The HBPOA and the NC Coastal Federation hosted an information session about the proposed terminal groin on Friday, April 29th. The objective of the session was to provide property owners with information from recognized experts so they can form opinions based on the best available information.
We recorded all the presentations for our members who could not attend. You can view the slides and listen to the presentations on our website by clicking HERE.
The following presenters and topics were discussed:
Mike Giles, Coastal Advocate, North Carolina Coastal Federation, and Tom Myers, HBPOA President welcomed everyone and provided an overview of the session and informational material that was available.
Dr. Stan Riggs, Coastal Geologist, Department of Geology, East Carolina University, discussed the “big picture” view of our coast, how it is shaped by storms, how the location of sand deposits and water flows through inlets effect beach erosion, and the potential consequences of the terminal groin
Dr. Doug Wakeman, Professor of Economics, Meredith College, and Andy Coburn, Associate Director, Program for Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University, discussed how property values are a poor measure for project value (since the benefits accrue to the property owners), how tax revenue generated is a better measure, and the potential financial impacts of the terminal groin
Geoff Gisler, Senior Attorney, Chapel Hill Office of the Southern Environmental Law Center, provided an overview of the draft Environmental Impact Statement and discussed his concerns about the models and findings.
The experts then answered questions from the audience regarding the information that was discussed.