Wind Turbine

The Outer Banks wind energy  project continues to make progress.   It was recently announced that Army Corps of Engineers has asked Duke Energy to perform an environmental impact assessment.   To begin the assessment process, Duke Energy will be holding a public meeting this month to discuss the project.

The meeting will be held in the town of Manteo, and the new environmental impact study will be the main topic of discussion.  A Duke Energy spokesperson mentioned that the project is contingent on permits and that there is no specific start date for the project.  The meeting will serve as a means of letting locals voice their opinions and express their concerns.

In addition, Duke Energy is currently working in conjunction with UNC Chapel Hill to conduct a demonstration project.  The purpose of the demonstration project is to determine the feasibility of offshore wind turbines off the North Carolina coast.  The demonstration project is capped by North Carolina statute at three offshore turbines.  A UNC representative points out that a small demonstration project like this has the potential to move forward more quickly than larger projects and could be the first offshore wind project built in the United States.

Outer Banks TJ Maxx

The Outer Banks is about to get the “Max for the Minimum.”  In December, the Outer Banks Sentinel announced the pending arrival of TJ Maxx to the Outer Banks, and the grand opening has now been scheduled. 

Crews have been hard at work getting the old Nags Head Food Lion store converted, and according to the TJ Maxx website, the OBX TJ Maxx grand opening is scheduled for April 22, 2010. 

2210 South Croatan Hwy
Nags Head, NC 27959
Phone: 252-441-9596
Grand Opening on April 22, 2010 from 8am to 8pm!

OBX TJ Maxx

The first two meetings were held last week, and they gave county residents a chance to weigh in on the issues.  About 30 residents stopped by the meeting.  Attendees were given a series of 35 questions.  The questions were split into two categories, Currituck Mainland and Currituck Outer Banks.

A representative from Clarion Associates commented, “We found it very helpful, especially when you’re getting results consistently, when 80 or 90 respondents favor one preference over another.”  The main objectives for the UDO rewrite, according to Clarion Associates, is to ensure the environment is protected, agriculture remains viable, and county residents’ quality of life isn’t negatively affected.  The updates are also designed to make the county’s planning codes more user friendly.

"The Good Life"

The Outer Banks of North Carolina has become the prime east coast destination for vacationers to escape to the beach and relax. The OBX offers unique local appeal with historic relevance like the legends of Blackbeard the Pirate or the birth of aviation.

The east coast is covered with resort towns that have become heavily populated, and most beach towns on the east coast are covered with shopping, high rise developments, parks and  huge condo units.  The Outer Banks has preserved its quaint charm throughout the years, and its unique feel attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Starting at the Virginia Border, the Outer Banks spans three counties and runs south along the North Carolina coast for about 130 miles.  One reason for underdevelopment on the OBX is the thinness of the islands.  Most homes are either oceanfront or within short walking distance to the ocean.  Towns such as Duck and Corolla have become very popular for vacation home owners because these are popular rental markets.

In a recent USA Today article the Outer Banks was classified into three different areas.  They are as follows:

• Northern beaches: This area includes the towns of Duck, Corolla, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills. “Favorites include Duck and Corolla, and it’s mostly single-family homes, though at the low end you can get a one-bedroom waterfront condo for under $200,000. Most homes are in the $400,000-$800,000 range, though Corolla is known for larger oceanfront homes up to $5 million,” a local Outer Banks realtor notes. North of Corolla, where Highway 12 ends, nearly 15 miles of dunes stretch to the Virginia border, dotted with vacation homes accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles: “That’s a whole different buyer seeking remote privacy.”

• Southern beaches: Hatteras Island is even less developed than the Northern beaches, and it is well-known for its excellent fishing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, and surfing. It is also at least another 30 minutes farther from the mainland bridges and includes more protected lands. Avon, Hatteras Village and Rodanthe, where the Richard Gere romance Nights in Rodanthe was set, are the most popular towns, and prices are lower than farther north. “Low-end one-bedroom condos start around $100,000, and the high end would be a seven-bedroom oceanfront home for about $2.5 million,” a local Outer Banks realtor notes.

• Mainland: The main bridge from the Outer Banks connects to a peninsula jutting into Albemarle Sound, including the town of Powell’s Point 4 miles from the bridge. “We consider it part of the Outer Banks even though it’s on the mainland,” notes a local Outer Banks realtor, who mentions that the Kilmarlic Club is popular with second-home owners. A master planned golf community with amenities like tennis and health club “started less than 10 years ago. All are single-family homes, from the mid-$300,000s to the $600,000s.”

