Highlights from the November 4 Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting

The following is a summary of the November 4 Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting provided by the Dare County Public Relations Department. It does not include all items that were discussed at the meeting. To view the full video of the meeting on Dare County’s YouTube channel, click here. To read the official minutes, click here.

The Dare County Board of Commissioners agreed to submit a National Scenic Byway Grant application at the request of Dare County’s Outer Banks National Scenic Byway Committee. If funded, the project would include design and construction of a one-half mile concrete multi-use pathway that would run from 53194 N.C. Highway 12 in Frisco at the parking lot of Hatteras Sno-Balls and Ice Cream, south to Billy Mitchell Road.

The estimated project cost is $500,000. The Dare County Tourism Board has allocated $100,000 as matching funds. Once funded, project design and construction could begin in the fall of 2025 or sooner. Buxton and Frisco are the only villages on Hatteras Island without completed paved pathways.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) awarded Dare County $114,010 for installation of accessible restrooms and shower facilities at the Old Lighthouse Beach Access in Buxton.

At their meeting on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, the Dare County Board of Commissioners approved submission of the application for the NCDEQ Beach & Waterfront Access Grant and approved the joint use agreement with OBX Forever and the National Park Service. The Dare County Board of Commissioners approved the contract with NCDEQ along with the budget amendment to allocate funding for the project. Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in early 2025.

A zoning text amendment to allow automotive service and repair to be added to the list of permitted businesses in the Wanchese Wharf Marine Commercial Zoning District (MC-1) was approved by the Dare County Board of Commissioners following a public hearing at which three citizens spoke in favor of the proposal. The Dare County Planning Board recommended favorable action on the amendment at its meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 based on its similar nature to existing uses in the MC-1 district and its consistency with policies found in the 2022 Dare County Land Use Plan.

A quasi-judicial hearing was held to consider an application for a special use permit (SUP) for the development of a 9,478-square-foot storage warehouse at 40177 Westerly Lane in Avon. The property is zoned C-2 General Commercial, and storage warehouses are permitted as a special use. The Dare County Planning Board reviewed the draft SUP and the associated site plan at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 and found them to be reasonable and appropriate for the proposed use. At the hearing, the property owners agreed to modify the site plan, modify three conditions and add one new condition to address concerns from the adjoining property owner. The Dare County Board of Commissioners approved the SUP with the revisions as presented.

The Dare County Board of Commissioners approved purchase contracts and authorized Dare County Manager Bobby Outten to execute budget amendments taking funds from the fund balance to cover the purchase price and closing costs for the following three parcels of land:

• Parcel #023299000, located on Agona Street in Manteo, for $185,000. This property is adjacent to the Roanoke Island Youth Center that is currently under construction and will provide outdoor space for the youth center participants. It could potentially be used for future expansion or for other purposes.
• Parcel #026364002, located at 2518 S. Croatan Highway in Nags Head, for $1.4 million. This building is located next to the county’s existing Northern Beach Offices and will provide additional space to meet the needs of customers using the Planning, Environmental Health, Social Services and Health Clinic services available on the beach. The existing building is cramped, and the demand for services cannot be met in the current space.
• Parcel #014316000, 25691 N.C. Highway 12 in Waves, for $2.1 million. This is the proposed location for a new EMS Station 6 to replace the current station that is located in the Chicamacomico Banks Volunteer Fire Department.

Barnhill Contracting Company was approved for preconstruction and construction services for the Dare County Early College building that will be built on the College of The Albemarle – Dare Campus on Roanoke Island. The Capital Improvements Planning (CIP) Committee recommended Barnhill after reviewing five proposals for qualifications at their meeting on October 7, 2024.

During the Monday, October 7, 2024 Capital Improvements Planning (CIP) Committee meeting, the committee voted to recommend the Barnhill Contracting Company as the preferred construction manager at risk firm for the new Dare County Early College project. Proposals were received by Barnhill, Whiting Turner, A.R. Chesson, Sussex and Cooper Tacia. The committee members agreed that each proposal was very well done and provided a considerable amount of good information about each company and the projects they have completed.

Ultimately, Barnhill was selected because of their past success in Dare County, their proven track record of being able to drive subcontractor participation, and their ability to deliver projects on time and under budget. Barnhill’s scope of services will include aiding in design and constructability, preconstruction services, and managing the overall construction process.

The new Early College will be located on the same parcel of property where the College of The Albemarle – Dare Campus is located; Barnhill was also selected as the construction manager at risk for the College of The Albemarle project in 2020. The estimated timeline of construction begins in the summer of 2025 and is complete in the winter of 2026.

Dare County Public Services Director Spencer Gregory reported that the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department’s Needs Assessment survey was made public on Thursday, October 10, 2024. The survey is open until Friday, November 22, 2024. Survey response is above average to date, according to McGill Associates, the firm leading the assessment.

There have been a total of 1,169 surveys completed representing 2,306 individuals, which is 6.23% of the Dare County population. According to McGill Associates, a 3-5% response is typical, with 10% being rare. There will be a final push for survey completion in the coming weeks.

Four public input sessions were held at the Lions Club In Manteo, the Dare County Youth Center in Kill Devil Hills, the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Center in Rodanthe and the Fessenden Center in Buxton during the week of Monday, October 21, 2024. Attendance at the public input sessions was good, with close to 300 citizens combined having attended. During these public input sessions, citizens had the chance to talk with McGill Associates and Dare County Parks and Recreation staff in person to share their input verbally, in writing and with the use of a visual preference board.

Still to come are virtual focus group sessions with various selected groups within the county, a work session with the Dare County Board of Commissioners and a final presentation of the plan to Dare County staff. Dare County residents and property owners are strongly encouraged to provide their input by participating in the needs assessment survey before it closes on Friday, November 22, 2024.

Click here to take the Dare County Parks and Recreation Survey.

Dare County Department of Health & Human Services Director Dr. Sheila Davies gave a presentation to the Dare County Board of Commissioners to provide insights on behavioral healthcare service gaps in Dare County Schools and offer recommendations to address these issues.

Following the presentation, the board voted unanimously to approve Davies’ recommendation to reallocate $340,000 in funding to hire three licensed clinical social workers to work in Dare County Schools. These social workers will serve three separate geographic areas within the county: Hatteras, Kill Devil Hills and Manteo. Additionally, the board approved a reallocation of $25,000 in funding to support the Sound Minds program.

The three social workers will be employed through the Dare County Department of Health & Human Services, with position postings anticipated to begin as early as Wednesday, November 6, 2024.