September 15, 2008

BEACH NOURISHMENT COSTS MUCH HIGHER THAN ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED

BY TOM LEONARD

BEST MEDIA RELATIONS

NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH—The price tag to address the beach erosion challenge in North Topsail Beach (NTB) might be considerably more than originally anticipated.

The town’s Beach Erosion Study Team (BEST) has been reviewing plans to nourish the town’s 11 miles of beach front, provided by Coastal Planning and Engineering (CP&E) of  Wilmington. 

CP&E’s revised 5-phase plan actually consists of two different proposals. Both include realignment of the New River Inlet channel.  The first proposal nourishes the beachfront using only sand dredged from offshore “borrow sites.”  The second proposal uses a combination of sand from the channel realignment and sand dredged from the offshore borrow sites.  The proposed realignment of the New River Inlet channel will dramatically increase its size, expanding the width from 50 feet to 500 feet, and the depth from 6 feet to 14 feet, starting at the mouth of the Inlet and extending well into the Atlantic Ocean.  

CP&E has recently provided the town with revised cost estimates to complete Phases 1-5 for each proposal.  Using only sand from offshore borrow sites is estimated to cost between $53 million and $95.4 million to complete all phases, while using a combination of sand from the New River Inlet channel and offshore is estimated to cost between $43.6 and $78 million.  The price ranges for each estimate allow for such unknown factors as market conditions at the time of construction.  Renourishment of the beaches every 4 years is included in both proposals.

CP&E’s original beach nourishment plan, submitted to the N. C. Environmental Agencies for comment in November 2007,  was estimated to cost approximately $34 million.  It did not include channel maintenance  costs, and reflected fuel cost estimates from 2 years ago. 

More information on this topic is available, including detailed phase cost breakdowns on the BEST web site at http://ntbbest.com/.

The BEST Committee is currently reviewing the details of CP&E’s plans, and will ultimately recommend short and long term beach and shoreline solutions to the NTB Board of Aldermen.

The BEST Committee meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the North Topsail Beach Town Hall.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend their meetings.

For more information, please contact Tom Leonard, BEST Media Relations Coordinator, by e-mail at thomas.e.leonard@hotmail.com, or by telephone at 910-548-4536.

July 7, 2008

 

NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH EROSION STUDY TEAM (BEST) HITS THE BEACH RIDING AND WALKING 

BY TOM LEONARD  
BEST MEDIA RELATIONS  

NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH—The newly appointed Beach Erosion Study Team (BEST) literally hit the beach, both riding and walking on June 10.  The BEST, accompanied by Mayor Don Martin, conducted this walk-ride, organized by BEST member Sue Rider, in order to gain an understanding and appreciation of the present conditions of the town’s beaches.  Team members drove the entire eleven miles of the town’s beach in the morning at low tide, and viewed the beach at various dune crossovers in the afternoon at high tide.  This in turn, will assist them in their overall assessment of the beach.   

 The team, appointed in April by the North Topsail Beach (NTB) Board of Aldermen and led by Chairman Ed Doherty, is tasked with evaluating and recommending short and long term solutions to address shoreline protection and stabilization of the beaches and dunes of the Town of NTB. 

 The eleven members of the BEST held their first monthly meeting on May 14, at the NTB Town Hall.  The members represent a wide cross-section of the town, including the north, central and southern sections; the ocean and sound sides; full time residents and non-resident property owners.  The members also possess a wide and varied range of skills and experience.  The Team, which plans to continue the hard work begun by the previous Beach Nourishment Committee, set the following goals during their first meeting:
             -Reduce potential for storm, wave, and erosion along NTB’s shoreline.
            -Stabilize NTB’s beaches and shoreline.
            -Establish a sense of trust and credibility within North Topsail Beach.  

 During this meeting the BEST also organized themselves into seven sub-committees or working groups.  The working groups will examine the following areas in detail:

             -Project Management
            -Review Coastal Planning & Engineering (CP&E) Plan
            -Help Facilitate Dune Protection
            -Address Challenges of the Town’s North End
            -Evaluate Town’s Options Regarding Beach Erosion
            -Research Funding Possibilities
            -Research and Evaluate Efforts by Other NC Beach Towns 

 In addition to the beach walk-ride and the working sessions held by the various sub-committees, the team completed a busy June schedule.  The BEST participated, along with NTB Town officials in several informative sessions at the Town Hall with various beach subject matter experts and officials from federal and state agencies.  These sessions included a meeting on June 10 with representatives from CP&E, a presentation on June 11 by Dr. Stanley Riggs from the East Carolina University Geology Department, concluding with a meeting on June 18 with representatives from NC Coastal Management, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and CP&E.  These meetings and presentations were quite helpful in assisting BEST members in understanding the magnitude of the planning issues associated with beach nourishment.            

 The latest effort undertaken by the BEST is construction of their own web site.  It can be accessed at http://ntbbest.com/

  The BEST meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the North Topsail Beach Town Hall.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend their meetings.  

For more information, please contact Thomas Leonard, the BEST Media Relations Coordinator, by e-mail at thomas.e.leonard@hotmail.com, or by telephone at 910-548-4536.