your hearts and want to make the wise choice even if it means something you don’t want to hear?
If you could predict the future, and it was . . .
A) Move the houses now and . . . build a dune or a reef or jetties or something, you lose the houses, but the beaches are healthy forever
or
B) Proceed at all costs with nourishment, saving the houses for the short term, but risk the financial future of the entire town on a gamble
What would you choose? The point is, learn the options.
There is a worst-case scenario here: sand kills beaches, contractor says ‘tough luck’, Nags Head tourism destroyed. Everyone goes somewhere else. Town dies. And it’s a likely scenario, this contractor did the exact same thing on a smaller scale, didn’t they?
When I look at the people involved and the high ranking positions they all hold in the OBX RE community, I have a hard time believing you have open minds. I want to believe, but why isn’t anyone w/o a $ interest also so gung ho on your one solitary solution?
Tim says:
There is no doubt our beach needs other alternatives to stabilize the erosion. But we are in need of beach nourishment. At least 20 years behind. By all means lets get laws changed to help the people who love this beach and community protect it. Making a plan to renourish the beach is not all or nothing. Doing nothing is nothing. The sand will not kill the beach. It will enhance it.
newjake says:
“The sand will not kill the beach. It will enhance it.”
Sorry sir Tim, you are 0-for-1, batting .000 with that statement. And asking the same company to come back to the plate.
Butch Stone says:
to newjake
I have opened my eyes!! Have you?
When is the last time you have been to the beach. Have you seen the devastation of the homes in Nags Head in person? These are people’s homes, their dreams. It was plenty of beach, when these homes were built.
We can’t keep on raping the beaches and not taking care of them. You take care of your car because you want to make it to work, or wherever you are going. You take care of your home because you don’t want it to rot from under you.
This beach pays for these homes and cars and the good life people have here.
Now is the time to take care of the beach.
Gary says:
Proponents of beach nourishment keeping talking about saving jobs, which I think is BS. First of all, most of the jobs in tourism are low-paying anyway, so what are we really saving. Second, if we lose a few more houses in South Nags Head, do you really think it would cost any jobs? We should be investing our taxes into diversifying our economy a bit, so that the Outer Banks can have a true middle class, not a bunch of folks working two or three jobs just to be able to afford to live here. How about hiring an Economic Development Director, instead of someone to oversee beach nourishment? There’s very little chance the tourists will ever stop coming in large numbers. Why not focus on making this a better place for locals? Whatever happened to the thought of UNC-Dare?
Zach says:
Let the edumacation begin Tim!
Multi-Million Dollar Beach Washes Away
http://www.local10.com/news/10257310/detail.html
November 6, 2006
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. —
“The recent steady pounding from strong surf and high winds has caused significant erosion of South Florida beaches.
It was just a year ago that a beach renourishment project was completed, but now erosion has taken the beach back nearly to the treeline, leaving some wondering if it was worth the expense.
Last year’s renourishment project covered six miles from Hallandale Beach to Dania Beach
and cost $45 million.
Officials say there was no way to have predicted the damage done by Hurricane Wilma.
Last year’s project started before hurricane season and took nine months. More damage was done in the past week. So much of one beach in Hollywood is gone that lifeguards had to move their stands back on the beach to reach solid ground.”
barbara says:
I’m curious, Just be honest and let us know.
Tim and Butch Stone… let us know if you own property in the area that would be nourished under the plan. If so, do you live here year round or do you rent your property?
Butch, you keep comparing the OBX to VA beach. VA beach is like 13 city blocks compared to 70 miles of beach on the OBX. The fact that two possibly three towns are already clamoring for the “sand money” tells volumes. The Outer Banks can NOT afford to ever nourish 70 miles of beaches so, that said, why does one town or two towns feel they deserve all that sand money? If you do it for one town you do it for all towns.
Also, if said project goes forward, town “borrows” $36 million dollars and it fails (washes away very quickly) Then what? Are you OK with paying the bill for the next five years? What happens if the town spends $36 million, sand washes away, homes STILL fall into the ocean and all this “tax revenue” that you keep talking about disappears and we still have a huge honking $36 mil bill to pay? Then what? What is plan B and how would we pay for plan B when plan A isn’t paid for? Just curious.
newjake says:
Butch, I run the beach every day. All year long. We surf as a family 90-100 days a year. Every year.
