Investigative Work being done in the Sound for Mid-Currituck Bridge

There are some very interesting time tables within this article from the Daily Avance. Have a look.

Firm to collect soil samples for bridge

By Cindy Beamon

The Daily Advance

Saturday, June 25, 2011

A company will be collecting soil samples in the Currituck Sound and inland through next month to aid the design of the mid-county bridge.

Golder Associates in Raleigh began its geotechnical investigation of the sound and property near the proposed seven-mile span about a week ago.

The work involves drilling into the ground’s subsurface to determine soil types. Analysts can then determine what type of foundation is needed for the bridge, said Tim Griffin, operations manager for Golder.

He said the six-man team is using a cone penetrometer to collect the data. The instrument is hydraulically pushed into the ground with up to 40,000 pounds of pressure. Sensors at the tip determine the physical properties of the floor bottom of the sound.

The company notified about 20 property owners last fall about where the work on land would be done. The $660 million bridge would connect the county’s mainland near Aydlett to the Outer Banks at Corolla.

The geotechnical investigation is expected to take until July 23.

The construction consulting company will then analyze the data and recommend what size, depth, width and number of pilings are needed to hold up the bridge.

The information will be used in to determine a final design for the project, said Jennifer Harris, director of planning and environmental studies for the N.C. Turnpike Authority, the state agency overseeing the bridge’s development and construction.

Harris said Golder is a subcontractor for Currituck Development Group, a group of 17 private companies that has contracted with the state for the pre-construction phase of the project. The project’s major contractor ACS Infrastructure Development has signed a $5 million contract with the Turnpike Authority for the pre-development work.

Harris said the next step in the bridge project will be winding up environmental negotiations with state and federal agencies and the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement by the end of summer.

The Turnpike Authority is aiming to have a record of decision by fall, which would allow the Turnpike Authority to proceed with final design plans and to obtain construction permits.

If the project goes according to schedule, the bridge could be open to traffic by 2016, Harris said.

Under the proposed timetable, right-of-way acquisition could begin by late 2012. According to preliminary plans, an estimated eight residences and businesses would be displaced by the construction project. Other properties would also be affected but would not require displacement. The number of affected properties may change, however, after plans are finalized.

Last winter, the Turnpike Authority announced its preferred route for the bridge. On the mainland, the plan calls for a U.S. Highway 158 toll plaza interchange north of Aydlett. The approach would include a two-lane bridge over Maple Swamp.

In Corolla, the approach would intersect N.C. Highway 12 between the first phase of Corolla Bay subdivision and the northern end of Monteray Shores about 300 feet away from homes and lots west of N.C. 12.

Harris said no other site work at the bridge site is currently scheduled.

4WD Area Refuge Expanding Off-Limits Zone to 1.5 miles from Ramp

The Army Corps of Engineers have expanded the no parking area on the beach in front of the refuge to MP 14. Below is an article from the AP citing the rationale.

Public ban expanded for portions of Currituck refuge

The Associated Press
© June 9, 2011
COROLLA, N.C.

Army Corps of Engineers officials are expanding a ban on public visits to portions of the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge due to the danger of unexploded ammunition at the site.

Refuge Manager Mike Hoff said today that signs warning motorists to stay away from the area known as the Monkey Island Unit did not deter 650 trespassers from attempting to visit there last year.

The unit, named for a former hunting club, once served as a Navy gunnery practice site.

Currituck County has historically had a no parking and no stopping zone beginning about a half-mile north of Corolla.

This year, the zone will be extended southward to run continuously from the town of Corolla to a point 1 ½ miles north, identified as Mile Post 14.

Property Values to be reassessed for Jan 1, 2013

Currituck residents enjoy a very reasonable tax rate compared to many other Counties and Towns across the country as we can depend on visitors infusing the County with money via sales tax, occupancy tax, second/rental home property tax, and a demand for services that fuels employment needs. This luxury relieves the county (mostly) of having to internally generate these revenue streams like so many other counties that don't have a high visitor base to help foot the bill for services, schools, etc..

The County reassesses the real estate property values every 8 years, the last being in 2005, where values were at their peak. The Currituck Outer Banks values shot up the most, thus the majority of the tax revenues came from the vacation homes. With the reassessment of property values set to occur Jan 1, 2013, those same beach properties will likely be assessed much lower since they have fallen considerably in value during the downward shift in the economy. Two things will likely occur, mainland Currituck will account for a larger portion of the revenue percentage and the tax rate will go up to cover the spread on the budget in 2013. Cindy Beamon of the Daily Advance has picked up on some of this and her article is below

Currituck land values likely to decline in new valuation

By Cindy Beamon

The Daily Advance

Friday, June 3, 2011

More New property valuations will not take effect in Currituck until 2013, but the process starts this summer to update land appraisals.

Landowners can expect appraisers to begin visiting properties in July or August, said County Manager Dan Scanlon. The process will take about a year, and by next summer, residents should be mailed the new values. Residents will then have a chance to appeal the evaluations before they take effect, Scanlon said.

Even before the new appraisals begin, county officials are predicting that land values will be down. The county’s last evaluation eight years ago was at the height of a housing boom, and property values have dropped significantly since then.

Property values on the Outer Banks, harder hit by the real estate market’s decline, are expected to drop more dramatically than on the mainland.

The uneven drop in property values is likely to shift more of the tax burden to the mainland, Scanlon predicted. At present, Corolla provides about 56 percent of the county’s property tax income, but the steep drop in values on the Outer Banks is likely to reduce that percentage, he said. The overall effect will be that property owners on the mainland will be paying a greater portion of property taxes in the county.

Another possible effect of the decreased property values would be an increase in the county tax rate.

At present, property owners pay 32 cents per $100 valuation. For a property owner with land valued at $100,000, the tax would be $320. If the landowner’s property value drops 20 percent with the new valuation, the same property valued at $80,000 would generate $256 in taxes.

The overall effect countywide, would be less income for governmental services. To compensate for the loss, the county will need to raise property taxes to generate the same revenue, Scanlon explained.

“We would have to raise the tax rate to maintain the same level of services,” he said.

The effect on individual taxpayers would depend on the new tax rate and how much their property decreases in value.

Property owners on the Outer Banks where land values are expected to drop the most are less likely to see their bills go up as the tax rate goes up.

Property owners on the mainland where values are expected drop less dramatically are more likely to see their tax bills go up as the tax rate rises.

Mid-Currituck Bridge funding put back in proposed budget

Some tough negotiations on behalf of our local public figures have (thus far) restored the funding for the Bridge. Below is an article from the Virginia Pilot:

N.C. budget plan restores funding for Currituck bridge

BRIDGE TO COROLLA
The newest version of the Senate budget would allocate $15 million annually for the next two years for "gap funding" toward a $660 million toll bridge across the Currituck Sound.

