The Town Council will hold a town hall/forum on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 5 p.m., to hear from residents and property owners about their priorities regarding continued construction in town of sidewalks, also called multi-use “pathways.”
The discussion on sidewalks will be in the Pitts Center. (See The Beacon, 8/3/23, for first notice of the meeting.)
The Town is currently committed to installing a sidewalk along the east side of N.C. Hwy. 12/Duck Road from Triangle Park at the Duck Road split to East Dogwood Trail. Tuesday’s forum is being held to solicit public opinion about where the Town should construct future sidewalks after the Duck Road segment is finished and in what order of priority.
At its March 2022 retreat, the Council drafted the following priority list for future sidewalk segments:
1A: the Triangle Park-to-East Dogwood Trail walkway (in progress)
1B: N.C. 12/Duck Road from East Dogwood Trail to 13th Avenue (This would be new construction on the west side of the road, not repair and improvement of the east-side sidewalk, as some residents have requested. Mayor Pro Tem Matt Neal, who is running for re-election in November, indicated at the Town Council’s Aug. 1 meeting that he does not endorse this segment as a high priority because of the existence of the east-side sidewalk.)
2A: Hickory Trail from East Dogwood Trail to Hillcrest Drive
2B: Hickory Trail from Hillcrest Drive to N.C. 12/Duck Road
3: Hillcrest Drive from Hickory Trail to N.C. 12/Duck Road
4A: Sea Oats Trail from East Dogwood Trail to Hillcrest Drive
4B: Sea Oats Trail from Hillcrest Drive to N.C. 12/Duck Road
5: Wax Myrtle Trail from East Dogwood Trail to Hillcrest Drive
6: Chicahauk Trail from the cul de sac to Trinitie Trail
7: Skyline Road, its entire length from the cul de sac to N.C. 12/Ocean Boulevard
8A: Ocean Blvd. from Triangle Park at the Duck Road split to East Dogwood Trail
8B: Ocean Blvd. from East Dogwood Trail to Hickory Trail
The Town Council also indicated at its Aug. 1 meeting an interest in improving the pedestrian connections between Spindrift Trail in Chicahauk and Skyline Road and between North Dogwood Trail and Hillcrest Drive (i.e., the “fire road”).
At the same meeting, Council members said that they will not limit Tuesday’s discussion to a consideration of their priority list of street segments, expressing an interest in hearing residents’ and property owners’ opinions about sidewalks on other streets, as well as comments from people who are opposed to sidewalks.
Dare County Tourism Board grant monies are available for all sidewalk projects.
The town hall will be live-streamed at https://www.youtube.com/user/TownofSouthernShores. When you arrive at the you tube site, just click on the “Live” link.
If you are unable to attend the forum, you may email comments to the Council collectively at council@southernshores-nc.gov. If you would like to email Council members individually, see Town Council | Southern Shores North Carolina (southernshores-nc.gov).
The Beacon will cover the town hall, but because of pre-existing commitments may not be able to post a story until several days after the event.
Ann G. Sjoerdsma, 8/24/23
The Southern Shores Beacon 