Your observations are those of a Richmond, VA resident’s view of our home. Sorry, not holding much water anymore.
Sorry about the homes, but the owners, well, they’re on their own, like I am with my home and my car.
Tim says:
The education is, many people had the foresight to invest millions of dollars of sand to save billions of dollars of infrastructure. This was a big savings to the people of Florida and the environment. Now you know the rest of the story.
newjake says:
nice Zach, back at ya:
Surfer Magazine:
Is Florida’s “Beach Re-nourishment” Killing the Beaches?
http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/fl_bch-erosion/
Butch Stone says:
to Zach
Have you followed up on this re-nourishment project?
This was 2006.
Also did you read the part,
Officials say it is still worth the fight and the expense because good beaches draw more tourists and tourism is still the driving force behind South Florida’s economy.
Broward’s Beach Erosion Administrator Stephen Higgins will find out just how much beach has been eroded when the county conducts a survey next year.
So what did the survey say? It’s been four years.
Butch Stone says:
to Gary
Do you really think your job is not effected by the Beach??
Tourism effects everything and that is not BS.
I don’t know where you work, but the people that come here, buy groceries, fuel, go out to eat, pay renters’ tax, go to movies, golf and so many other things. They save their money all year, just to come here and spend it.
Then the money they spend here stays on the Outer Banks and it’s a trickle-down effect, to you. With the renters’ tax alone, its enough to keep all your taxes low. The beach is everyone’s livelihood.
Zach says:
A $45 million project washed away in less than one year.
Thats all you need to know.
What next, FEMA will rebuild it for us?
newjake says:
Not everyone’s livelihood.
Butch, you own at least three beachfront properties and live in Richmond, so it’s probably hard for you to know much about the real local community.
My job is not affected by the beach at all. Nor is one of my neighbors, (but the other it is), and many are retired and would love to see all tourists go away.
There is a great community of locals who live here, go to the schools, work in a variety of normal jobs, play rec league sports, shop, go to church just like any non-tourism community.
Butch, does EVERYONE in Richmond make their money off the cigarrette industry?
Butch Stone says:
What we need to know are the true facts. Did they do it again in 2007?
Yes it’s a gamble. But we have to do something. The beach is our bread and butter
The whole thing is that Florida knows how important the beaches are to them. It’s a shame the people here, haven’t got that in their heads yet.
The beach is the economy. It affects everyone here!
Help Save the Beach!!
Quit trying to destroy and rape the beaches here, by doing nothing, like the people here have always done.
Mico says:
To Butch:
You ask, “Have you seen the devastation of the homes in Nags Head in person? These are people’s homes, their dreams. It was plenty of beach, when these homes were built.
We can’t keep on raping the beaches and not taking care of them.”
You are making an argument for saving private investments, not the beach. As a resident of Rodanthe I really resent the northern towns trying to appropriate all funding to save property owners from themselves. It is not our job to save their dream. And it is the building that ‘rapes?’ the beaches. Taking care of them would mean removing the artificial structures and letting the beach be the beach.
Yes, I have seen the condition of these rentals . . . they are moldy and dangerous. October ’08 a 4-year-old, million dollar home went in the ocean here . . . where was your passion then? Not an area you’ve invested in? Some of the comments here are so transparently self serving, could you just give us a break?
If you ‘northerners’ use all the money to save someone’s private property what will we use if we need to maintain land access to Hatteras and Ocracoke after a storm? I’m wondering now if some of the posters not only have RE interests but are not invested in the dredging company as well!
Gary, I’m with you . . . where is UNC-Dare? Where is the investment in a diverse and prosperous future for us all? You would rather spend all of the money and energy on keeping residents in low paying menial seasonal jobs. No thanks for the advocacy. An Economic Development Office would be a huge boon to this area. Just check the latest on our health and social services numbers. We need to diversify to keep young educated folks here. You may be wealthy or already comfortably retired, but the county is hurting. Sadly I do not see any of our elected officials show any concern for solid, long-term planning related to ALL, not just Manteo, residents quality of life and to creating a sustainable future to keep our kids here. Not just the ones who have already succumbed to the going nowhere narrative the OBX offers them now. Rather our commissioners and townships are like sailors on shore leave blowing their last cent. Every time. Maybe they could donate some of the bricks from that embarrassment of a (soon to be even emptier) county office building to build a groin.
