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Actions for the Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners at their August 10 regular session meeting included authorizing development of the Moore Shores Estuarine Access and a land use plan update review.

Located off Bay Drive between Nixonton and Truxton Streets, Moore Shores is an existing Kitty Hawk Bay public access. The 50 foot wide by 232 foot deep unimproved property is delineated with a split rail fence with several live oaks.

Improvement plans for the $119,691.67 project call for five parking spaces with a handicap accessible space, a five-foot wide concrete walkway toward the water curving as needed to preserve as many trees as possible, a canoe/kayak launch and a pier and gazebo.

“This will give us a completely handicap accessible facility on the sound in addition to the one already in place on the beach,” said commissioner Terry Gray in a telephone interview following the meeting. “This is our first non-motorized launch site for kayaks and canoes.”

Gray said also that the NC Coastal Federation has commended Kill Devil Hills on its plans for the site and a 75/25 grant request, if approved, will covering the bulk of the project cost with $30,395.42 to be covered by the town.

“This will the only non-motorized launch site in the Town of Kill Devil Hills,” Gray said, adding that the plans are consistent with existing town guidelines, including the land use plan and zoning ordinances.

The only other launch facility in Kill Devil Hills is the Dock Street Access, a NC Wildlife Resources Boat Launch which is not considered an ideal place non-motorized recreation. The nearest estuarine access is Hayman Pier located 1/2 mile south.

Moving to new business, commissioners then heard a review of the Kill Devil Hills land use plan update.

Intended to replace the current land use plan approved in 1999, the Planning Board took the lead on this project in 2017 to produce an updated document that reflects recent growth within the community and its future values.

Working with Dale Holland, a land use plan consultant, there were several joint meetings with Planning Board members and town commissioners and an online survey that incorporated community input for the document.

The Planning Board gave a unanimous vote of approval in July and commissioners set a public hearing on it for September 14.

Following the public hearing, commissioners can vote to approve it, decline it, make changes or hold it over for additional work.

Other business for the night included a Program for Public Information Committee review and naming commissioner John Windley as a town representative. The PPI serves as a public information source for homeowners, providing flood and other insurance related information.

Commissioners also rescheduled the town’s fireworks event to celebrate the Wright Brothers’ momentous achievement of powered flight on December 17, approved a Dare County Tourism Board grant for Centennial Path construction on Baum Street, a N.C. Department of Public Safety Governor’s Crime Commission grant for school safety, interlocal agreements with Dare County for debris removal monitoring, relocation of a public water supply emergency interconnection on Colington Road, scheduled public hearings to amendment Chapter 153 to allow LED String Accent Lights in the Commercial Zone, removed Workforce Housing Designation from an Eighth Avenue Unit 808A Conditional Use Site Plan, and a proposed brewery with tasting room, outdoor dining activity area, 30 parking spaces, and associated site improvements for Swell Brewery at 1802 South Virginia Dare Trail.

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