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Dare County commissioners selected a consultant to update the county’s 2001 stormwater master plan.

Five engineering firms submitted statements of qualifications. The selected firm is WithersRavenel, with headquarters in Cary and eight other locations in North Carolina.

Paying for the updated plan is a $150,000 FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant plus $50,000 from Dare County, or 25% of the cost of the project. The firm will work to update the plan, identify and map county stormwater infrastructure and design projects for two critical areas prone to flooding.

The commissioners approved Withers-Ravenal as the engineering firm for the project, enacted a budget amendment and authorized county manager Robert L. Outten to negotiate a contract with WithersRavenal. Project completion is expected within 12 months.

The start of the Jan. 3, 2022, meeting featured a public hearing on permanently closing the eastern end and cul-de-sac portion of Beacon Road in Rodanthe.

The paper map shows two access easements.

Attorney David Dixon representing property owner Daniel Kerlakian said there is “no road there now. It is sand and dune.”

Outten proposed saving a 20-foot stripe down the middle of the easement and dead-end into the eight-foot access easement. The proposed solution sets aside a permanent closure, provides access to lots that are now not buildable and provides additional space to property owner Kerlakian for a septic system field.

A new submission is called for. The matter will be re-advertised and another hearing set.

Julia Taft filed a zoning map amendment to rezone a parcel in Buxton from R-2A to R-3 to allow for the development of a multifamily structure for employee housing.

The property is the old Munchkin Academy, which Taft will remodel in hopes of providing year-round housing opportunities.

The board granted a two-year extension for Waves Retreat Cluster Home Development project. The original special use permit called for securing building permits within 24 months. However, the owner/developer was delayed due to illness.

The commissioners passed a resolution requesting a No Wake Zone be installed in Avon east of Big Island. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission staff assessed the waters and found boater safety hazards would be mitigated by extending a No Wake Zone.

The resolution requests a rulemaking for the area. An application must be submitted. If the Wildlife Resources Commission approves the application, a 60-day public comment period will happen, following which the commission will take action. Dare County Waterways Commission recommended approval of the resolution and application.

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