“More Beach to Love” Restoration In Buxton

That’s the catch phrase from Dare County for this summer’s beach re-nourishment projects in several coastal communities including Buxton.

Plans for the project were explained to community members and property owners at a meeting at the Fessenden Center in Buxton Tuesday evening. The Buxton project is a collaborative effort which includes Dare County, the National Park Service (Cape Hatteras National Seashore), Coastal Science and Engineering, and Weeks Marine.

The following are important take-aways not only for guests of Cape Hatteras Motel, but anyone planning to visit our area this summer.

1. The project will be 2.9 miles in length from just south of Avon near Canadian Hole to the old lighthouse foundations.
2. Approximately 2.6 million yards of sand will be relocated.
3. The borrow area (where the dredging will occur) will be about a mile and a half off-shore.
4. The project will proceed in sections. During the time the work is being done in a given section (about 5-6 days per 1000 foot section), the beach will be closed off. If a section of beach is wide enough there will be a back-shore corridor for public access. The pubic is welcome to view the work from that corridor but Weeks will maintain strict safety guidelines in and around the work area.
5. The primary staging area will be at the south end of the entire project at the decommissioned USCG facility.
6. The end result will be an additional 140 feet of sand on the beach.
7. The timetable is all approximate and is subject to change as the project is weather dependent. As of now the start date is June 1 and end date is August 31.
8. AT THIS TIME WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE WORK WILL BE IN FRONT OF THE CAPE HATTERAS MOTEL. WE WILL KEEP YOU ADVISED ONCE THE PROJECT BEGINS AND WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF THE PROGRESS.
9. During the time the work is in front of the motel, guests can expect to see large pipes and heavy equipment. The work will be 24/7. There will be construction lights on overnight. There will be the sound of bulldozers backing up. However, AC units will likely drown out some/all of the noise overnight. The dredge (which is the noisiest part of the operation) will be too far off-shore to be heard. The work will progress 200-250 feet a day in a 1000 foot section.
10. Dare County has created a website “MoreBeachToLove.com” with information, updates, and FAQs. Please visit this website often. The County will also be developing a mobile app to track the progress of the work. On the website you may sign up for e-mail notifications specific to the Buxton project. It will be easy to unsubscribe from the notifications once the information is no longer pertinent to your vacation.
10. You may also get information from the Cape Hatteras Motel Facebook page, the Island Free Press, and/or Radio Hatteras.
11. There will be required sea turtle monitoring during the duration of the project.
12. The quality of the sand will be closely monitored and will be equal to, or better than, the sand currently on the beach. They are not pumping rocks and mud.

We know that there will be a certain amount of disruption during the days that the work is in front of the motel. We ask our guests to remember how long we in the Buxton community have waited for this work to occur, and how important Highway 12 is to the viability of our island community. Especially at our motel we are weary of ocean over-wash and the expense of sand removal. Some of you have been here during storms. Many of you have seen videos and photos of what a hurricane or ‘nor-easter can do.

We will do everything we can to make sure your vacation is enjoyable. An amount of flexibility and understanding will be required. There will be beach access to the north or south depending on which way the work progresses.  The work will be fascinating, and it will be exciting to be here and be a part of the energy surrounding the entire endeavor. The entities involved will have individuals on site to answer questions or concerns. We will also have contact information at the County level to address questions and concerns that we at the motel can not answer to your satisfaction.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. We know how much you love the Buxton area, and we also know you want it to be sustainable in the years ahead. This re-nourishment effort, which has to occur in the summer months when the weather is least likely to be severe, will go a long way to insuring our stability for the next several years. We look forward to seeing you in the summer of 2017!

Please contact the office and ask for Jan or Dave if you have any questions at 252-995-5611. We will do our best to answer them for you or get you the answers you need.  Thank you!