CAROLINA BEACH — The Town of Carolina Beach’s Island Greenway will serve as a pathway for residents and visitors to the island. The Greenway will enhance the walkability of the town, but one aspect of the project has residents concerned — fencing.
The project itself is located on the Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point (MOTSU) property and fencing is a requirement from the federal government. The project has been in the works since 2009; in 2010, MOTSU officials told the town it would require a 6-foot chain link fence with barbed wire to run the length of the path.
But now, Mayor of Carolina Beach Joe Benson has put a stop to the fencing construction, for the time being, to readdress the style of fencing appropriate for the island.
Related: Island Greenway Project begins construction on Pleasure Island
In 2014, MOTSU agreed to allow the use of a higher-rated security fence that would be more aesthetically pleasing but Town Council ultimately voted to stick with the more cost-effective chain link fencing.
Town Manager Michael Cramer said, “The Island Greenway is situated on a lease from MOTSU. As a requirement of the lease, we are to install a security fence on the perimeter of the MOTSU Property to secure their property from our use. In 2014 and 2015 council had several open public discussions regarding the various types of fences that were allowed by MOTSU. At that time council determined that we would bid the project with the standard FE-6 Military grade fencing.
“Now that the fencing is going up several residents and councilmembers would like to revisit that discussion. To that end, we have stopped the installation of the fence for now and have begun collection additional information. Council will have another open public discussion on this subject at their August 14th Regular Council Meeting,” Cramer concluded.
When a resident pointed out MOTSU’s concession to allow alternatives to the fencing, Town Manager Cramer said, “The alternatives were as you mentioned much more expensive. This option was fully discussed in our public meeting on this topic and council choose not to increase the cost of the project. Neither your area nor any portion of the project will be provided with the decorative fencing. This decision was made several years ago and was conducted in full view of the public …”
The project is 1.2-miles in length and MOSTU is requiring fencing for the length of the project, but homeowners on the island believe their property values will depreciate if a chain link fence is installed. But the added cost to install a more aesthetic fence would run more than $300,000.
“The cost of the more expensive fence running the length of the 1.2-mile project would have cost approximately $323,136 in 2016 dollars. There is less than 500 linear feet of the 6,336 linear ft of Island Greenway that is not adjacent to or across the street from a current or future residential property, which means the town would be spending at least $297,636 on special fencing for the benefit of less than 70 property owners,” Cramer said.
Benson said he is planning on meeting with homeowners who would be affected by the fence and discuss costs and alternatives. For Benson, the sight of a barbwire fence in a town like Carolina Beach does not work with the atmosphere of the area, instead, he likened it to a prison.
Town Council will likely address the fencing issue at an upcoming council meeting, Benson said.
Send comments and tips to Michael.p@localvoicemedia.com