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© June 1, 2011

The North Carolina Senate budget of $19.7 billion released today restores funding for the mid-Currituck bridge and the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City.

The budget would allocate $15 million annually for the next two years for gap funding toward a $660 million toll bridge across the Currituck Sound from Aydlett to Corolla. County officials in Dare and Currituck have supported the project, but many Aydlett and Corolla residents oppose it. Private contractors are set to build and operate the bridge and charge tolls to help pay the costs.

Two years ago the General Assembly set aside $15 million annually to fill the gap that tolls would not cover, but bridge construction was delayed. The latest budget reallocates the $30 million set aside over the last two years to buy school buses.

Last week a version from the Senate eliminated funding for the bridge and other projects and institutions in the northeast.

“Rep. (Tim) Spear and I worked real hard to get this funding back,” said Rep. Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank.

The new budget also restores $959,000 in salaries and benefits for 15 full-time employees of the Museum of the Albemarle. Last week’s budget eliminated all the positions and would have forced closure of the 50,000-square-foot museum on the Elizabeth City waterfront. Five positions were cut last year, museum Director Ed Merrell said. About 40,000 people visit the museum each year, he said.

The Currituck and Ocracoke ferries will not be required to charge a toll, Owens said. Also restored was small-schools funding used in Camden, Tyrrell and other rural counties with small populations, he said.

The Senate budget is expected to go before the House by the end of the week and to the governor next week, Owens said.

Bridge Funding gets eliminated in "Proposed" Budget from Senate Appropriations Committee

While not official, the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge gap funding from the State has been eliminated in the recent budget proposal in Raleigh. Below is an article from the Daily Advance on the matter.

Senate budget closes MOA, ends bridge project

By Reggie Ponder and Cindy Beamon

The Daily Advance

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

More The $19.4 billion budget proposal unveiled by the North Carolina Senate Tuesday calls for closing the Museum of the Albemarle and ending development of the long-awaited Mid-Currituck Bridge.

The Senate Appropriations Committee Report on the Continuation, Expansion and Capital Budgets, posted Tuesday on the official website of the N.C. General Assembly, lists as item 58 on page J-19 “close Museum of the Albemarle.” The item goes on to specify that it “closes the Museum of the Albemarle and eliminates salaries and benefits of 15 filled positions.”

The cut is estimated to save nearly $959,000, according to the committee report.

Museum of the Albemarle Director Ed Merrell noted Tuesday afternoon that the state budget is far from final.

“This is a draft budget proposal in the Senate,” he said, pointing out the museum closing was not included in the budget passed by the House of Representatives.

“It’s still got a lot of steps to go through,” Merrell said. “Our position is that we have a museum to operate and we’re going to keep on operating it until somebody tells us to stop.”

Merrell said he got a call Tuesday morning from his supervisor at the Department of Cultural Resources letting him know that the closure was listed in the Senate budget proposal.

He said he and the rest of the Museum of the Albemarle staff believe the museum serves an important role in the community.

“It is important,” Merrell said. “It’s an important asset to the community, the county, to the region as a whole, and in some respects to the state as a whole.”

He mentioned the work the museum does with school systems in the region and its involvement in the Civil War Sesquicentennial, which is expected to bring many visitors to the state.

“We feel very strongly that we are an important asset to the community as a museum and as a tourist draw,” he said.

Merrell said the museum staff hears positive comments about the museum from visitors and people in the community.

According to The Associated Press, the proposed Senate budget also ends development of at least two major road projects: the $900 million proposed Garden Parkway connecting western Gaston County over the Catawba River to the Charlotte airport; and the $600 million Mid-Currituck Bridge. The plan also shifts $50 million in “gap funding” for road projects to purchasing school buses and constructing urban loops.

Like Merrell, Currituck Commissioner Owen Etheridge cautioned that the Senate plan unveiled Tuesday won’t be the state’s final spending plan.

Etheridge, who was in Raleigh Tuesday, said budget negotiations have just begun in the Senate, and he is “cautiously optimistic” that the mid-county bridge will be reinstated during deliberations.

“This is when the real negotiations come into play,” Etheridge said, noting that much debate is still ahead on the spending plan.

Commissioner Paul O’Neal agreed.

“It’s not the end until the final budget is voted on,” O’Neal said.

O’Neal said the votes of state Reps. Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank, and Tim Spear, D-Washington, may be key in securing funding for the $600 million bridge project.

Both House members’ votes are needed by the Republican majority to veto-proof the final budget, and the mid-county bridge could be part of the bargain in securing those votes, O’Neal said.

“We are still pretty confident that Bill and Tim will be able to keep it alive when it goes to conference because it’s in the House budget,” said O’Neal.

Last year, the General Assembly earmarked “gap funding” for the project that would be used to subsidize construction costs so that tolls are not too high. The budget plan called for the state to provide $15 million a year in gap funds for the first three years of the project and $28 million after that for up to 50 years.

Under the proposed 2012 House budget, the gap funds are still earmarked but payment could be delayed a year. Earlier this year, a spokesman for the N.C. Turnpike Authority estimated that a delay in funding could push back the project’s proposed 2016 completion date by a year or two.

The proposed Senate budget redirects those gap funds to other projects.

State Sen. Stan White, D-Dare, whose district also includes Pasquotank and Currituck counties, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The Turnpike Authority was set to release its Final Environmental Impact Statement this summer for the 7-mile span connecting Currituck’s mainland to the Outer Banks. Plans for financing the state’s first public-private venture have been ongoing.

The state has been negotiating a contract with private company ACS Dragados to construct and help finance the $660 million project

Currituck County budget keeps property taxes the same for 2010

Ahh, a piece of good news, NO TAX INCREASE. Credit (somewhat) County officials fiscal responsibility. Also, don't forget to thank the visitors we invite here every year whose occupancy and sales tax payments keep the county fiscally afloat without having to reach deeper into our own pockets. They provide a living to most residents as well. This particular luxury is often forgotten by residents when they are stuck in traffic, going 25mph in a 45mph zone, grocery store is all sold out, etc...

Below is an article for the Daily Advance on the budget proposal.

No tax hike in Currituck budget

By Cindy Beamon

Staff Writer

Thursday, May 12, 2011

CURRITUCK — A draft spending plan for Currituck County includes no property tax increase and some big-ticket purchases for water and sewer upgrades, economic development, and a new emergency communications system.

During a budget work session Wednesday, County Manager Dan Scanlon recommended no change to the county’s 32 cents per $100 valuation tax rate.

If approved by commissioners, the tax rate would remain the same it’s been since 2005 when the county revalued property. For a property owner with land valued at $100,000, taxes would remain at $320 next year.

Scanlon is also recommending the purchase of a new $4 million communications system over the next two years. The 800-megahertz system would replace towers and update equipment for law enforcement, emergency services and other county offices, he said.

