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On November 16, 2015 the
Bertie County Board of Commissioners took action
to acquire 137 acres of land on the Albemarle
Sound. By unanimous vote the County’s governing
body approved the expenditure of $1,250,000 to
secure public water access for recreation and
tourism. Future plans may include a visitors
center for hosting outdoor performing arts, and
to serve as an educational venue for the natural
sciences and historical exploration along the
site’s 2,200 linear feet of coastal waters on
the “inner banks” of North Carolina.
Beginning in early 2013,
the Board of Commissioners identified four
strategic business clusters: Agribusiness, Bio-mass and energy,
Adventure Tourism and Waterfront development as areas of focus for the County’s
economic development efforts. As initially envisioned, Bertie County’s
“adventure tourism” efforts would capitalize on
natural and wildlife resources for activities
such as hunting, fishing, bird watching and
eco-tourism activities such as hiking and
canoeing. “Providing public access
to the County’s eastern boundary waters of the
Chowan River and Albemarle Sound has been one of
our top priorities for several years,” remarked
Ronald Wesson, Chairman of the Board. Developing paddle trails and access to
natural resources is a growing trend in Bertie
County as evidenced by the Town of Windsor’s
construction of multiple waterway access sites,
and establishing camping platforms along the
Cashie River. Bertie County has a
unique opportunity to build on its location as a
“gateway community” to the Outer Banks by
offering experiences that are unparalleled in
the realm of historical, natural resources and
eco-tourism. In an August 2015 New York Times article
covering recent archeological findings for the
noted Lost Colony on Roanoke Island, Merry Hill,
NC was identified as a location where ceramics
and other material of European origin, that
might have come from Roanoke’s colonists. The article describes how British
researchers re-examined historic coastal maps,
which point to a spot on the western end of the
Albemarle Sound near the outlets of the Chowan
River and Salmon Creek in Bertie County. Commissioner Stewart White noted that
“interest in the story of the Lost Colony and
the archeological activity in Bertie County is
really growing.” The County has also
taken steps in recent months to partner with
other local governments on a regional basis to
promote eco-tourism, paddle trails for canoeing
and kayaking and other attractions for visitors
to northeastern North Carolina, which is
described as “balancing nature and commerce.” Vice Chairman Tammy Lee represents the
Bertie County on this regional initiative.
The Board of
Commissioners is seeking several grant
opportunities such as the North Carolina Park
and Recreation Trust Fund, reported Bertie
County’s economic developer Steve Biggs, “which
should provide additional funds to develop this
site in coming years.” Chairman Wesson stated that “this Board’s
firm expectation is that this transaction will
not negatively impact the County’s tax rate.”
The County is using
funds from cash reserves, primarily from its
water system enterprise fund which had borrowed
monies from the General Fund to subsidize its
start-up operations in the 1990s. The General Fund loaned $855,000 to Water District II over
several fiscal years, which will now be
reimbursed as part of this transaction. The Board’s action included the transfer
of $855,000 from Water District II cash reserves
to the General Fund as repayment for this loan. The County’s General Fund will provide
the remaining $395,000 from its fund balance
reserves. Commissioner John Trent further clarified
that “this is a cash transaction, with no
additional debt for the County, and demonstrates
what can be accomplished with good fiscal
management.” Commissioner Ernestine
Bazemore shared with the citizens in the
audience that the County needs your input,
stating “we want to hear from you and to
understand your interest and your ideas in
seeing this project develop.”
In the coming weeks, the
Board of Commissioners will look to engage a
planning consultant to assist with development
of a vision for the ultimate build out for this
property to include road access, parking,
restroom and picnic facilities in the first
phase. Other potential amenities may include an
outdoor performance stage on the waterfront, a
heritage tourism and Lost Colony visitor
education center in the second phase. “The possibilities are unlimited” said
Chairman Wesson, referring to swimming for
children, adventure programming through the
Cooperative Extension Service’s 4-H clubs,
hosting corporate outings, family reunions, and church events including river
baptisms in the shallow sandy waters on the
shoreline. “Educational field trips for school
children, a vacation spot for local families and
hosting visitors from across the State and
region are also possible with this investment,
which will serve many generations into the future,” said
Wesson. “This was a team effort
with the Board of Commissioners fully engaged
from the outset” noted County Manager Scott
Sauer. The Board set high expectations for this
project and everyone performed in an exceptional
manner said Chairman Wesson, giving special
thanks to the County’s legal team Lloyd Smith
and Jonathan Huddleston, Finance Officer William
Roberson, Planning Director Traci White and
project leadership from Economic Developer Steve
Biggs. |
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