By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – The permitting process for beach nourishment continues on North Topsail Beach where town officials voted last week to finish up permitting work.
The town board approved paying Coastal Planning and Engineering $400,000 to acquire state and federal permits.
Dick Macartney chairs the North Topsail Beach Nourishment Committee. He says the company has less than a year's work left to secure the permits. And says while residents last year voted down a bond to pay for nourishment, the work somehow needs to continue.
I'm not necessary thinking that we need to do the kind of plan that failed last year, but there ought to be some options that are partial options for certain parts of the town, certain areas perhaps. So I'm dedicated to find the middle."
MacCartney says recent storms have taken at least 100 feet off the beach in front of his home. North Topsail Beach currently has a 3% occupancy tax providing roughly a half-a-million dollars a year for beach nourishment.
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