To pay for the upgrade, the county could suspend saving $1 million each year for new school buildings over the next two years, Scanlon said. He said the school system has no immediate building plans, and the upgrade is needed because of “critical public safety concerns.”

Another shift in funding would create new dollars for economic development incentives. During the budget work session, Currituck commissioners agreed to shift $2 million earmarked earlier for county land purchases and farmland preservation to a new economic development fund.

For the past 10 years, the county has saved $100,000 toward a federally supported program for preserving farmland. However, no farmer has taken advantage of the program over the past 10 years, Scanlon said. The program essentially allows farmers to sell their rights for developing their property.

Now, the $1 million in reserves and annual $100,000 payments once earmarked for farmland preservation would be used to extend water or sewer lines or install new fire hydrants. Commissioners said the county could “sweeten the deal” for new businesses to locate in Currituck by offering those incentives.

The budget draft would also include allowances toward big infrastructure projects in Moyock, Maple and the Currituck Outer Banks.

Scanlon has proposed using the county’s portion of the state sales tax to pay for roads and stormwater drainage at the new Maple Commerce Park. Prepping the site will allow the county to market the property to potential businesses, he said.

The county has also earmarked funds for a new wastewater treatment plant to serve the commerce park, the new YMCA/Community Center, and the surrounding area. The low bid for the plant set its construction cost at $1.94 million.

The proposed budget also allocates funds for designing a new aviation training facility in the same area. The county recently announced plans to partner with College of The Albemarle in building the facility near the county airport on U.S. Highway 158.

In addition to improvements in Maple, the county budget also includes financing plans for user-paid water and sewer systems on the Outer Banks and in Moyock.

In Moyock, the county has begun design plans for a new $3.3 million sewer system to serve businesses at the northern end of the county along N.C. Highway 168. On the Outer Banks, the county is considering options for replacing the aging Ocean Sands sewer system at an estimated cost of $13 million. The county plans to borrow money for the upgrades, but users — not other taxpayers — will be responsible for paying back the debt, Scanlon said.

In addition, the county is awaiting approval from the state Utility Commission for its purchase of two water systems on the Currituck Outer Banks. That $5.5 million purchase would make the county the sole water-provider for the area. The county is also planning a $5 million upgrade of its reverse-osmosis plant to serve the new customers. Water customers will be expected to pay the cost for the water system purchases and upgrade, Scanlon said.

During Wednesday’s work session, Scanlon said he will formally present his recommended budget in June after receiving input from commissioners.

Mid Currituck Bridge Update

Gap Funding for the Mid-Currituck Bridge is still the subject of NC Senate negotiations and reconciliation of both chambers’ versions. Final voting is expected in June by the Legislature, and then to the Governor. As you know, without the funding, the project would languish in delay and existing contracts may be at risk.

Citizens’ groups are lobbying hard on both sides of the issue, working diligently to organize support or opposition to the Bridge and have made a big push with the Senate in the past week.

Interested parties – residents, visitors, homeowners, business associates in Corolla, and really anyone who will be impacted by the project - are encouraged to voice their opinion by contacting key legislators. The following links provide specific information.

• www.buildthebridge.org enables advocates to take action and send letters to both county commissioners as well as state officials right from the website.
• http://www.nomcb.com/ enables opponents to take action, sign a petition, and email various officials

Follow up article on Commercial Development

The Daily Advance posted a detailed article on the recent Commissioners meeting, see below:

Currituck denies OBX commercial project

By Cindy Beamon

The Daily Advance

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

CURRITUCK — A ban on building businesses along Currituck’s remote beaches remains intact after a developer’s challenge fell in the face of heavy opposition Monday night.

Before a standing-room-only crowd, commissioners unanimously voted down a developer’s plans to build a cluster of cottage suites and businesses in the four-wheel drive area. The decision upholds a 30-year-old policy to restrict business and discourage development in the northern Outer Banks.

The proposal was developer Chip Friedman’s third attempt to rezone property in Swan Beach since 2004. Planning director Ben Woody said the developer’s request is the 10th challenge to the ban since 1980s.

Local residents had feared approval of the project would lead to more commercial growth along the remote stretch of beach. Lynne Wilson, spokeswoman for the Off-Roads Community, said the “domino effect of commercial rezoning requests” would commercialize the area and endanger the wild horse habitat, fast shrinking as development presses north on the Outer Banks.

In recent months, Friedman had pointed to home-based businesses in the area as evidence that more commercial services were needed. Friedman also charged that the county was “turning a blind eye” to existing illegal businesses while blocking commercial use of his property.

Friedman’s charges prompted a county investigation of 27 properties and resulted in citations for nine violations, Woody said.

An attorney for Outer Banks residents argued that the investigation should not be grounds for opening up commercial growth in the area. Attorney Lars Simonsen said “mere laxity in enforcement” was not the same as discrimination against the developer and encouraged the county to deny the rezoning and continue enforcing rules for home-based businesses.

The debate has raised questions about how the county should regulate needed services — like trash collection — in the off-road area.

Before voting against the project, county commissioners discussed the need for a study to direct growth in the area. At question is how the county can restrict development while allowing necessary services in the residential-only district.

At Monday’s meeting, attorneys for both Friedman and property owners in Swan Beach faced off with a variety of arguments about the project.

Simonsen argued that the developer’s request equated to “illegal spot zoning,” and would give the developer an unfair advantage over existing landowners restricted to residential use of their properties.

He also said widespread opposition to the project should also factor into the board’s decision. One Carova resident said that opposition included a petition with 1,000 signatures.

John Morrison, an attorney for Friedman, countered that the conditional rezoning would actually give the county more control over development of the property. He said the commercial project would be subject to more scrutiny than an ordinary residence.

“You know exactly what the property will be used for,” Morrison said.

He acknowledged the request was “politically unpopular” but argued the project would have no more impact than “beach mansions” with 20-plus bedrooms.

“Ultimately this comes down to an issue of fairness. Can you distinguish between what these folks want to do and what is already up there and allowable now?” Morrison asked.

Swan Beach residents disputed that claim, however. Several said the impact of the commercial development would be different from a house — even a very big house.

Jane Overstreet of Swan Beach argued that the big beach homes are on 10-acre lots and would not yield the same density as the 294-unit project on 37 acres that Friedman was proposing.

Mike Long of Corolla said the cottage suites would also attract a different type of vacationer. Families are more inclined to rent the larger homes, Long said. The off-road community also includes permanent residences and investment homes for people hoping to retire there, he said.

Long said the cottage suites would attract smaller groups who demand more entertainment and services outside of their smaller-scale lodging. The result would be more demand for commercial services in an area where growth should be discouraged, he said.

Commissioners to Commercial Development: Nope.

