TOPSAIL BEACH — Debate ensued among residents, commissioners, and town staff earlier in the week over a new public safety building proposed to properly address public safety inadequacies while also balancing the burden on the taxpayer.
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At a March 31 meeting, Topsail commissioners heard public comments and concerns regarding the plans for a new public safety building. The building would house the fire and police departments, with one option to include town hall staff, as current facilities are inadequate due to susceptibility to natural disasters, their age and space.
Plans to build a new facility accelerated last year after state legislators approved $8 million to go toward funding the new public safety building. The facility would be located in the 800 block of S. Anderson Boulevard on town land.
Commissioners had three options for project proposals from architecture firm Becker Morgan before them at Monday’s meeting. The options range in price from $8 to $12.6 million. Commissioners and constituents agreed that the departments and town hall require better facilities but disagreed on funding.
“For me, this is an additional financial burden where I’m not exactly sure if it’s a mismatch between the short-term appeal of a new facility and the costs that make it fiscally responsible,” Topsail resident Susan Crew stated during public comment.
The goal of the meeting was to listen to public feedback and concerns. Action was not taken on the item, to be readdressed next week. Seven residents signed up to speak and deliberations lasted nearly an hour-and-a-half.
“The more people I listen to who are against it, it’s more for a tax reason than a needs reason,” volunteer firefighter Tate Tucker said at the meeting. “I encourage anybody who thinks we have the fire department that we need to go over there and look at it and talk to your police officers and firefighters, find out what their needs are, if they’re being taken care of.”
The facilities’ needs
Fire Chief Bo Fussell of the Topsail Beach Fire Department articulated significant concerns at the meeting regarding their current facilities, citing a work environment that falls short of industry standards and negatively impacts their operational effectiveness.
“The building was built in the ‘70s and remodeled in 1996 and it’s just not sufficient for what we are having to do,” Fussell said.
Former Maryland firefighter and current Topsail Beach resident Ross Dinkle told the board that the current state of the building is concerning.
“It lacks the basic spaces and amenities that are considered industry standards,” Dinkle stated.
The existing fire station has undersized bays that make maneuvering essential vehicles and equipment difficult, contributing to delayed response times. According to Fussell, response times to fires are currently between 6 and 8 minutes, while the National Fire Protection Association standards state that response times should be 4 to 5 minutes.
Other issues include a lack of contamination areas, inadequate office areas, and proper HVAC systems.
Mayor Frank Braxton mentioned during the meeting the station uses “chicken coop” floor heaters in the winter.
“We prescribe in our information to residents, don’t use those for primary heat — it’s dangerous, but yet we turn around and have those in our fire department,” Braxton said.
Chief Fussell also cited during the meeting that open-air ventilation has exposed the building, equipment, and vehicles to damage from salt and sand. Previous severe weather events, like Hurricane Florence, led to flooding on the ground level of the building.
According to Commissioner John Gunter, the police department lacks appropriate space, particularly in that they use the same table for meetings, having lunch, and conducting business, such as sorting evidence.
“[This] is not going to allow us to be qualified when the state comes in and says, ‘We need to accredit your police department’ — they will not accept that,” Gunter said at the meeting.
Some commissioners expressed the current town hall building is also in need of renovation. For instance, the ground level is subject to flooding and currently lacks the appropriate office space for staff. The renovations to town hall are estimated to cost $432,000.
Two of the three proposals also include moving town staff onto the third floor of the new public safety building.
“We’ve just got a tremendous, tremendous town staff,” Gunter said to Port City Daily Friday. “They’re excellent employees. They’re smart as can be. And you know, we need to provide better for them so that they don’t start looking elsewhere.”
The options
Plans to break ground on the facility are slated for spring 2026, but first the commissioners have to choose which option to go with in the design. All are similar but have some key differences and price estimates.
Option one would cost approximately $12.6 million and proposes to build a three-story building to house the fire and police departments, as well as town hall staff. This option, which is about 31,000 square feet, fully addresses the space and work environment needs of both departments and the town.
In addition, it would:
- Address fire and police mandates (i.e. structural integrity, electrical/plumbing systems)
- Properly store fire department equipment and vehicles
- Fire department will have on-site living quarters to improve response time
- Improves resiliency to storm events
- Eliminates existing town hall renovation costs
Going forward with option one would be the most costly to taxpayers. Taxes would increase by 3 cents for fiscal year 2026 and would increase an additional 2 cents for fiscal year 2027. Based on a home value of $750,000, taxpayers could expect to pay approximately $225 for fiscal year 2026 and an added $150 the following year.
Commissioner Gunter voiced his support for it to Port City Daily.
“We would provide protection and adequate facilities for the departments and administrative staff, but people [taxpayers] are not willing to spend that much money,” Gunter stated. “Frankly, my opinion is that Topsail Beach has kicked the can down the road for many years on trying to avoid tax increases.”
The tax rate hike has been the biggest point of contention. Gunter voiced at the meeting the tax increases would be a necessary cost for new facilities.
“I think we have to be more in the present of what our needs are,” Gunter stated. “We all know we need a new firehouse and police station, we received the money to do that, so why aren’t we just doing that?”
Resident Susan Crew told commissioners she is already paying her fair share of taxes for public works and that current population growth isn’t enough to warrant a sizable development.
According to U.S. Census data, between 2022 and 2024, Topsail Beach saw a jump in population of 1.4%, adding seven new residents. But during the summer, the population balloons to nearly 60,000 with tourists coming through for vacations.
Crew was against all options and didn’t think a new facility was needed.
“I suggest that we renovate existing spaces to meet community needs,” she said at the meeting. “We can meet it affordably and responsibly.”
Resident James Ormand also questioned at the meeting whether the fire department’s requests are “needs” or “wants,” and if the project can be completed at the minimum amount of $8 million.
“I agree with several people who said we can build a facility for $8 million,” Ormand said. “Matter of fact, build it for seven, have a little left over. This $8 million is burning a hole in our pants.”
Option two, which Gunter believed is most likely to earn a vote, would cost about $9.1 million and would put less of a burden on taxpayers, with a 2-cent tax increase for FY27. Under option two, a two-story building would be constructed with about 24,000 square feet, but it will house only the fire and police departments, not town hall staff.
“Some residents do not want the town to do any additional expenditure,” Gunter told Port City Daily.
He was the only commissioner to respond with a comment by press.
“So for an additional increment of money, we can do option two, which provides the full amount of space that the police and fire chiefs in their departments have said is appropriate for them to work safely and comfortably,” Gunter said
The third option would be a two-story, 19,000-square-foot building, funded entirely by the $8-million legislative allowance. Thus it would not bring any additional cost to taxpayers. Similarly to option two, the building would house only the fire and police departments, both meeting current regulations.
Yet, it would not satisfy all of the fire department’s requests for adequate space for personnel, equipment, and vehicles. The station currently houses two fire trucks, a water rescue jet ski, and an ATV.
“If we do option 3, I think we are doing ourselves a great disservice including our employees, and in particular the police and the firemen,” Gunter said.
Topsail Beach commissioners are set to vote on what option to move forward with next Wednesday, April 9.
Port City Daily reached out to the fire and police departments, as well as the town manager for comment on the public safety building. No one responded by press.
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