May 20: KDH Commissioners hear about affordable housing options/NCDOT reports service interruptions on ferry routes/Blood drive today at COA’s Dare campus.
Oregon Inlet currently unnavigable to vessels
Cyclist killed in accident with motor vehicle
‘The impacts of tourism are both positive and negative’
KDH Planning Director offers essential housing ideas
Ferry Service Interruptions Occurring Due to…
By Michelle Wagner | Outer Banks Voice on May 17, 2022
Kill Devil Hills will be home to the first Wawa convenience store in North Carolina following the May 16 town commissioners’ approval of a site plan for one of its stores at 1900 N. Croatan Highway, located on the west side of the highway just south of BB&T and across from the former Kmart.
The site, which was unanimously approved with some conditions, will include a 6,000-square-foot convenience store, eight gas pumps and 52 parking spaces. The plan was developed by Arista Development on behalf of Wawa, which has its eye on several other locations in North Carolina as well, according to its External Public Relations Supervisor Jennifer Wolf. In an email to the Voice written after the board vote, Wolf stated there is currently no timeframe for construction of the store in Kill Devil Hills.
Wawa operates more than 850 convenience stores (with 600 of them offering gasoline) in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The chain is known for its built-to-order food, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches and other Wawa brand items.
“Overall, the package that we’ve gotten is extremely thorough, it’s well engineered, it’s very detailed – how every post hole is going to be dug and where every piece of wire goes,” said Kill Devil Hills Mayor Ben Sproul before the vote. “We want folks here in the audience and folks in the neighborhood to know that we do have your best interest at heart, we are doing our best for the community at all times. You’ve definitely got a quality engineering team that put this package together.”
Several residents who live on neighboring streets spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, voicing concerns including Wawa’s plans to install a vinyl fence as a buffer from the neighborhood. “A vinyl fence will provide no barrier from noise, lights or anything else,” one resident asserted.
During the site plan presentation, however, Assistant Planning Director Cameron Ray said that the applicant has since revised the site plan to replace the vinyl fencing with shadowbox fencing to accommodate wind load and other maintenance issues.
For his part, Kill Devil Hills Commissioner Terry Gray said he would like to see the applicant go further.
“I would urge the developer to look at the fence up by Lowe’s and try to go one step further and help out with the buffering from the residences,” Gray asserted. He said that moving forward, he would like to see the town’s ordinances strengthened to require buffering that offered more of a sound barrier in situations similar to the Wawa project, where commercial establishments abut residential properties.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO REVIEW PLANS FOR AN OUTER BANKS EVENT CENTER County Dare, North Carolina Dare County Tourism Board
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Visitors Bureau will hold a public meeting to review the plans for an Outer Banks Event Center. The meeting will take place on Monday, June 6, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Keeper’s Galley building at Haven on the Banks, 115 Dove Street, Nags Head North Carolina 27959.
Still in the conceptual phase, the Event Center is intended to provide suitable and flexible space for year-round events, concerts, sports, meetings, smaller tradeshows, galas and any number of other uses. Learn more about the benefits for visitors and residents and how the Event Center is planned to complement the new Soundside boardwalk that is being designed.
Staff will be on hand to answer any questions. For additional information, please visit our Event Center FAQ page.
And so another little piece of tranquility gets paved over in KDH.
About time… I need a meatball sub.
So the houses that will be affected by lights, sound and other noise are not currently affected by the lights, sound and noise already present with other existing businesses and the bypass? Sounds like a bunch of Karen’s to me.
That’s a great addition to our area…love Wawa…great bagels! My question is, who’s going to pick up all the trash that’s going to originate on the grounds of this new establishment & that will make its way to our beach right down the street and our sound. So many of our locals, tourists, 2nd home owners, visiting contractors absolutely do not care about all the trash on our beaches, bike paths, streets, parking lot…they could care less. Again, I welcome Wawa to our business community but is there a plan in place to pick up all the trash that will be generated by those who just don’t care?
How did the Planning Department and Board of Commissioners address the ‘extra’ curb cut onto the Bypass – with this lot having side access(es) to 4th Street [two (2) actually, now] ??
My recollection is – that the owner(s) of 101 E Atlantic Street were told they could not…
I hope that the County has considered the traffic issues with allowing these placed to move in; turn lanes should be required. 158 is so dangerous and too congested not to have turn lanes for any new large businesses. The County is letting all this residential building go on, but does nothing to make the roads more safe.
Can’t wait to eat their fine delicatessen sandwiches in their clean bathrooms.
My life is complete now that Wawa is coming. Been waiting my whole life for this!
I want to thank the commissioners for listening and explaining how their hands were tied. One could tell that the WAWA people did not want to listen or work with the community in building a higher more protection for the 10 plus houses that back up to the property. People in the WAWA lot will be able to look into the bedrooms of these cottages. Do the right thing and built a wall like the good people at Lowes and Publics.
6 foot high fencing may be great in the stores established in other arsas, but the OBX homes adjacent to this proposed now approved lot are raised with the living space starting at 10 to 12 feet above ground. The 6 foot fence will do nothing. Hope Wawa does the right thing here and becomes a truly good neighbor who cares, like Lowes and Publix did.
Wawa claims to be community friendly and a concerned neighbor. It will be interesting to see how they take care of their new neighbors . Profit or integrity? Do the right thing. This is a unique area requiring unique needs to fit in.
Hey @MFS, Remember when 158 was originally a “limited access” highway, and ACTUALLY a bypass? (Think only streets currently with stoplights) Then someone came up with the brilliant idea of allowing all streets access to 158. Bravo! Way to go.
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