Amidst a packed courthouse of committed locals and friends of the 4x4 beaches Monday, the Currituck County Commissioners could sense the conviction of the public and unanimously denied the Commercial rezoning request yet again in Swan Beach. A video post of the Commissioners meeting should be available by Wednesday or Thursday on the Currituck county website or this blog. Congratulations to all of those who's support and organization brought forth the preservation of one of the most unique areas on the East Coast.

Below is an article just posted by the Virginia Pilot's Jeff Hampton

Currituck officials reject hotel and shops in wild-horse area

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 17, 2011
CURRITUCK, N.C.

Currituck County commissioners turned down a rezoning request Monday that would have allowed a hotel and shops in the four-wheel drive area. Developer Gerald Friedman requested the county rezone 37.4 acres in Swan Beach to general business from residential.

More than 100 people showed up to Monday’s meeting opposing the project, which has been turned down at least two other times by county officials going back to 2004. Earlier applications listed the project at 25.8 acres.

If one property was granted commercial status others would follow, said Vance Aydlett, chairman of the Currituck County Board of Commissioners. The vote was unanimous.

“Once you open that Pandora’s box it’s over with,” Aydlett said Tuesday morning.

County planning staff and the planning board recommended denial. The county’s land use plan calls for limited development in the four-wheel drive area, where a herd of about 100 wild horses roams. No roads are paved and access is difficult. Currituck’s northern Outer Banks falls under the federal Coastal Barrier Resources Act which discourages development. The northern Outer Banks was zoned residential in the mid 1970s.

Friedman has contended that the northern Outer Banks communities first platted more than 40 years ago included sections for business. Friedman’s tract in Swan Beach was set aside for commercial on an original plat dated Sept. 2, 1969, and signed by the county chairman of the Board of Commissioners. Friedman also said his project is no more intrusive than the 23-bedroom house used for weddings and many home businesses operating in Swan Beach and Carova.

Home businesses are allowed under certain restrictions, Aydlett said.

But in response to Friedman ’s charges, county inspectors found nine home businesses not in compliance. Most are cleaning up their sites to meet county ordinance, but at least two have not responded, said Ben Woody, director of the Currituck County Planning Department.

No Action on Horse Tours from County Commissioners

Well, despite local pressure for action by the Currituck County Commissioners, we have another 'study' to review the Wild Hourse Tour operations for another year. Below is an article from the Daily Advance.

Daily Advance
By Cindy Beamon

Staff Writer

CURRITUCK — Currituck commissioners want the impact of horse tours on off-road areas studied but don’t think a moratorium on tour operations is necessary.

Commissioners directed county staff Monday to study the tours’ impact and make recommendations before next year’s tourist season. The board stopped short, however, of declaring a moratorium that would block new businesses from starting tours and limit existing businesses from adding more tour vehicles.

The county first began regulating the tours this year following complaints from residents. Officials are concerned that the tours are negatively affecting the Outer Banks’ eco-system, including the wild horses in Corolla, a popular attraction for tourists.

In addition to the study, stricter enforcement of existing policies is needed, some commissioners say. Besides tour vehicles operating without a permit, reported violations include speeding tour vehicles and improper use of public rest-room facilities, especially at the park in Carova.

Tour operators are supposed to provide private bathroom facilities, but instead they are using those facilities at the park. Long lines, used-up supplies, and a backed-up septic system have resulted, said Planning Director Ben Woody.

Commissioner Vance Aydlett said he was concerned about “multiple violations amongst tour operators.”

Woody responded that the county has been “building a rap sheet on some of these guys.”

Woody said some tour companies are closely following county policy while others are operating unmarked vehicles or illegally operating more vehicles than specified on their permits.

Aydlett said speeding has also been an issue. Deputies have been asked to identify the tour company on tickets so that the county can keep track of violations, he said.

For years, residents have complained about the impact of tours on their neighborhoods, particularly trespassing tourists and blocked roads. The constant stream of tour vehicles may be degrading the unpaved roads, some residents argue.

In addition, the Wild Horse Fund, the nonprofit that manages the wild herd on the Currituck Outer Banks, is concerned about how the wild horses are affected by the constant stream of onlookers.

Until last year, Currituck County had not regulated tours and had no record of how many tour vehicles were operating. This year for the first time, tour operators were required to apply for special-use permits so the county could more closely monitor and regulate tours.

At present, the eight permitted companies operate a total of 45 vehicles with a 325-person capacity. Each tour vehicle may conduct tours six to eight times a day, multiplying the impact of the tours on off-road areas.

One permit application is still pending. For a second time, commissioners delayed a decision on a special use permit for OBX Monster Bus and Limo for a 26-seat “monster bus.” Commissioners asked applicant Jennifer Marshall to resolve issues about parking for the bus and ownership of the business before they consider the request at their next meeting.

Some commissioners were concerned that other businesses may apply for permits before the study is completed. With the tourist season half over and no new applications on file, the possibility appears less likely, but commissioners discussed how to address the issue without a moratorium.

“My concern is ... we don’t need to have any more operators this year,” said Aydlett, who proposed the moratorium.

Other commissioners were concerned about the legal issues surrounding a moratorium, particularly if an extension was needed. In the end, commissioners asked county staff to prepare recommendations before early spring so that the county would be prepared before tour operators begin renewing or applying for special-use permits next year.

Developer pointing finger at home based businesses in Carova

In an article in the Daily Advance, the County Commissioners have quite a situation on their hands. They may be forced to address all of Carova Beach and the direction that it needs/wants/should go....this will be very interesting to watch in the coming month.

Currituck investigates Carova home businesses

By Cindy Beamon

The Daily Advance

Sunday, April 17, 2011

A developer’s complaints have prompted Currituck officials to investigate if some Carova property owners are illegally operating businesses out of their homes.

More than three decades ago, Currituck officials banned commercial development on the four-wheel drive beach area, where access is limited to a sand road and county water and sewer services are non-existent.

Developer Chip Friedman said the illegal businesses are a sign that the county needs to loosen its commercial ban in Carova.

Friedman recently charged the county is turning a blind eye to illegal home-based businesses in Carova while denying him the same rights for his Swan Beach property, where he wants to build a 302-unit inn. Friedman said he has a county-approved plat from 1969 that includes business parcels, but the county will not allow him to develop them.

The county is already investigating Friedman’s charges, said Planning Director Ben Woody. He said the county has inspected up to 30 suspect properties and plans to issue six violation notices this week. Four other suspected businesses will need further investigation, he said.

All property in Carova beach, including the 600 existing residences, are zoned for residential use only. Home businesses are allowed but limited. No more than one vehicle can be used for commercial use. From the outside, there can be little or no visible evidence that a business is being conducted. No signs are allowed.

Woody said the number of violations were not unusually high in Carova. A sweep of any similar-sized neighborhood in Currituck would probably yield the same number of violations, he said.

Friedman said the violations indicate pent-up demand for services in an area cut off from commercial development.

