Comments on: Chamber urges town unity in quest for new sand

By: Carey Kelley

Carey Kelley — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:43:52 +0000

What about all the tourists that spend in the local area as they stay in the non-resident homes that take the time and money to keep them coming back, by hiring the local people to clean, paint, fix, maintain, build, mananage, replace dunes, decks, steps, install pools, hot tubs etc, to these non-resident properties? If all non-resident home owners took their homes and businesses and fled, how would the town of Nags Head derive its income?
I am sure all the non-resident home and business owners keep their properties and business in good shape in order to have their guests coming back only to see the town of Nags Head do nothing to maintain the beaches these people come here to enjoy.
It is too bad my family that came here to enjoy these beaches were told by their grandmother to stay off the beaches since there was so much debris, including asphalt, concrete, wood with rusty nails etc. and since it was a full moon there was no beach since it was lapping against the dunes and the motels and condos which have helped to employ many of the town residents.

By: Bobby

Bobby — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:38:39 +0000

Yea Gail, I would like to know the answer to that one too! Thank God we have so many tax paying rental home owners that contribute significantly to our tax base without sucking it back out. And for the many visitors that come and spend lots of money. Let’s see, we have trash pickup and public safety but not much more than that. I have found moving here has been interesting and puzzling and I am still learning the ways of the town and the old guard’s resistance to effective change.

By: Gail M. Jones

Gail M. Jones — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:47:49 +0000

Fish, please explain how tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars have been pulled out of your local economy by non-resident taxpayers who are paying a tiny amount in taxes. I think I’ve missed that part of the puzzle.

By: Carey Kelley

Carey Kelley — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:34:55 +0000

The town of Nags Head (you the people) is a business, like it or not, and the business is the beaches and tourism. As a business owner if I allowed my store front to deteriorate like Nags Head has, I would be out of business. A business needs to reinvest in its appearence and upkeep to remain sucessful.
I am wondering if all oppossed are opposed to painting their houses, cutting the grass, replacing the roof. It will only grow again and the paint will only fade, the roof will only need it again in 15 years. Once the roof is leaking will you tear it down and still pay your mortgage? I make my bed every day but I guess that it is futile since I will have to unmake it each night.
My heart goes out to the owners of all the hotels, business owners, property owners, not just oceanfront owners but all owners back and across the beach road that want their kids and grand kids to enjoy the beach, who will have a mortgage and no way to pay, which will lead to more bankruptcies, foreclosers and broken dreams.
I am sure the Yatchsman, Comfort Inn, Owens Motel etc, never put in their business plans that one day they would have to tear it down and lose everything they spent years building. Especially since they, I am sure, have contriubutied to the local economy for years. (why not run those numbers over the life of the busineess to your economy)
As a business owner I realize there are many ways to look at things and find a solution. I see a situation that needs a solution. How can you tear down all those large structures, if they all decide to walk away. I would walk away, as a business owner, that thought by helping a community for as long as they have, only to be told, well we let you help us but now we don’t need you any more and we don’t care if you have a mortgage, a family and have supported us all these years.
I am sorry but my wife had to stop the grand kids from playing on the beaches south of the pier due to the hazards. The concrete, asphalt, wood with rusty nails. It was a full moon and the surf was lapping against the Comfort Inn, the dunes, houses, and she was afraid they would be in danger of the surf. This seems to be what the retreat solution will continue to offer all who would come to Nags Head.
Another solution to the situation is to tear down all homes and businesses back as far as beach road all at once so that the debris stops and the beach is clear so my kids, grand kids can SAFLEY ENJOY the beach. Is that what we are to expect from a BEACH Town?
I am no expert and don’t claim to have the years here to be able to say what is best for all in this BEACH town but I do know what I want from a resort that when Outer Banks has been mentioned for years I immediately think Nags Head, not Kitty Hawk or Kill Devil Hills BUT Nags Head. I want a BEACH that can be ranked one of the best. To be the best look at what the best does and do what it takes or just let it all go and walk away.

By: Bobby

Bobby — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:40:17 +0000

Alan, I think that you are right that unless they do more than nourishment that it will just drift south and cause more problems to Oregon Inlet. I am pro-beach preservation, but it seems to me that the state has our hands tied and I have my doubts. Because I think that groins and reefs are part of the solutions, too. Thanks for your information and your patience with me.

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:54:25 +0000

Bobby, I read that, and at first I was irritated. But after I thought about it, I realized something. If you have not lived here through our previous (and very, very expensive) nourishment attempts, you will have different perspective. We have already tossed millions into that ocean, and the houses are still falling in.

I did not make it personal. I asked what other solution you might consider if nourishment (nourishment and preservation are two different things sir, keep them straight) fails again.

I assume you weren’t here the last two times it got beaten down by the majority. What happened after? Nothing. No dunes. No removal. No investigation into groins or reefs.

Would you rather fight for something that has a clear chance of failure, but still have a backup plan, or just fight for something that has a large chance of failure and have no plan?

Welcome to the island, BTW, I think after a few rounds of this your perspective will broaden.

By: Bobby

Bobby — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:07:36 +0000

We are on opposite sides of the issues Alan. My guess is that you are retired and want issues to remain the same. Sorry, but change is inevitable and you and I won’t be able to change that. Go bait someone else since I am not interested in constantly rebuking your tale or in making the issues personal as you would like to do and have. There is no risk in beach preservation so challenge it all you might but I think that you simply want things to never change. Good luck with that! I will never forget the “advice” that locals gave me when I moved here. “Don’t tell us how to change things as we want them to remain the same”. Yeah, right, change will happen whether you or I like it or not.
And as more like minded families move here change will become the mantra and the old guard will fade away. Beach preservation will happen over time or the area continues to die.

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:31:46 +0000

Personally, I think that pulling the first row of houses over the next two years, as brutal as that may be, then trying to build some kind of dune system with adequate setbacks makes the most sense for the long-term financial goals for the town.

It would produce nice, wide beaches immediately, have no environmental outburst, satisfy the island majority, and not impact our tourism in the slightest. I also believe it would play the ecology card to its maximum. There is no need for massive funding, we can do it under our current budget and have money left over. There are no needs for permits either, which may never come under nourishment.

“Retreat” if you want to call it that means we gain the maximum use of the beaches, and without any need to deal with dredge equipment all summer. I would call it “not wasting all of our resources on a risky venture that could prove catastrophic.” Live to fight another day, and another way.

With retreat, we know the beaches will be fine as soon as the houses are off of them. With nourishment, there is too much risk in the way of bad sand, bad smell, and bad beach PR. The houses, to me, are just replaceable revenue units, and have already been replaced many times over.

By: Bobby

Bobby — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:28:13 +0000

Alan, I would ask you the same question. I would work with a committee that would seek a solution other than retreat since retreat means we have lost the use of beach also. I believe, though, under current NC law, BN is the only solution currently available and that is why I have said that currently it’s BN or nothing. Glad to clarify that for you.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:00:34 +0000

Fair enough, but you didn’t answer the question. (You don’t have to though, just curious)–

Would you head a committee to price out/work through permits for the groin? Or look into the same for reefs? Or a removal of houses/dune project? Or a small scale nourishment the town can actually afford?

The reason, I believe, that you say it “seems like it is BN or nothing,” is that is all the proponents will be happy with.

In the case it cannot work out, what will the proponents do next? Just be angry about another failure? Or work toward an alternative solution?