January 13, 2023

As you'll see in this Ocean Breeze Annual Review, 2022 was a busy year in Atlantic Beach. From completing the Public Safety and Administration Complex to beginning the process of revitalizing the boardwalk, the Town of Atlantic Beach has made great strides in all service areas for our citizens. 

We are proud to present just a few of the successful projects completed in 2022! 

DoubleTree East Beach Access

The newly constructed handicap-accessible beach access located on the east side of the DoubleTree by Hilton was completed in June. It is now being utilized by residents and visitors and is a much-welcomed addition to the west end of Atlantic Beach. Our Public Works Department completed pre-construction demolition, and Waters Contracting Company installed the structure. 

The beach access was made possible by a state CAMA grant of $94,000 and was the last of 21 accesses in Town to be upgraded to meet ADA requirements. Please note the walkway is public, but parking is for guests of the DoubleTree only.

Public Safety & Administration Complex

After years of preparation, the Town of Atlantic Beach is excited to utilize its new 2-story, 20,000-square-foot Public Safety & Administration Complex. The facility is home to our Fire Department, Police Department, Administrative Offices; and serves as the Emergency Operations Center during emergencies and extreme weather events. In addition, this new facility features restrooms, shower facilities, and bunk rooms for both male and female employees, all of which are vital for the Police & Fire service.

Individual departments moved into the new facility in March, and Town Council hosted an open house and ribbon cutting in July! 

Beach Music Festival Recap

The 2022 AB Beach Music Festival was a huge success with six events throughout Beach Music Week, thousands in attendance, and over $40,000 in sponsorships! Thank you to Kestrel Aerial Imagery for capturing this overhead view of the 2022 festival. 

Save the date for the 9th Annual AB Beach Music Festival on the boardwalk at the Circle on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

This year's festival will feature:

• 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot
• 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. The Band of Oz
• 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Jim Quick & Coastline
• 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. I-42 Band
• 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Mighty Saints of Soul

Wastewater Service for Commercial District

The Atlantic Beach Town Council approved an agreement with Red Bird Utility Operating Company to reserve a limited amount of wastewater capacity for the Town's Commercial Corridor Zoning District. This district includes the Causeway along with the small portion of Fort Macon Road that runs from the ABC Store to The Shepard of the Sea Lutheran Church.

This commercial district is the gateway to Atlantic Beach from the mainland. It is home to many of the Town's businesses. The Town Council sought a utility partner to provide sewer service to the district to maintain and enhance its commercial character. Without sewer, much of the land in this area would have been converted from commercial to residential use.

Red Bird Utility Operating Company is a subsidiary of Central States Water Resources, a large public utility. Red Bird is purchasing the existing Sugarloaf Utility that provides wastewater service to the Atlantic Station Shopping Center and many other properties in Atlantic Beach. Red Bird plans to replace the existing plant with a new state-of-the-art plant that will provide extra capacity to serve the Commercial Corridor District. The cost of the system will be borne by Red Bird and the customers who connect to the system.

It will take approximately two years before businesses can connect to the new system. In the meantime, the Town is working with an excellent land planning consultant to create strict development guidelines to ensure that the future redevelopment in the district will be attractive, business-oriented, and appropriate for Atlantic Beach.  

The Gateway Project

Town Council authorized contracting with Yard & Co to develop a Small Area Plan for the Causeway. This initiative will ensure that any redevelopment due to the proposed extension of wastewater service to the Causeway Commercial Corridor zone will be carefully managed.

Yard & Co. has completed Phase I of the project and is working on deliverables for Phases II and III, which include establishing small business incentives, evaluating allowed uses along the Causeway, creating an implementation matrix for the plan, and preparing a text amendment to incorporate these changes into the UDO.  

2022 Town Events

Throughout 2022, the Town hosted various family-friendly events on our beachfront and at the Atlantic Beach Town Park. 

• Annual Smoke on the Water Bonfire
• Valentine's Weekend Pub Crawl
• Flashlight Egg Hunt
• Beach Music Week
• Beach Music Festival
• Jr. Lifeguard Camp
• Summer Movies at the Park
• Water War Dance Parties
• July 4th Celebration
• Christmas In July
• National Night Out
• Spooky Seas Trunk or Treat
• Light Up The Night Christmas Parade

Save the date for the second annual Valentine's Weekend Pub Crawl on Saturday, February 11, with drink specials at nine different Atlantic Beach locations. 

Boardwalk Project Underway

In January, the Town of AB began receiving design submissions for a new boardwalk, a new bathhouse, and a multi-use pavilion on the site of the legendary Pavilion that anchored the boardwalk for decades before being demolished in more recent years. The Town used an international competition to select the architects and received over 50 submissions from architecture and landscape architecture firms.