“We have been patiently waiting for the county to realize what chaos such zoning creates and to accept the fact that our original business areas are needed for the community’s health, safety and vitality. .. there’s isn’t even an area for a hospital helicopter to land to save lives,” Friedman said in an e-mail statement.

Last year, Friedman sought rezoning for 37 acres in Swan Beach to build a 302-unit inn, recreational facilities, indoor pool, and helicopter landing pad. The proposal was hotly protested by nearby residents who said an inn would be out of character with the remote resort and the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge nearby.

Friedman dropped the request after the county planning staff recommended denial, but he is scheduled to resubmit a similar plan to Currituck commissioners on May 16.

Although Friedman has sought the rezoning, he asserts his 1969 plat already designates business areas for development.

Woody said a series of events prompted the county to forbid commercial development after the 1969 plat was recorded. Access to paved roads to the north was cut off by False Cape State Park. Funding for roads was halted under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, which basically blocked any federal assistance to the area deemed by the government as unsuitable for development. Woody said Carova was singled out on the barrier island because of its high erosion rate and hurricane-carved inlets.

Despite the limitations, the beach resort has continued to grow and appears to have plenty of room for more. Roughly a third of Carova’s 3,100 platted lots are developed.

Growth has already posed some problems. The county has plans to repair the pot-hole ridden sand road along the remote stretch of beach. The planning staff is also drafting rules to stem the construction of mega-beach homes with 20-plus rooms.

Woody said commercial growth would only compound the demand for county services along the fragile stretch of beach.

Friedman disagrees, however. He said commercial growth is needed to help serve the area’s growing needs.

“It would be unconscionable to have an area of this size and density without business/commercial areas,” his e-mail reads.

Friedman’s lawyer has asked the county to consider a development agreement to allow new business at the Swan Beach site. The offer could halt an otherwise “inevitable lawsuit,” Virginia Attorney J. Bryan Plumlee wrote in a March 30 correspondence to County Attorney Ike McRee

Commercial Development back on the table

Again the Friedman's are taking their fight to the County Commissioners for their large acreage to be zoned commercial. This time they have brought attention to others operating businesses out of their homes. Below is an article by the Virginia Pilot's Jeff Hampton.

Developer renews fight to build in Outer Banks

Developer Gerald Friedman’s tract in Swan Beach was set aside for commercial use in 1969. The four-wheel-drive area was then zoned residential in the 1970s, and that takes precedence over the original plats, according to the county.

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 17, 2011
CAROVA

A developer plans another try at building a motel and shops where the wild horses roam in Currituck County's northern Outer Banks.

Longtime Outer Banks developer Gerald Friedman seeks to get nearly 26 acres rezoned for business in the Swan Beach community for a project he's attempted at least two other times. The rezoning request goes before county commissioners May 16.

"Frankly, I am astonished at the continued position of the County to deny my client his right to construct buildings for commercial use on his business parcels," Bryan Plumlee, a Chesapeake attorney representing Friedman, wrote in an email to the county March 30.

Over the years, Friedman has contended the northern Outer Banks communities, first platted more than 40 years ago, included sections for business.

Friedman's tract in Swan Beach was set aside for commercial use on an original plat dated Sept. 2, 1969, and signed by the chairman of the county's Board of Commissioners, the register of deeds and the clerk to the board, said Friedman's son, Chip, who also is a developer.

The four-wheel-drive area was zoned residential in the 1970s, and that takes precedence over the original plats, said Ben Woody, director of the Currituck County Planning Department. The area falls under the federal Coastal Barrier Resources Act, which discourages development. The area also falls under the county's land-use plan, which limits business growth.

The Army Corps of Engineers is even balking at allowing the county to grade large mud holes along one of the main unpaved roads. The mud holes are considered wetlands.

"At some point you have to say this area is not viable for commercial," Woody said.

But in his letter, Plumlee named several home-based businesses in the area, including sand mining, excavating, crane operation and the 23-bedroom home used for weddings.

Residential zoning in the four-wheel-drive area allows home-based businesses, but some violate the ordinance, Woody acknowledged.

"We have to determine when has a home-based business gone too far," he said.

Home-based businesses are allowed one commercial vehicle. Since getting Plumlee's letter, Woody and a code officer have canvassed the area and found at least six home businesses violating the ordinance. They will be cited, he said.

For the area originally platted with a total of 3,150 lots in the late 1960s and early 1970s, records show 661 homes in communities including Carova Beach, Swan Beach and North Swan Beach. The entire area encompasses more than 7,000 acres on a strip a mile wide and about 12 miles long to the Virginia line. Wild horses roam in preserved tracts such as the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge and among homes, at times grazing in people's front yards.

In the 1960s, developers expected paved roads would come through. But Virginia established False Cape State Park, and beyond that the federal government created Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The establishment of those preserves prevented paved roads from the north. Currituck National Wildlife Refuge and the Currituck Banks North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve stand in the way of paved roads from Corolla at the south.

Article In Daily Advance address potential cuts for Ferry & Bridge

Interesting article...


Ferry, Bridge Could Be Cut
Ferry, bridge could be cut
By Cindy Beamon
The Daily Advance

Tuesday, March 29, 2011


The proposed mid-county bridge and the Knotts Island ferry in Currituck could be on the chopping block.

Both are included in a newly released list of possible spending cuts that state legislators plan to consider during upcoming budget deliberations.

State Sen. Stan White said he received the 100-page list of reduction options from the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Monday night. Among the possible cuts would be eliminating the Knotts Island ferry altogether and cutting state “gap” funding for the mid-county bridge.
White, D-Dare, said those projects and a broad range of other “devastating” budget cuts may be up for consideration as the Republican-controlled Legislature eyes ways to cut costs during a tight budget year.

Currituck County officials plan to meet with top-ranking Republicans and appropriations committee members this week to lobby against the possible cuts.

Vance Aydlett, chairman of the Currituck Board of Commissioners, said eliminating the ferry would have a “devastating effect on school children,” as buses would be forced to drive the more time-consuming route through Virginia. Aydlett, a Knotts Island resident, said the hour-and-a-half drive on narrow two-lane roads through Virginia Beach and Chesapeake is also a safety concern.

Possible cuts to funding for the mid-county bridge have also prompted Currituck officials to rally support for the span that would cross the Currituck Sound from the mainland to the Outer Banks. Last year, the General Assembly, at the recommendation of now-retired Senate leader Marc Basnight, approved gap funds needed to keep down tolls in the public-private venture.

The first installment of the $15 million a year was set to begin this year, but a Republican takeover of the legislature and a $2.4 billion state budget deficit have threatened the project.

Currituck commissioners recently reaffirmed their support of the bridge.

In addition, the Currituck Chamber of Commerce has alerted interest groups to send letters to state legislators in support of the span, estimated to cost between $600 million and $800 million.

