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By Laura Ertle

On April 4, the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway Committee for Dare County and the Frisco-Buxton Pathway Committee asked Dare’s commissioners to authorize the submission of a Letter of Intent and Application for a National Scenic Byway Grant.

The proposed grant would build two sections encompassing 4.41 miles of five-foot wide concrete pathway in NCDOT right-of-way. These first two sections of the project will run from the Cape Hatteras Secondary School in Buxton, south to Piney Ridge Road in Frisco.

This is a similar grant to one received in 2010 that paid for the construction of the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo-Avon pathways.

The grant application for a $2 million project covers the central portion of the overall pathway plan. The overall plan would build a pathway from the Frisco Bathhouse in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore to the Valero filling station at Buxton Back Road, a distance of 7.6 miles.

The commissioners authorized the filing of the two documents.

Additionally, the committee asked, and the commissioners agreed, to send a request for local legislation to Dare’s representative and senator to the General Assembly. The request asks for a referendum for those in Frisco and a portion of Buxton to vote on setting up a tax district to construct and maintain built pathways.

While the committee will seek out all available financing avenues for construction, the pathway will need to be maintained with regular mowing, edging and repairs. A tax district, managed by trustees appointed by Dare’s Board of Commissioners, would set up a reliable source of funds to maintain the built pathway and construct portions of the pathway if necessary to finish the plan.

The district would include all taxable properties in Frisco and Buxton properties to a straight line that runs from the Pamlico Sound along the boundary line of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore beside the entrance to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The Buxton boundary excludes the properties in the special tax district created for beach nourishment.

One cent on that tax base will produce $62,200 annually. If the tax district is approved in the referendum, the district trustees must ask annually for the commissioners to approve the tax rate.

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