And to the derision related to my mention of maybe a boardwalk..geez,don’t get your panties in a twist. Was just brainstorming a little, looking to make some lemonade.
We have more than enough empty rental machines since the ridiculous boom. So long as houses sit unrented, there is little income argument for losing a few charming but now decrepit and dangerous cottages. A bailout for the investors in the hotspots up for BN would be a more than generous consideration. Personal responsibility must come into play. Buy or build on a dynamic sandbar and . . . well, live with it.
Mico says:
Gary, some of my pronouns were misplaced, sorry about that. ie: Not you that wants to keep us in menial jobs
Butch Stone says:
to Mico
NO, you are so wrong. It is all of the people that live on the Outer Banks, doing the raping.
They have collected the renters’ tax, taken the money that the tourist have spent here and done nothing to save the one thing that brings all of the people here in the first place,,,The Beach
Lose the homes and the income, from the tourist and we all lose income.
Taxes will have to go up, there will less tourist here spending their money, with the bad beaches or no beaches, the Outer Banks will be the beach no one will want to come to.
Mico says:
How could you ‘northerners’ justify taking all of the money for your property owners if you have ever come to see the beach at Rodanthe?
I was just looking at slideshow of the beach at So. Nags Head — it just looks like our beach has for years.
Our northernmost oceanfront house was recently moved in an effort to keep our only road open during high tides. This house has been in the surf for some time now. As are and have been for years dozens of other houses. Our beaches are regularly littered with broken septic tanks, exposed cable, pipes and pilings. And have been for years. At high tide one can often not walk the beach without going under a house to avoid the water.
Again, remember the house, not five years old that went in two years ago. The one beside it is only held down by its concrete pool — so far. The water regularly rolls over our streets and main highway. Take a look at the aerials — we have lost full blocks of cottages in 15 years’ time.
So tell my why saving your rental houses is more important than these cottages’ futures.
And again . . . for starters, talk to your commissioners about those bloated brick idols they spent millions on — where was your concern over how tax dollars were spent then? Not to mention the bonds sold to help pay for these boondoggles. We were put into debt to finance their showboating and now they are announcing county layoffs and cutbacks because they blew through the fast cash like teenage girls with dad’s credit card.
Until the Shoreline Commission brings Hatteras Island into the discussion, it is obvious there are private interests at work rather than responsible governance and management.
Linda says:
Having walked the beaches in Nags head and S. Nags Head, what I want to know is, the folks who are FOR the beach nourishment project, and the beachfront owners who own properties in these areas . . . if you care SO much about maintaining your beach, keeping the tourists visiting YOUR beach, $$$$$$, etc. . . . then why is not every person who may be interested in beach nourishment, out there, with giant garbage bags, CLEANING UP THE BEACH!!!!
I am astounded by the amount of “crap” which litters these sands, blows into the ocean. I am astounded by the AMOUNT OF BROKEN asphalt tossed onto sand dunes, in sand dunes, etc.. I am astounded by the litter, the sand bag remnants, the plastic, the debris. Part of beach nourishment is TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT, not just plopping a bunch of sand ON TOP OF THE GARBAGE. Rather than pontificating “what should we do” at these meetings, get outside, and start cleaning up the garbage. That is the FIRST step in beach nourishment. (remember the word nourishment means, “to take care of.”) Think tourists want to hang out on “garbage beaches?” Think again.
Ray says:
Linda,
Kudos to your remarks…I couldn’t have said it better.
GB says:
Well said, Linda. If we want to protect the reputation of Nags Head and the Outer Banks, we would be better off spending a little money to clean up and remove the junk off of the beach rather than borrowing millions to cover it up and have it re-exposed in 10 months to 10 years.
bouy9 says:
Yep, these beaches are trashed, everyone seems to be so concerned about money and not the real reason why you come here, birds, waves, beach, fish. This place is so different than it was in the eighties, my theory is as soon as this place gets maxed out to its fullest potential of development, the mother ocean is going to show us who’s really the boss because we are at sea level and so so so vulnerable. It’s just a waste of resources to do what has been done here.