Jim Owens, member of the Chamber’s Legislative Affairs Committee, said the span has long been supported by area businesses and a majority of local residents. He said the Chamber was prompted to act because of upcoming budget deliberations and because of the “culture change in Raleigh.”

“This year there could be some members (in the legislature) who are not favorable to the Currituck bridge, so we have to be vigilant to make sure that we cover the bases,” he said.

Aydlett said cuts in gap funding would end a project that has gained strong community support over more than two decades.

“It would be a blow to the vision that has been supported by a majority of residents of Currituck County for 25 years,” he said.

State Rep. Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank, said critics of the bridge need to understand the long history of the proposed project and its importance to the county and the region. He said the meeting between lawmakers and county officials will be aimed at clearing up “misunderstandings” about how the project was funded.

Cutting the projects would have an adverse effect on the local economy, local officials said.

The mid-county bridge promises to open up business opportunities on Currituck’s mainland, Bill Owens said.

Aydlett said eliminating the ferry would hurt Knotts Island economically by cutting it off from the rest of North Carolina. He said motorists enjoy taking the ferry across the sound and visiting the two wineries and restaurant on Knotts Island. Area residents also use the ferry to conduct business and attend meetings at the county governmental complex, he said.

Without the ferry, “Knotts Island would be a dead-end road to nowhere,” Aydlett said.

According to the N.C. Ferry Division, almost 28,000 vehicles and 85,000 passengers — including two buses loaded with students each school day — crossed the Currituck Sound by ferry in 2009.

The list of possible state budget cuts also includes other changes in ferry operations and hours along the state’s coast. Another proposal would require tolls for all ferries, including those on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.

White said the ferry changes were among other “huge cuts” in transportation that would adversely affect the lesser populated counties.
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NCTA announces its preferred route for Mid-Curituck Bridge

Much anticipated and speculated, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority has chosen and submitted for approval the preferred route for the mid-Currituck Bridge. On the Outer Banks side, they have selected the Northernmost terminus point North of Monteray Shores and South of Corolla Bay. On the mainland side, it appears that Aydlett road will not be closed, something that was contested by residents there. For the official press release document from the NC turnpike Authority, click here
While this shows some progress on the investigation side of the bridge feasibility, the question now becomes whether or not it is financially feasible with the public funds committed by the State in jeopardy.

Ocean Pearl Road Improvements in Carova

In sort of a Chicken-or-the-Egg process, the county continues to move forward with improving Ocean Pearl Road in Carova. Below is an article discussing one of the last components standing in the way.

On N.C. road, potholes are so big, they're wetlands

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 9, 2011
CAROVA BEACH

Which came first, wetlands or potholes?

Currituck County has planned for nearly four years to grade three miles of Ocean Pearl Road, a rough, sandy road in Carova Beach that serves as a main artery though the four-wheel-drive area.

But in recent meetings with environmental agencies, the Army Corps of Engineers told the county to mark and measure wetlands affected by the project up to 300 feet from both sides of the road. Including the 100-foot right of way on Ocean Pearl Road, the swath is 700 feet wide.

Currituck hired an expert who mapped more than 9 acres of wetlands along the road right of way. By federal definition, three pond-sized potholes in the road qualified as about one-tenth of an acre of wetlands.

The e stimated cost to fix the road and dig drainage swales on both sides is $300,000. The Corps of Engineers may also insist that the county mitigate or replace wetlands elsewhere, at double the roadwork cost, adding $637,316.

If the corps forces the county to mitigate the wetlands, the project climbs to nearly $1 million, a shock to Currituck officials.

"It's untenable to me that the corps can come in and call roads that were platted in the 1960s wetlands," said Currituck Commissioner Paul O'Neal. "It's unbelievable."

Currituck has applied for a permit to fill only the potholes without having to mitigate the other wetlands.

As part of the application, Currituck makes the point that old ditches near the roadbed haven't drained the existing wetlands.

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., has been asked to intervene for the county.

"They are not wetlands," O'Neal said. "They are mud puddles."

Wetlands were there before the road was, said Susan Clizbe, spokeswoman for the Corps of Engineers in Wilmington.

"The road runs through wetlands," she said.

The corps has not ruled on Currituck's permit, she said. Typically, applicants get three options -avoid the wetlands, minimize the effects on them, or mitigate them, she said.

The road needs fixing, O'Neal said.

"It's very important that we get this road restored," he said.

The county made attempts to create a road-improvement district in the communities of the four-wheel-drive area for about 20 years.

Residents were opposed to improvements, concerned that better roads would bring more people and more vehicles at higher speeds and put t he wild horses grazing along the roadside in danger.

But three years ago, residents agreed to improve a section of Ocean Pearl Road, only in Carova Beach, the northernmost community.

Ocean Pearl Road serves as an artery for emergency and construction vehicles and is the address for many high-end beach rentals. A fire and EMS station sits along Ocean Pearl Road.

Dozens of renters were stranded in 2006 and emergency vehicles could not get through after Tropical Storm Ernesto.

Along some roads, underground phone lines surfaced and were crushed by big tires, knocking out service to several homes.

Mud holes also tend to be breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Senator Marc Basnight (D) reitres after 25 years

Due to a number of reasons, Senator Basnight has retired from politics. This leaves a Senate seat to be filled and the Mid-Currituck Bridge in question. Regardless, the man served the Outer Banks and North Carolina well for a quarter century. Thank you Senator.

Marc Basnight, N.C. state senator, to resign
By Erin James
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 5, 2011
MANTEO, N.C.

Marc Basnight, the Dare County Democrat who harnessed more than 25 years of legislative power to funnel millions of dollars into northeastern North Carolina, will resign Jan. 25, the day before he was to relinquish the most powerful seat in the state Senate.

Basnight, 63, won election to a 14th term as Democrats lost the majority in the state Senate in November. He cited health reasons for his retirement from public service. He was diagnosed several years ago with a rare degenerative nerve disease that affects his speech and coordination but not his cognitive abilities.

"Not being able to clearly speak on the Senate floor is an incredible disadvantage," Basnight said Tuesday. "If a politician cannot debate, he's ... not worth his salt."

Basnight was first elected in 1984 to represent eight northeastern North Carolina counties. Since 1993, he had served nine terms as the Senate's president - the longest leadership tenure in state history.

"To lose Marc Basnight in Dare County is like losing a right arm," former First Flight Society President Alvah Ward said. Basnight was instrumental in creating the First Flight Centennial Foundation, which planned the 100-year anniversary celebration of the Wright brothers' first flight on the Outer Banks, Ward added.

Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Warren Judge said Basnight was an advocate for improvements to Dare County roads and bridges. Judge said he was a champion of the project to replace the Bonner Bridge, which won final approval last month.

"He put northeast North Carolina and Dare County on close to an equal footing with much of the rest of the state, " Judge said.