Continually increasing in popularity, there is enormous opportunity in these rental markets.  If you are interested in owning a second home on the Outer Banks, contact sales@seasiderealty.com or visit www.coldwellbankerobx.com.

Wind Turbine

As a follow up to a  previous post about the potential for a “wind farm” on the Outer Banks, here is an update on the Offshore Wind Project:

The US Army Corps of Engineers has asked Duke Energy Co to undergo environmental impact reasearch on an offshore wind project that will take place in the Pamlico Sound.  The project plans for three wind turbines within 3 square miles and 7.3 miles west of Avon and 9.1 miles of Frisco.  The Turbines will be connected to the island from an underground electrical cable. This project was announced last September. 

The project is being conducted as a test by Duke Energy and UNC Chapel Hill of commercial wind energy along the OBX coast.  One of the most common concerns at this point for tourists and residents is the site of the large wind turbines. 

As a results of this impact study, 9000 permant jobs could be created.  The Corps announced on Tuesday that undertaking this study could take about two years. A public meeting to discuss the scope of the study will be held in Manteo on March 18.  Written comments will be taken until April 2. Write: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, Regulatory Division, Attn: File Number SAW 2009-01880, P.O. Box 1000, Washington, NC 27889-1000.

Outer Banks Wild Horses

As of 2010, guided tours in search of the Outer Banks wild horses will have new regulations to comply with.   Tours to see the OBX wild horses will be required to have permits, a guide, and a sign on the tour vehicle.  Commissioners approved the requirements in September.

Two nonprofit companies have been issued their permits over the last week and four others have applied.  In the past, driving in this area has been considered a nuisance to many residents of the Carova area, reporting trespassing and reckless driving.  The goal of the newly adopted regulations is to increase safety for all the residents of the area, including the horses. 

As a membership benefit, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund plans to offer a private tour in one vehicle driven by herd manager Wesley Stal-lings, “You’re going with the guy who sees these horses on a daily basis,” said Karen McCalpin, director of the nonprofit.  “It’s almost like a National Geographic experience.”

Outer Banks Daredevils

The Outer Banks Daredevils have signed all-stars to the club for the 2010 season.

The baseball club has signed Old Dominion utility player Donnie Corsner and Rutgers outfielder Mike Lang to its 2010 roster.

• Corsner was an impact player on last season’s Daredevils team, spending time at catcher, first base and right field. He was one of seven Outer Banks players to be named a Coastal Plain League All-Star and played in 41 games.
• Lang was the catalyst in his own right for the Valley League champion Haymarket Senators in 2009. The junior outfielder was named the tournament MVP and ranked as the Valley League’s No. 4 prospect by Baseball America.  Also a league all-star, Lang finished third in the Valley with a .357 batting average and seven home runs.  For the Scarlet Knights, he was named team MVP and appeared in all 53 games last spring. He led Rutgers in near every offensive category, such as batting average (.343), slugging percentage (.560), hits (71), home runs (8) and total bases (116).

To see the 2010 team schedule, roster updates and much more, go to www.OBXDaredevils.com.  2009 was a great season for the Daredevils, winning the first half CPL North Division title and reaching the semifinals of the Petitt Cup Playoffs. The club was ranked as high as No. 7 in the weekly Perfect Game Crosschecker poll of the country’s top summer league teams, and had seven league all-stars.

Bonner Bridge on the Outer Banks

The Bonner Bridge, spanning the Oregon Inlet on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, is in need of repairs and/or replacement.  As with most major projects of this magnitude, the process is complicated, especially considering the environmental impact the project could have on the pristine Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

It seems the process is getting a bit more complicated; construction of the replacement bridge is being delayed again to allow planners and engineers to conduct another environmental impact study.  It is reported that the decision came from the state department of transportation.  The final phase of planning is currently under review process and will be released at the end of the month.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Progress on Bodie Island Lighthouse Restoration Project

Bodie Island Lighthouse in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is in the process of undergoing major restorations.  As the project progresses, the National Park Service will provide periodic updates.

The work is being accomplished by restoration contractors, Progressive Contracting Company, LLC from Edenton, NC, United Builders Group, LLC from New Bern, NC and the metal restoration work will be handled by Enberg Mold and Tool from Jacksonville, FL.

