Grant awarded for new restrooms facilities at Old Lighthouse Beach in Buxton

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management recently awarded more than $2.8 million to fourteen local governments to improve public access to coastal beaches and waters, which includes a $114,010 award for new construction of restroom and shower facilities at the Old Lighthouse Beach in Buxton.

While there is currently a closure in place in the immediate area due to recently resurfaced petroleum smells, the restroom facility project is moving forward, as it is expected that the shoreline will reopen in the future.

“We are hopeful that the current closure will be temporary,” stated Mike Barber, Public Affairs Specialist for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. “Plans have not changed.”

The design for the prefabricated restrooms includes four unisex/family facilities, exterior showers with a privacy screen, and a resilient and concrete aesthetic that will be designed to stand up to wind and flooding. The restrooms will be located on the edge of the Old Lighthouse Beach parking lot, which is adjacent to the new Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Pathway that is expected to open in the fall of 2024.

The estimated cost of the new restrooms is $400,000, but Outer Banks Forever, the official nonprofit partner of the Outer Banks’ national parks, has already secured a large percentage of the funds required.

Outer Banks Forever received a $125,000 grant from the Dare County Tourism Board, as well as an additional $100,000 in funds earmarked for the new restrooms, which includes a $30,000 grant from Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative.

This most recent grant awarded by the state was applied for in July 2024, before the temporary closure was in place.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management grants were also awarded to the following local projects:

• Town of Kill Devil Hills received $77,928 for new construction at the Hayman Blvd Beach Access for the construction of a dune crossover. The walkway will be elevated to traverse the growing dune system at this site.
• Town of Manteo received $95,738 for improvements at the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse Pier to replace decking on the pier leading to and surrounding the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse replica located in Shallowbag Bay.
• Town of Nags Head received $207,669 for improvements at the June Street Public Beach Access to construct an approximately 6′ wide, 1,650 sf. ADA-accessible wooden dune walkover, a 16-foot octagonal gazebo and an upgraded shower-station and lamp post.

The program has awarded 530 grants totaling more than $55 million to improve public waterfront access sites since it began in 1981. The Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program provides matching funds to local governments in the 20 coastal counties. Governments that receive grants must match them by contributing at least 25 percent toward the project’s cost.

Funding for the grant program comes from the North Carolina General Assembly through the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. Access projects may include walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, piers and related projects. Funds also may be used for land acquisition or urban waterfront revitalization. Staff with the state Division of Coastal Management selected the recipients based on criteria set by the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission.

“The natural resources of North Carolina’s coastal communities draw residents and visitors alike and are a vital part of the state’s economy,” said Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser. “Supporting projects that help local governments and communities sustain safe natural shoreline spaces and improve access to our beaches and waterfront continues to be a priority for our agency.”