Basnight's Republican opponent in last year's election said he believes Basnight is leaving primarily because Democrats lost control of the Senate.

"In this case, it shortchanged eastern North Carolina. If I was their Republican senator, I would certainly be heard in Raleigh," said Hood Richardson, a Beaufort County commissioner. "I think if people had known that he was not going to serve in this Senate that I would have won the election."

Basnight had said soon after the election that he would serve in the Senate through 2012, then retire. But he decided over the holidays to leave sooner and told his family Monday of his decision. Now Democrats in Basnight's northeastern district will choose a successor.

Basnight said he will spend more time operating his Nags Head restaurant, the Lone Cedar Cafe. He also announced Tuesday he is engaged to Manteo High School librarian Sue Waters. Basnight's wife, Sandy, died in June 2007 after being treated for leukemia.

County to discuss limits and guidelines for Corolla area buildings

In an attempt to stem some of the development in the historic areas of Corolla, Currituck County is seeking input on how best to preserve what is left of the "village" going forward. Below is an article from the Virginia Pilot with some meeting times for upcoming meetings. For a tour of the Corolla Village, click here

County may write guide for historic Corolla development
By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 26, 2010
COROLLA, N.C.

A plan to guide development in historic Corolla could guard against "eyesores" and "monstrosities" but raises concerns of giving Currituck County too much control.

The county wants to write a small area plan for 322 acres surrounding the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the historic Whalehead Club.

The original historic village, west of N.C. 12, still has about a dozen structures built decades ago, including a school house and homes converted into shops.

On the east side is a modern subdivision known as Corolla Village developed since the 1980s.

Similar to the countywide land-use plan, a small area plan concentrates on a single community with guidance from an advisory committee of local residents and county staff members.

"A house on pilings with a swimming pool, a big-box store, a go-cart track would completely alter the village quality," said Sharon Twiddy, a member of the advisory committee. "Architectural guidelines that suggest ways of building that are consistent with existing homes and businesses would be welcome."

The Twiddys, owners of Twiddy & Co. Realtors in Corolla, have restored old buildings in the historic village.

A survey of about 50 Corolla residents who attended an October meeting showed that the top priority is keeping the historic village unchanged, with plenty of trees and open space.

One respondent wrote, "Keep it tranquil and wonderful as is, no city style."

Another wanted tight restrictions to "get rid of eyesores and the Wings monstrosities" and lamented "vagrants" and "day trippers who come to drive onto the beach and get drunk, pollute the beach and contribute nothing to the local economy."

The latest meeting was held Dec. 7. No date is set for another meeting planned for early January.

Expected to be finished next year, the small area plan would be a nonbinding guide for the Currituck County Board of Commissioners and the planning staff on issues of rezoning and permit applications, said Holly White, senior planner for Currituck County.

"This would not be regulatory," White said. "It is a community-driven plan."

But such plans can evolve into more controlling documents as boards and staff change, said Corolla native Norris Austin.

"Most people in the old village who I know are against it," Austin said. "It's not really historic anymore. It's nothing like it was when I was growing up."

Austin's family has lived in Corolla since the late 1800s. Austin grew up there in the 1940s and remembers the community having only a handful of people who farmed, hunted, fished and worked in local government jobs when available.

Mail and supplies for a post office/country store run by Austin's father came largely by boat. Austin took over for his father as the Corolla postmaster and worked there for decades.

As late as the 1970s, there were fewer than two dozen people living in Corolla, with no paved roads and few amenities. Austin has told his stories of old Corolla in books and as a volunteer at the Whalehead Club, a restored hunt club built in the 1920s.

A developer in the 1970s built a paved road that was gated, allowing only property owners to pass.

In 1984, the state took control, opened the paved road, and heavy development followed for the next 20 years. Corolla morphed into a busy and almost completely developed resort, with one posh subdivision after another.

"If you don't have some type of plan in place, then anything can happen," said Gary McGee of Corolla Light neighborhood, near Corolla Village. "We do see that anything can happen in other parts of Corolla."

The county still seeks public input and will advertise upcoming meetings. White is asking people to bring old photos of the village to the next meeting.

The Winds of Change may be Coming....

As we approach 2011 with a new all-Republican Board of Commissioners in Currituck County, they will (hopefully) be tackling a host of issues that will directly impact the 4x4 areas. For a preview, the Virginia-Pilot's Jeff Hampton wrote the following article:

Decision time: Currituck to tackle big issues in '11
By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 12, 2010
CURRITUCK, N.C.

A new Currituck County Board of Commissioners sworn in Monday faces a tough slate of decisions, including highway corridor development, home sizes on the Outer Banks and congestion on the four-wheel-drive beaches.

For the first time, the Currituck County board is all Republican after a wave of straight-party voting in the November election.

Democratic incumbents Gene Gregory, Janet Taylor and Barry Nelms were replaced by Republicans Paul Martin, Marion Gilbert and Butch Petrey, who join the remaining four Republican incumbents.

Elected two years ago, Vance Aydlett of Knotts Island was voted in as the new chairman of the board Monday, with John Rorer as vice chairman.

"We're all Republican, yet we're probably as diverse as ever," Rorer said.

The new board has approaching deadlines to settle difficult issues, said Ben Woody, director of the Currituck County Planning Department.

"They are going to be really busy in early 2011," Woody said.



Mid-Currituck County Bridge: The North Carolina Turnpike Authority is expected to announce a decision early next year on whether to build a five- to seven-mile bridge from Aydlett to Corolla at a cost of about $1 billion.

Aydlett and Corolla residents oppose the project, but most officials support it.

The project is too far along to stop, they say. Commissioners will have to zone for development on the highway approaching the bridge, which is expected to attract 30 to 40 businesses, including a hotel on the mainland side, according to an economic development study done two years ago. That area south of Coinjock is rural now.

Home sizes, Currituck County is undergoing a rewrite of its development ordinance, the first in more than 20 years. Among other things it could set standards on home sizes on the Outer Banks. Begun late last year, the ordinance rewrite is expected to be completed by late next summer.

Outer Banks homes could be restricted to 5,000 square feet, a rule proposed in part after construction of a 23-bedroom mansion earlier this year. The home is an attraction for large wedding parties where dozens of people can stay. But it falls under residential law rather than commercial laws that require safety measures such as sprinkler systems, Aydlett said. He wants commissioners to consider home size restrictions.

"I'm looking at it from a public safety standpoint," said Aydlett, who is a retired fire fighter. "I don't want to be reading about a disaster in the newspaper."

Signs in Corolla: Last spring, commissioners allowed 3-foot-tall sandwich signs along N.C. 12 in Corolla during the summer season. It was a temporary experiment to see whether they would be effective or unsightly.

In 2007, commissioners passed a sign ordinance that prohibited sandwich boards from being used during the tourist season after a committee of residents and shop owners agreed to a compromise. Sandwich boards were allowed from Oct. 1 to April 30.