Despite inclement weather, the work is progressing very well.  Work accomplished to date includes:

• Exterior scaffolding erection is 98% complete 
• Documentation of existing windows that will require repair
• Work with the negative air contractor to put a system in place while the   work is conducted
• Metal patterns being made and molded
• Temporary shed structure at Oil House 50% complete
• Interior scaffolding started
• Temporary interior floor protection installed

For more information on this project, contact the Public Affairs Office at 252-473-2111 ext. 148.

The Outer Banks is well-known for its gorgeous beach environment and pumping surf, arguably some of the best and most consistent surf the east coast has to offer (here’s a slide show to back up this point of view).  However, for most people the beach and waves are generally enjoyed during warm, sunny days.

From a surfer’s perspective, gnarly conditions can be a welcomed sight.  Storm surf is usually not conducive to surfing, but large storms generally throw some decent surf towards the OBX before and/or after the storm’s arrival.  Gnarly conditions also tend to thin the surfing crowd; only the most dedicated are willing to brave the most brutal conditions.  When it comes to winter on the Outer Banks, it’s difficult to create more brutal surfing conditions.

During the winter months, large storms combine with bone-chilling water temperatures (in the low 30’s right now) to make even the most weathered and dedicated OBX surfers think twice before wrestling the thick rubber wetsuit, boots, gloves, and hood around a shivering body and hustling towards the Atlantic.  Even with the protective gear, the entrance into the icy liquid is mind-numbing and each duck dive brings the ice-cream headache rushing back.  The body is cold from the rude entrance into the seemingly peaceful beach environment and stiff from the weeks without a paddle.  Muscles needed to propel you through the crushing onslaught of waves seem to be thinking of the warm safety of the car.  A paddle out into OBX surf is hard enough on an 80 degree day in boardshorts, but in the heart of the cold season, covered in thick rubber reducing all movement and vision, it seems nearly impossible.  Luckily, the payoff is great.

When you make it outside and can sit to catch your breath and relax the burning muscles, you have the opportunity to look back at the beach and take it all in; the peace and tranquility returns in a flash; bright Carolina blue skies, empty beach, gorgeous waves, low flying sea birds, and silence…just the hum and crash of passing waves.

This winter, like many, seems flat and cold.  From a surfer’s perspective there are never enough waves.  In reality, the chilly east coast winter has brought some great days…albeit few and far between and cold!  Surfer Magazine recently had some great online coverage of the winter surf on the Outer Banks.

Local pro, Noah Snyder, and Drew Meredith are featured on SurferMag.com taming some of Hatteras’ “caverns” with some great videos from inside the barrel.   The video is titled “How to Ride an Outer Banks Barrel,” and it offers an amazing perspective of the surfers catching the wave and ducking for cover as the barrel closes around them.

In addition, local surf photographer and surf enthusiast, Matt Lusk, has a great slide show displaying the Outer Banks during the winter featured on SurferMag.com.

However, the big surf news from the OBX is Brett Barley.

Brett is a wave-hunting 20 year old surfer from Buxton that made a huge impression on the surfing world over the past couple weeks.  Brett made his first appearance at the Volcom Pipeline Pro in January, and he made a name for himself early.  Brett scored a 10 and 9.67 in his first heat and made it to the semi-finals.  He arrived a relatively unknown from the remote Outer Banks and left as the “Cinderella Story” of one of the biggest surf competitions at one of the biggest surf spots of all time.  The entire competition seemed to be buzzing about Brett.  Another great example of the high-quality surf offered on the Outer Banks.

Rather than try to recap the amazing press that Brett has been receiving, here’s a quick list (with links) of some of it:

ESM – So Cool “Pruett… thats an odd way to start an article haha”

Spectaculare Advenuters  - Carolina On His Back

Surfline – Jamie O’brien Wins (slides 13, 14, 15)

TWSurf – Jamie O’ Wins The Volcom Pipeline Pro (Scroll down)

Surfer Mag – 2010 Volcom Pipeline Pro

Surfline – Pipe Locals, Aussie Chargers, and Brett Barley Advance

ASP World Tour – Brett Barley Back in Spotlight at Volcom Pipe Pro

ESPN – Barley, just Bearly

IslandFreePress – Hometown boy captures the attention of the surfing world in Hawaii event

SurfersVillage – Who da kid? Buxton’s Brett Barley Stuns Volcom Pro

Outside Online – The Cinderella Story of the Pipeline Pro