Butch Stone says:
to Linda
I like your point
Why doesn’t Nags Head keep trash cans on the beach, year round, for people walking the beach? Keeping the trash picked up is a big problem
I can understand why the 25 homeowners that have to remove their homes would not want to clean the beach. If I was one of those homeowners I would never want to see the home again. It would be to sad and depressing, Having an oceanfront home there was a dream to them, and now it is a nightmare.
bouy9 says:
Nature bats last and hits a home run, we will never beat the ocean, humans can do a lot of amazing things, but we will always have problems unless we learn to be more yielding in our action, I think it goes, you don’t put square pegs in round holes and expect good results. Americans live high on the hog in our LUXURY homes.
newjake says:
I think you’re romanticizing what is a business investment.
Those people wouldn’t rent their homes if they weren’t in it for the money. Locals have a saying, “If you have to w_ore out your beach house, you can’t afford it in the first place.”
No investment is expected to pay off for 40 years, but many of those business rentals have paid off for a long time. Every investment has its end-of-life, and those are done.
The beach would look better without so many old pieces of crappola down there anyway.
bouy9 says:
So you’re saying big new over priced YUPPIE mansions are a good fit for out here, that’s why it’s hard to survive out here now, the locals let over-inflated real estate price them out of their own town and they probably helped build the crappy things thinking they were improving their lives by making good money until the bottom fell out which happens in a bubble boom economy high highs and now low lows?
bouy9 says:
I say all the folks who think the beach is meant for CAPITALIST reasons and not the love of the coastal ecology and want to stay in disgustingly big and luxurious homes should leave. Even though I know that it won’t change, it’s what I believe. The Outer Banks was awesome before 1990, no traffic, no trash, affordable, great fishing, THE GOOD OLD DAYS. Now it’s a bunch of politics and bickering.
Butch Stone says:
to newjake
This is the only way some people who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth can afford to ever own a property on the Outer Banks. The only people I know who own a home here for 40 years are the ones that had it handed to them from a family member, and yes they are the ones trying to make a living off of the homes and don’t care about how they take care of them or if they take care of them at all.
The other ones are the ones that are just trying to survive and just be happy to pay the mortgage and still be able to use the homes a couple weeks a year. Did you look at the pictures of these homes. They are not crap; a lot of them are very nice, maybe not to your standards.
newjake says:
No I was saying Butch is romanticizing all those homes like they’re “family” homes or other such nonsense. They’re rental businesses, and now the rich owners want us to bail them out. It’s not like that town is short on lodging space either.
If anyone down there was really thinking ahead or about the future of economy, they’d also get a bid on moving the houses and letting the dunes build up.
I say: Nags Head gets the 6 mil they are entitled to. Nothing more. Move the houses. Grow some dunes and stand up to the mouthy rental owners.
Butch Stone says:
to bouy9
It sounds like you are so envious of the big homes here. You must have forgotten about all the tourist that bring their money here to spend and the tourist have lots of money.
To be able to afford to pay 15,000.00 a week is unreal!!
But they do it, and they also pay the renters tax that week, which is $1912.50, if i did this right at 12 3/4 %.
That’s more then most people pay, all year for real estate taxes and this is just for ONE WEEK!!
The Big Homes have to also pay real estate taxes and no one lives in these homes, to be a burden to the county by having kids going to school, welfare etc.
Butch Stone says:
Yes these are family homes, when they are not rented, like my home, the family comes down, for free as in my case. These people also help the economy on the Outer Banks. When they stay, they also spend money here.
bouy9 says:
Envious, what a joke. No I believe in a more moderate, efficient and sensible society that consumes with the thought of consequence in mind. In the last 20 years we saw an unprecedented amount of homes being built, and the fact that we never have had homes that big built on a regular basis, I’m sorry those homes aren’t the beach. The beach was about getting away and maybe not having to work to pay for stuff you really don’t need anyway, like luxuries that are just that, luxuries. I remember when no homes here even had air conditioning or phones. You came here and had a good time with just the simple pleasures. Now it’s like hey buy, buy, buy my stuff, eat at my restaurant, shop at the many strip malls. It’s just not right anymore . . .
