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The Southern Shores Town Council agreed to put together an entry corridor enhancement committee made up of town leaders and business owners to create a vision for the appearance of the town’s entryway.

Though the town is mostly built up, council members acknowledged that this vision would take shape in the next several decades.

“This isn’t the idea of purchasing any buildings or revamping but really driving our zoning and our town code amendments so that future development in this district will follow along a concerted effort to the same goal,” said Mayor Pro Tem Matt Neal at the September 3 town council meeting.

Town manager Cliff Ogburn suggested hiring a consultant, but recommended that before that step, the town could create a committee to clarify its goals and objectives in the arena of travel, pedestrian safety and connectivity, architectural standards, sustainability, and affordable housing.

Mayor Elizabeth Morey said she was in favor of making the entry to town more attractive, and was open to community input.

The council agreed to vote on committee members at the October 1 meeting.

The town is continuing improvements to the Southern Shores Cemetery including removing dead trees, adding benches, and incorporating new software to make it easier to find burial plots.

Council approved additional funds for sand fencing. The beachgrass program has been successful in Southern Shores and volunteers are ready to get to work in November to continue the project. Council also approved a revised personnel policy on sick leave and leave without pay.

Ogburn was then approved to apply for the tourism impact grant in the amount of $200,000 for improvements to the multi-use path. The town has used prior impact grant money to extend sections of the path. The section of the path that needs repair has aging asphalt approximately 30 years old; the grant request is to replace these sections with concrete.

Ogburn reported that the Juniper Bridge replacement project is almost ready to go out for bid. He hopes the project will be contracted by November and completed by mid-February.

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