Dare County hopes Buxton base closure doesn't impact summer tourism
By Samuel King,
2024-05-17
As federal officials promise more action to clean-up an old military base along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, county leaders are seeking to reassure would-be visitors to the Outer Banks that the vast majority of the region's beaches remain safe.
Dare County Board of Commissioners Chair Robert Woodard said during the meeting that officials are aggressively getting out the message that the Buxton situation only impacts a small section of beach and most of the 70 miles of beach along the National Seashore remain open.
A 2022 study found that Hatteras Island alone added $366 million to the Dare County economy, with tourism accounting for most of that total.
“They’re putting that out every single day to encourage people not to cancel because of this short stretch of beach," Woodard said. "That's out there, that's being addressed."
But that small closure is causing big concerns for property owners and residents in Buxton, concerned about the impact of the situation.
“What we were told is until that sign comes down on that loop parking area, no renters can go there,” said Michael Tripp, who owns a home next to the closure site. “So, we can’t rent the house. We can’t sell the house. We can’t live in the house, it’s a rock and a hard place.
The full impact of the closure remains to be seen, according to Lee Nettles, executive director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. He said the most important thing is to get the site remediated as soon as possible.
“That notwithstanding, we’re looking forward to a busy Memorial Day weekend and a great season,” he said.
This week, crews removed 70 to 80 feet of pipe along with the surrounding sand from the remnants of the base in Buxton. The sand will be sampled to confirm any petroleum contamination.
“Has it been fast action between September until now? No, it has not been,” said Col. Ron Sturgeon, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District. “And I acknowledge that, and that’s why I’m here today.”
A small section of beach, about three-tenths of a mile, has been closed since September after erosion from storms exposed the old base’s infrastructure and people reported a diesel smell in the area. Similar issues were exposed in February after coastal storms in the region.
An Army Corps spokesperson said the timetable for the results of the soil sample is uncertain right now. It needs those results to determine the next steps.
It has committed to start what’s known as a Restoration Advisory Board – a formal process to keep communities informed, but that could take months to start.
A third-party review team will also be examining the response so far and what else may need to be done, Sturgeon said.
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