CAROLINA BEACH — Nearly two years ago the Town of Carolina Beach was forced to stop its lake dredging project due to a ‘misunderstanding’ with the federal government and the location the town was disposing of spoils.
Since that time there has been plenty of discussion surrounding the fate of the project, the cost, and whether or not the town should cut its losses and move on — but it appears that things are still moving forward.
The project was initially intended to be completed back in 2017-2018 and it would have increased the depth of the Carolina Beach Lake. This increase in depth would help the town deal with stormwater and flooding events, something that has been an item of concern for years now.
But the project has faced several different setbacks over the years.
On Tuesday, Interim Town Manager Ed Parvin offered the Town Council an update on the project and said town staff is working to acquire permits needed and to restart the project.
(Catch up here with previous reporting from the lake project)
- Halfway through lake dredging project Carolina Beach suspends work after MOTSU misunderstanding
- Cost of lake dredging in Carolina Beach could increase by 500K
- Lake dredging in Carolina Beach could resume as early as July
But as with many things, this may be easier said than done.
The initial misunderstanding stemmed from the fact the town had an agreement to put the dredging spoils, that is, the dirt and silt removed from the lake, on MOTSU (Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point) land. The only problem is that instead of filling in a ‘basin’ the town opted to put the spoils near it instead.
Town Councilman Steve Shuttleworth said that while nothing is final yet, the project is ‘still very much on the table.’ One of the problems that has made the project more difficult now is the more stringent requirements from the Army when it comes to granting permits for sites like MOTSU, he said.
More than just MOTSU
It’s not just MOTSU but across the country, the government is requiring more and more before permits are granted.
While it is frustrating to residents who have been looking forward to a deeper lake that could handle more stormwater, it is just as frustrating for staff and town leaders who are working to make it happen, he said.
MOTSU permits aside, the town has spent several years looking for new locations to put the spoils if the federal government does not allow the disposal.
In January, Carolina Beach Mayor Joe Benson said he met with the commander of MOTSU who was very supportive of allowing the town to dispose of the spoils on MOTSU land — but again, more approval is needed.
“It’s a whole lot more than the town just doing it … our friends across the river are favorable they support our desire to dredge the lake however they are not the final adjudicating authority. We’re going to pursue this and get it done,” Benson said.
The town’s relationship with its federal neighbor appears to be on the mend since Benson was elected — which was actually one of his campaign goals to help strengthen that relationship.
Parvin said that town staff is working to move the project along and is working to meet with an environmental consultant to “expedite the process and get us back into compliance.”
Staff is also working to get a new contract ready to go for the chance that MOTSU does allow the town to use its land for the spoils.
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