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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-03-11 Minutes 18Sept2024 PostTS8, DRGFall 2023 DRG Port, Waterway, & Beach Commission Meeting March 11, 2026 3/9/26 from Golden Sands Meeting was held in Conference Rooms 137-139 at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina, and was called to order at 4:00 p.m. by Vice Chair Neal Andrew. Members present: Commission Vice Chair Neal Andrew, New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Chair LeAnn Pierce, Carolina Beach Council Member Jay Healy, Town of Wrightsville Beach Alderman Todd Schoen, City of Wilmington Councilmember Salette Andrews, Natalie English, Ben Cherry, David Kellam, Eric Credle and Todd Walton. Members absent (excused): Chair Dennis Barbour and members Byron Ashbridge and Eve Phillips. Vice Chair Andrew led the introductions, including New Hanover County Engineer Akin Akinola. The 2/11/2026 PWBC minutes were unanimously approved (David Kellam motion, Jay Healy seconded). •Norfolk resumed work on March 4th Carolina Beach and Kure Beach FY26 Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) USACE Plans Notes/Discussion: Bryan Hall and Keith Smith attended site visit to Carolina Beach and Kure Beach portions of project with USACE Wilmington District and South Atlantic Division Commander Brig. Gen. Zachary Miller who visited the Wilmington District. Carolina Beach and Kure Beach FY26 Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Sand Placement Tracker: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/309bcbf9e63c40a8aa96791332e6a0ec USACE Sand Placement Tracker as of 11AM 3/11/26 Notes/Discussion: USACE Sand Tracker has been updated showing Norfolk’s progress. Tracker currently shows placement completion by April 20th. Jay Healy asked about a demobilization timeline. Since this is the first time pipe has been laid length of beach from inlet and not offshore, no previous events are necessarily comparable. USACE FY26 AIWW Maintenance Contract (Carolina Beach AIWW Crossing) •Southwind working within Carolina Beach Inlet AIWW Crossing and Snow’s Cut •Placement on Freeman Park (~275K CY) •Targeting to be completed by mid/late March 2/17/26 USACE Survey Notes/Discussion: Feb 27 Carolina Beach Inlet Maintenance Dredging •USACE planning a Merritt event starting tomorrow (3/12) for 14 days •Murden recently returned from multi-month stay in the Bahamas USACE Survey 1/8 & 3/9 Notes/Discussion: USACE provided update as of 3/11/26 regarding the Merritt event being moved up with target start date of 3/12. Discussion of safety concerns regarding the outer bar shoaling vs. inside of the inlet and the importance of the outer buoys being correctly located. David Kellam asked about inlet channel location of federal authorization and County’s authorization, which current authorization is to follow deep water. Survey clearly shows CSRM borrow area as Norfolk has dredged. Feb 27 Mason Inlet Relocation Project GBA 2025 MIRP Monitoring Report •GBA and Davey Resource Group have 2026 contracts in place and spring efforts have begun •NHC Board of Commissioners passed resolution on 2/16 in support of FY27 NCDWR Shallow Draft Navigation Fund Grant application •NCDWR Shallow Draft Navigation Fund Grant application initially submitted on 3/4 •Working with NCDWR to finalize any additional information required Notes/Discussion: David Kellam stated that Figure 8 Island worked with partners to begin updating the old “Inlet Atlas” that NC Sea Grant had published a while ago. Updated timelapse videos of Mason Inlet and Rich Inlet can be found at the bottom of www.figure8homeowners.com under “Inlet Atlas”. Feb 27 Wilmington Harbor Section 403 Project •USACE asked the NC Division of Coastal Management (DCM) to resume its Federal Consistency Determination review on February 16th •What is the Federal Consistency Review Process? •“Pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act, federal activities that may affect North Carolina’s coastal uses or resources must be consistent, to the maximum extent practicable, with the state’s enforceable coastal policies. Upon receipt of the Federal Consistency Determination, DCM initiated its review of the proposed actions for consistency with the North Carolina Coastal Management Program.” •DCM objected to the USACE’s Federal Consistency Determination on February 24th DCM’s Objections •Significant Adverse Impacts and is Not Consistent, to the Maximum Extent Practicable •Loss of Fisheries Habitat and Freshwater Wetland Functions •Erosion Risk and Shoreline Instability •Direct and Indirect Impacts to State, Historic, and other Properties •Economic concerns •Lack of information to allow DCM to adequately evaluate Consistency •PFAS and Sediment Contaminants •Cumulative Flooding Impacts and Sea Level Rise •Proposed Beneficial Use of Dredge Material •Mitigation of Proposed Impacts Link to NCDCM's Consistency Determination Response Letter Notes/Discussion: Natalie English provided a drafted letter that serves as the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce response to DCM’s objection to the Harbor project. An electronic copy of the draft is attached to the minutes. Discussion around what possible next steps are for USACE, NC Ports Authority, and NCDCM, which seem to be undecided at this point as USACE reviews and debates their path forward. Next Meeting: April 8th Public Comment/Open Discussion Notes/Discussion: Bryan Hall will be out on paternity leave of 4 weeks as early as next week. If you need Bryan to take care of anything prior to his leave, please reach out to him in the next few days. Akin has agreed to fill in and do the project updates for the County at April’s monthly meeting. Vice Chair Neal Andrew adjourned the meeting.