Inlet Protection and Development: Private Property vs. Public Costs

Adapted from the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources & Community Development Public Hearing on Inlet Standards Release. September 1981

North Carolina's coastal heritage is built on inlets: their opening, migration, and closing. Inlets migrate thousands of feet adding sand to one end while encroaching on houses and roads at the other end.

In the 1970's, Bogue Inlet moved 1000 feet eastward, submerging several lots, a road, and a water line.

New Topsail Inlet has moved more than a half mile south since 1938.

If inlets moved regularly and predictably, their behavior would only be a minor inconvenience. However, many move erratically in rate and direction under normal conditions and change dramatically, even open or close, during storms or hurricanes.

The question facing the CRC as it considers inlet setback standards is: How close to an inlet should building be allowed?

According to Ken Stewart, Director of the Office of Coastal Management, there are three reasons for proposing inlet setback standards.

1. While the rules impact private property, great government expense is involved in flood insurance payments, disaster relief, erosion control projects, and repair of public utilities.

2. Protection of public resources is the second reason. The wet sand beach belongs to all of the public and, as natural erosion occurs, structures built too close to inlets will end up on the public's beach.

3. The next reason is to protect the consuming public from purchasing land or homes that, in all likelihood, will become unusable or even unsafe in the face of regular erosion or the force of a hurricane or major storm.

The CRC will hold public hearings in five coastal counties during the week of September 14 on proposed changes in rules that control development around inlets.

The new proposals redefine a setback zone where permanent development is prohibited and establish a secondary hazard zone in which special building conditions would apply.

Currently, inlets are covered by the same development standards that apply to oceanfront areas.

Inlets in Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender, Onslow, and Cateret counties would be affected. From south to north the inlets are: Bogue, Bear, Browns, New River, New Topsail, Old Topsail, Rich, Mason's Inlet Carolina Beach, New, Cape Fear, Lockwoods Folly, Shallotte, Tubbs, and Mad. Masonboro and Beaufort inlets will be excluded because they are stabilized. The inlets north of Beaufort are federally owned and not subject to development.

Inlet lands have a special vulnerability to erosion, flooding and the force of storms.

Inlets are really outlets for fresh water rivers and creeks which push tremendous volumes of water against the back side of the barrier islands. Inlets form when the weakest lands give way to these pressures.

Many inlet lands regularly change shape, width, and height as a result of the turbulence of the collision between inland waters and seawaters.

In developing the new proposals the Office of Coastal Management of the Department of Natural Resources and Community Development has reviewed between 17 and 30 aerial photographs of every inlet to trace their movements since 1938.

In the early 1970's, Bogue Inlet moved 1,000 feet eastward, submerging several building lots on Emerald Isle, a portion of a road, and a water line. However, two years ago this erosion ceased and Bogue Inlet started migrating toward the western shore.

The following policies are being considered in the proposals:

1. All development prohibited in an inlet area setback zone that is based on an analysis of the inlet's past movement.

2. All development setback from the first line of stable vegetation a distance equal to the oceanfront setback.

3. Permanent structures limited to a density of no more than one commercial or residential unit per 15,000 square feet of land area.

4. Only residential structures of a maximum of two units or commercial structures that can be moved if necessary, to be allowed within the inlet areas.

5. Traditional public access may not to be restricted.

6. Shoreline stabilization structures permitted only as part of public project.

7. Campgrounds, parking areas, outdoor tennis courts, beach access way, and similar low intensity uses that do not involve substantial permanent structures are exempted from the setback requirements.