A jury was chosen to review the submissions. The jury included:

• Mayor Trace Cooper
• Councilman Danny Navey
• Fred Bunn
• MA Allen
• Marjorie Hodges
• Patrick Hobgood

After narrowing the field to three finalists, the competition jury selected KUTONOTUK of Charlottesville, VA as the winner. Second place went to FORMA from New York City. Third place was awarded to Lewis Williams of Hudson Architects in Norwich, England.

Atlantic Beach Mayor, Trace Cooper, noted that "the jury had a very difficult decision—all three finalists submitted excellent designs, and any one of them would have led to a great new boardwalk."

KUTONOTUK proposes a boardwalk design incorporating the existing boardwalk's features, such as the seawall and the boardwalk's concrete foundation. It includes a central public park, Alfred B. Cooper Park, with a grove of live oak trees and ample public amenities. 

$300,000 CAMA Grant Received 

In November, Town Manager David Walker announced that Atlantic Beach had received a $300,000 CAMA Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access grant for the Boardwalk Renovation project. Walker said it was one of several grants the Town would pursue to offset the cost of the project to upgrade the boardwalk. 

The Boardwalk Project will be completed in phases and includes a new boardwalk, bathhouse/restrooms, gathering spaces, multi-use Pavilion, handicap-accessible beach accesses, and shade structures.

In anticipation of the project, Town crews removed the warped and aging wooden planks from the boardwalk, which have been a hazard to beachgoing pedestrians. 

ABKMT Donations

The Atlantic Beach Ocean Rescue Lifeguards began the 2022 beach season with shiny new equipment! Thanks to the Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Fishing Tournament, three new lifeguard towers were purchased and installed at The Circle regional beach access. 

The $38,000 large center tower was custom-built by Bausch Enterprises in Stuart, Florida. The east and west towers were built by JR Hunnings in Maysville, NC, and were purchased for $8,000 each. All three towers are composed of aluminum, stainless steel, and composite decking and feature a sled-style base for each transport across the sand. 

In addition to the lifeguard towers, the ABKMT generously donated the following items throughout 2022:

• 8 Surf Rescue Boards                  
• Large Screen TVs for new station      
• Can Am Side-by-Side UTV            
• New lifeguard uniforms                 
• Public safety gym equipment          
• Beach wheelchair                     
• Can-Am ATV                         
• Hurst extrication equipment (Jaws of life)
• Electronics, graphics, and rescue equipment for new ABFD boat

A special thank you to the Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Fishing Tournament for their generous support of the Atlantic Beach Fire Department. The ABKMT truly does "Fish For Life!"     

Stormwater Drainage Projects



A major $90,000 gravity-flow storm drainage project along E. Atlantic, from Greenville Ave to Wilson Ave, was completed in June. The project eliminated an old station and converted the areas to gravity flow into the existing storm drain system. Work was completed by SF Ballou and increased capacity and reliability during storms. SF Ballou also replaced permeable pavement along the 100 block of E. Boardwalk. 

Annual Dredging Project Complete

In May, the Town completed its annual spring dredging project. Brooks Dredging & Marine Construction removed 3,500 cubic yards of material from the following locations: Royal Channel, Crow's Nest Channel, New Causeway Channel, Causeway Channel Buoy 5A and Buoy 7A, and Money Island Channel. The Show Boat property owners purchased the sand from the dredging firm and used it to raise their site.

The $150,000 project was funded by $100,000 from the state and $50,000 from the Town's dredging account, which is directly funded by boat personal property taxes. 

22nd Consecutive Year Receiving The Excellent Audit Award

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Town of Atlantic Beach for its comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition within governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management! 

Officer Safety Grant Received

In December, the Atlantic Beach Police Department received a $23,984 grant from the NC Department of Public Safety Governor's Crime Commission for a Livecad Interface. With no matching funds required from the Town, the Livecad System will allow us to "see" all of the calls in the county and pinpoint our officers' locations and the type of call they are on at any given moment. Law enforcement agencies in Carteret County have been using this system with great success for over ten years. The Livecad Interface system is extremely valuable as an officer safety tool and a mutual aid resource.  

Traffic Safety Updates

After discussion at the annual retreat in March, the Atlantic Beach Town Council approved a change to the speed limit on the east end. The speed limit is now 35 MPH year-round. Previously, the speed limit increased to 45 MPH during the winter months.

To protect pedestrian and bicycle traffic, a series of four-way stops have been installed at intersections in the cottage district south of Hwy 58 from Cedar St to Wilson St., as approved by the Town Council. Please take note of the new signage and help protect our pedestrians! 

Photo of the Week

Thank you to Jim Colman for posting this photo on Facebook.

Be sure to tag @townofatlanticbeach to have your photos featured.