The January 11 Town Council meeting had alot on the agenda. Nothing too controversial, but still alot. I promised to publish and explain every vote I make, so here goes…(not everything was a vote, but still worth relaying to you.)
The topic… What is going on.
[My take.]
Hamlet Avenue bath house / ocean rescue building… it’s under construction as we speak and slated for completion in late March. Plans are also being made to address the flooding. If you’ve never been there after it rains, there is a huge and deep puddle.
[I have been advocating for golf cart parking in the lot, preferably closest to the beach. It’s good for the locals, and a better use of space. I’d also like to see the actual access point (by the hatteras ramp) cleaned up to look more attractive. We should also add bike racks up there. This is our main beach access, let’s do it right!]
Here’s the Hoffer Review format:
Beach renourishment… scheduled to begin sometime in February or March.
[I’m not opposed to that!]
Florida Avenue road improvements… we’re getting quotes.
[This will help the storm water issue at Florida and Canal, fix the road and be the first step in improving Canal Drive flooding. There’s much more to do, but this is a first step.]
Spartanburg & 2nd Street stormwater improvement to the ditch… I’m not exactly sure what this entails. Our Operations Director was out sick and couldn’t explain.
[Continuous improvements is the name of the game, so I’m in support.]
The Marina project… this is a major re-build of the east side of the marina. Sorry, but it will be a costly and long project. Although not too costly because our town manager found some nice grant funding. It will interrupt Canal Drive next year, which will be a bummer, but it needs to be done.
[My take on this one is to keep the boating experts in the loop. Regular updates to the Carolina Beach Inlet Association are a must.]
Dredging the Intracoastal Waterway… it’s starting any day now. Look east from the bridge and you can see the equipment setting up.
Stoplight at Hamlet Ave and Lake Park… we voted to allow the DOT the necessary easement to get this done. And the DOT is footing the bill!
[I pushed for this 2 years ago, because it will make crossing Lake Park much safer. My question was this: will we get the full monty with 4 crosswalks, push buttons, etc… or just a light? What happens to the flasher that’s already there? (Pretty sure we own it.) Staff wasn’t sure. Personally, I don’t think we should alter the traffic flow. Right around there is where cars start merging into one lane… a change would cause too many headaches.]
Turn lane on northbound Dow Road at the entrance to the State Park… we voted for a resolution of support stating that we want this. DOT is going to do it, and pay for it, we just don’t know when.
[I voted for this with no hesitation. It will be a big improvement.]
Taking over the stormwater system in Oceanna… apparently the town has been in discussion about this for a few years. We did not vote and asked for more information.
[I’m skeptical about this. Caution is the name of the game to me. Every decision we make must have the long-term financial health of our town in mind. By doing this we take on expenses and liabilities. We should be very, very careful here. There may be good cause to do it, but I need more information.]
Townhouse projects on Basin Road (8 units) and Canal Drive (9 units)… we voted to approve.
[Projects like these require a vote, but they really aren’t very controversial. If they meet our density, height, stormwater and general zoning requirements we really don’t have cause to vote them down. Both projects were unanimously approved by P&Z. That’s important to me. The Canal Drive project will utilize just one driveway, and I like that. It’s safer.]