New commissioner Martin believes businesses benefited from the signs. Commissioners will decide on sandwich boards before the new tourist season begins.

"Maybe that's something that's going to have to stay," Martin said.

Congestion in the four-wheel-drive area: Traffic in the northern Currituck Outer Banks is getting worse, according to locals and officials. Over the years, citizen groups have proposed methods of restricting the number of vehicles to protect wild horse habitat and enhance safety for those using the beach. So far, commissioners have rejected limits.

In the middle of the summer, vehicles park on the beach almost nonstop from the entry point to the Virginia line 12 miles north. Families with children play close to the surf where traffic tends to run. Locals travel up and down daily. Construction trucks rumble within feet of children playing in the sand.

"That is a nightmare for the Sheriff's Office," Martin said. "It is really a problem, and we're going to look at that quickly."

Corridor development: Development along the 43-mile highway corridor has been debated for

more than 20 years. Rules have been put in place, but clutter and disjointed construction remains a problem. Commissioners plan to address corridor development as part of the new development ordinance.

More Speculation that the Mid-Currituck Bridge may not be such a "done deal".

Below is an article from the Virginia Pilot. It appears that the "Public" financing portion of the Public-Private Partnership may be in jeopardy.

Don't U-turn on Currituck bridge

The Virginian-Pilot
© November 28, 2010
After decades of debate, it appeared this spring that North Carolina officials were ready to proceed with construction of a toll bridge linking Currituck County's mainland and the Outer Banks village of Corolla. But the project may be headed for a traffic jam in Raleigh.

Republican lawmakers won control of the General Assembly in this month's elections, and - as The Pilot's Jeff Hampton recently reported - the search for potential budget cuts is leading some folks to the proposed bridge over Currituck Sound.

The connector has long been championed by Marc Basnight, a Democrat who'll lose his influential position as president of the state Senate next year. He's played a key role in steering money toward a public-private partnership to build and maintain the bridge.

The legislature needs to close a projected $3 billion to $4 billion deficit in its next session, and some lawmakers see the bridge as a potential savings. Current plans call for initial funding of $15 million annually, with the figure rising to $28 million a year in 2013 and continuing as long as 40 years.

The funding dispute fuels an already long-running controversy over whether the bridge should be built and, if so, where it should go. Residents on both sides of the bridge route are concerned about disruptions to their neighborhoods, and federal officials have expressed concerns about potential environmental damage.

Even supporters would agree the bridge isn't an ideal way to ease the summertime crawl to the beaches. But it's certainly preferable to the status quo, and it appears to be a more effective option than widening existing roads.

The bridge - which would begin near Aydlett, about 25 miles south of the Virginia-North Carolina line - would cut travel time for folks headed to the northern end of the Outer Banks.

The nearest existing crossing is the Wright Memorial Bridge, about 20 miles south of Aydlett. To get to Duck and Corolla, travelers have to go south toward Nags Head, then make a U-turn and head north another 10 to 20 miles.

The convoluted route has long been a source of safety concerns. A new bridge is expected to reduce evacuation times, boost tourism on both sides of the sound and curb pollution from idling vehicles.

There are potential downsides, most notably the effects on Aydlett and Corolla if precautions aren't taken to minimize disruptions and limit development that would undermine the benefits of a new bridge.

The push to re-examine the cost of the bridge is understandable, given tough economic times.

But North Carolina officials should bear in mind two things that their Virginia counterparts often neglect. First, the cost of construction is not likely to drop any lower than today. Second, talking endlessly about chronic transportation problems doesn't bring a solution any closer.

Mid Currituck Bridge May Lose Public Funding.

With the changing political winds in the NC Legislature, the Public funding portion for the Mid Currituck Bridge may be endangered by Budget cuts and a new Republican controlled Senate. Below is an article from Jeff Hampton of the Virginia Pilot:

Political shift could put $1 billion N.C. project in limbo
Posted to: News North Carolina Login or register to post comments

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 14, 2010
CURRITUCK, N.C.

Opponents of a new $1 billion bridge over the Currituck Sound have new momentum after Republicans promising to cut spending won control of the North Carolina General Assembly on Nov. 2.

Under the direction of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, the controversial bridge - debated for more than 20 years - appeared on its way to construction using a combination of tolls, private investment and public money.

The state set aside $15 million a year, called gap funding, to make up for an expected shortfall from tolls and private money. Annual state funding is to increase to $28 million in 2013 and continue for as long as 40 years. Without it, the project could stall.

Democrat Marc Basnight, who pushed for bridge funding, will no longer serve as president pro tempore of the state Senate when Republicans take charge. The General Assembly will be looking for ways to close a $3 billion to $4 billion budget deficit next year.

"The reality of the political situation on the ground is the state is hurting for money and looking to cut spending - and a billion-dollar bridge is a good place to start," said John Woodard, a Republican who lost in a close House race against Democrat Bill Owens.

But bridge gap funding is not coming from the general fund and would not resolve a budget deficit, Owens said.

"I don't see where it would have any effect."

Owens believes the bridge will be built. "I think we're too far along now," he said.

Cost estimates on the bridge range from $600 million to more than $1 billion, depending on a variety of construction alternatives.

One option includes a seven-mile-long bridge connecting Corolla to the mainland in Aydlett. It would span the five-mile-wide sound and two miles of swamp before connecting to U.S. 158 south of Coinjock.

Another option has the bridge ending in Aydlett with a road continuing through the swamp to U.S. 158.

"They pushed this project because it was Marc Basnight's project," said Jennifer Symonds, who has helped lead a citizens group opposing the bridge. "He is why this thing was a high priority. It is not a high priority in the state."

State legislators have backed the bridge because the local board has supported it. During the primary and general elections, voters ousted three Democrats on the Currituck County Board of Commissioners, including bridge proponent Gene Gregory, making all seven members Republican.

"There is still a commitment to the bridge," said Owen Etheridge, a member of the Board of Commissioners.

The Environmental Protection Agency expressed several concerns about the effects of a bridge on water quality, wildlife, the swamp and farmland. It also noted the state has underestimated maintenance costs.

"Shrinking transportation dollars and increased maintenance and repair costs for infrastructure in areas that are very vulnerable to severe weather conditions such as high winds and storm surges and salt air and water should be a very important consideration for decision-makers," wrote Heinz Mueller in a June letter to the Turnpike Authority. He is an EPA chief in Atlanta.

The EPA prefers widening existing roads, he wrote.

In May, the state released a draft environmental impact statement, a major step in the approval process.

A final environmental impact statement, scheduled for a September release but still unavailable, is expected to pick one of the several construction alternatives.

"It's taking a little longer to get resolution on a preferred alternative," said Jennifer Harris, director of planning and environmental studies for the N.C. Turnpike Authority. The project has not changed, she said.

Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com