The Dare County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing at 9:00 a.m. on June 7, 2021, to consider the proposed county service districts related to the Avon Beach Nourishment Project.
In recent years, N.C. Highway 12 in Avon is often closed from ocean overwash, sometimes for extended periods of time, creating severe disruptions to the life, health, safety, and welfare of the residents and visitors on Hatteras Island. In addition, homes and infrastructure on the oceanside of Highway 12 are often flooded, damaged, and at risk of destruction.
As a result, and in order to minimize future road closures in Avon, the Dare County Board of Commissioners enlisted Coastal Science and Engineering to perform a study in 2020 to determine the feasibility of a beach nourishment project in Avon. The study found the project to be feasible, and the county began the process to design and permit the project.
The project cost is an estimated $12,684,358, which equates to $12.68 per cubic yard of sand. The project will be funded from a combination of funds from the Dare County Beach Nourishment Fund, and from revenues generated by two county service districts: Service District A will include all properties in Avon on the oceanside of Highway 12, from Due East Road to Avon’s northern border. Service District B will include all properties in Avon.
For legal reasons, the service district alignment is slightly different than what was discussed at the previous public hearings, but will result in the same revenue generation and the same net cost to the taxpayer.
All properties in Avon would fall
under Service District B.
The proposed tax would be a total of 25 cents per $100 dollars, or 5 cents per $100 dollars of the property’s Dare County tax value, based on where the property is located in Avon.
So, for example, using the rates set out in the original proposal, (25 cents for properties east of Highway 12 and south of Due East Road, and 5 cents for properties west of Highway 12), under the new service district alignment, the properties east of Highway 12 and south of Due East Road would now pay 20 cents as the Service District A tax. Every property on either side of Highway 12 in Avon would pay the Service District B tax of 5 cents.
The result is the properties east of Highway 12 and south of Due East Road would be members of both service districts and their tax rate would be 20 cents for District A + 5 cents for District B, totaling 25 cents, as previously discussed. Avon properties west of Highway 12 would be members of District B only, and their rate would remain at 5 cents, just as before.
Per North Carolina General Statutes, in order to establish the service districts, the Dare County Board of Commissioners must hold a public hearing on the proposed districts. Prior to the public hearing, a report must be prepared containing: (1) a map of the proposed districts, showing their proposed boundaries; (2) a statement showing that the districts meet the standards set out in Section 153A-302 (a); and (3) a plan for providing the services.
As such, the Dare County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposed county service districts related to the Avon beach nourishment project on Monday, June 7, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.. in the Commissioners Meeting Room, 954 Marshall Collins Dr., Manteo, NC 27954
In compliance with Section 153A-302(b) and prior to the public hearing, Dare County has also provided the following information:
- Maps of the proposed districts, showing their proposed boundaries are attached as Exhibits A and B
- A statement showing the districts meet the standards set out in Section 153A-302(a).
Public comments may be presented to the Board in person. The meeting is available on the County’s YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/darecounty.