Bill says:
Anyone have the time/location for the Beach Plan Committee meeting, March 6?
Rob Morris says:
Bouy9, could you please e-mail Rob about your question? info@outerbanksvoice.com
Thanks
Tom says:
This whole discussion is sounding a lot like the food fight over health care. One side says it won’t work and is too expensive and the other side says opponents just need to be “educated.”
I believe beach nourishment–as it has been attempted–is merely a waste of time and money. As long as there are prevailing tidal currents eating away at Kitty Hawk and South Nags Head, all the new sand in the world wouldn’t help. Hello! Offshore artificial reefs work and are comparitively cheap.
Katie says:
Current laws prevent beach hardening, and offshore artificial reefs fall into this category. This is an option that costs much less, does less harm to the environment and has a proven track record. Give it a try, if it doesn’t work, you’ve still got a great fishing spot. Let Nags Head create a pilot project in conjunction with Jennette’s Pier/NC Aquarium, since it looks like the town will not get any county money for their current beach nourishment plan.
Brian says:
Declaration of standing:
Long time visitor, not quite as long time investor and now full time resident with a budding small start-up business.
I’ve never owned a beach home anywhere for a simple reason: You likely can’t afford one where longer term stability is known. I’ve always enjoyed beaches here and around the world. Not once have I begrudged those who own property directly on the ocean for a simple reason – knowingly or not, they take that gamble. How those who take that gamble brings us to the rub of the issue.
One constant of all beaches is that there is no constant.
Some beaches are more stable over time, but that is not the case in the banks – an elementary school geography lesson is sufficient to explain why. That being the case, maintaining a stable beach becomes a straight-up gamble, so if the goal is to recover money from a gambling environment, look to other environments that do so.
Like Vegas.
Las Vegas is the ultimate pay-go environment. When you bet more than you can back and lose, you find a sucker to bail you out or you’re gone. As someone who has lost substantial personal investment gambling on property over the last few years, that lesson is fresh. I’ll support moderate continuous beach nourishment to an agreed upon limit that I and others can afford to lose which is paid for out of existing funds but not beyond for one simple reason – those who back larger ambitious plans will likely leave permanent residents as the suckers holding the debt and busted beaches without sharing the pain.
If you’re a proponent of beach nourishment who intends to profit while leaving my family and I holding the note on your wager, I cordially invite you to take s southerly journey to a warm destination.
On the other hand, if you’ll sustainably scale a plan to the local economy that follows fluctuations in business revenue and personal commitments that a modest majority of those involved from the locality on up may get behind, I’m in.
Instead of trying to continually brow-beat from the top down – an effort I personally vehemently reject – please stop complaining when others don’t auto-magically agree with you, do the hard work required to get others on board, let the chips fall where they may and try not to give in to the desire to strangle those who opposed you if the situation doesn’t end up going your way.
Russell says:
The houses on the beach are ‘rental machines’, put in high-risk areas for maximum rental income. The majority of the owners have more coin than they know what to do with. You are NOT going to stop the ocean, no matter how much sand is put on the beach.
And please don’t threaten the year-around residents with “The tourists won’t come and spend their money.” Not everyone here worships the ‘Green Paper.’
Carey Kelley says:
Has any one that is in opposition walked the beach from NEW pier south.
I have owned for 5 years in Nags Head and am appalled at the condition of this area. You should be ashamed of yourselves to let it get to this. When ever I heard the words Outer Banks I thought immediatly of Nags Head and beaches, these aren’t beaches they are dumps. Talk about costs how much will it cost to demo the Comfort Inn, the Yatchsman, the Whalebone motel, Owens motel, etc., and how much revenue will be lost there?
I took video today and would love to see what all the folks on YouTube would think of Nags Head. I am in total disbelief that you could even consider letting this continue.
This has gone on for 20 years and and no one has made a decision and the beaches of Nags Head are embarassing.
I had family down and even though they stayed for free, will be going elsewhere because when they attempted to walk the beaches thru all the DEBRIS they ran into motels and ran out of beach since the ocean was all the way to the dunes. I never would have believed that an OCEAN community could allow this. Unbelievable.