Recreational Facilities Plan-1989

TOWN OF KILL DEVIL HILLS
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
PLAN, 190Y
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Division of CoastalManagement
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WILLIAM C. OVERMAN ASSOCIATES, P.C.
380 CLEVELAND PLACE VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA 23462 [phone]

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William C. Overman Associates, P.C. Engineers. Planners
r July 11, 1989
Honorable Chairman and Members
Town Planning Board
Town of Kill Devil Hills
Post Office Box 719
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina 23748
Gentlemen:
We take pleasure in presenting our report entitled
Recreational Facilities Plan, Town of Kill Devil Hills, in
accordance with our subcontract of March 24, 1989.
The report lists recreational facilities recommendations
with priorities and costs to fulfill the goal of providing or
supporting a variety of active and passive recreational
facilities for Kill Devil Hills residents of all age groups.
Supporting documentation for the recommendations is presented
including a facilities inventory, an analysis, goals and
objectives. Maps and summaries of the recreational facilities
plan committee workshop and the recreational facilities survey
are included to support and illustrate the work.
We appreciate our continuing working relationship with the
Town of Kill Devil Hills. We stand ready to assist you as you
work toward implementation of this plan.
Very truly yours,
WILLIAM C. OVERMAN ASSOCIATES, P.C.
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By:
Garland L. Page, Jr., P. .
Director of Planning
GLP:blp
380 Cleveland Place - Virginia Beach, VA 23462-6529
tTelephone: [phone] - Telecopier: [phone]

TOWN OF KILL DEVIL HILLS
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN
1989
Planning Board
William Schmidt, Chairman Thomas Taylor, Vice -Chairman
Phillip L. Tate Terrence L. Gray Thomas Casey
Raymond P. Sturza (alternate) Ronnie E. Ballance (alternate)
Claire Waterfield (Clerk)
Department of Planning and Development
William G. Loy, Director
L. Ralph Allen, Assistant Planner
I Consultant
William C. Overman Associates, P. C.
1
Sandra M. Weir
Certified as Planner -in -Charge
North Carolina Division of Coastal Management
The preparation of this report was financed in part through
a grant provided by the North Carolina Coastal Management Program
through funds provided by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972
as amended which is administered by the Office of Ocean and
Coastal Resource Management of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.

IPrepared November 6, 1989
ADDENDA TO RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN
The following addenda are arranged topically rather than in
1 page order.
FIRST TOPIC: THE EQUAL PRIORITY OF THE FIRST THREE OBJECTIVES.
' Page 17, paragraph 1, at sentence 4, begin a new paragraph and
revise as follows:
Objectives 1, 2, and 3 are of equal priority. The order in
which they appear is arbitrary and is not a rank -ordering by
importance. The selection of the three objectives of equal
importance by the Recreational Facilities Committee reflects the
committee's concern for meeting the facilities demands of all age
groups. Mini -parks will serve all ages but will focus on
children; a youth center will be designed for teenagers; and the
' path system will serve all ages. The recommended scheduling and
funding levels (Chapter VI) for the three priorities reflect
their high demand and equal status.
Page 37, paragraph 2, new third sentence as follows:
Note that, according to the schedule, significant projects
for objectives 1 through 3 would be complete by 1993 and that the
town's level of capital funding for the three objectives would be
similar, ranging from $37,500 for a youth center to $57,000 for a
path system.
SECOND TOPIC: TRAFFIC SAFETY PROBLEMS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND
BICYCLISTS ON THE BEACH ROAD. ,
Page 19, new paragraph at end of Objective 3 writeup:
I� While the appropriate location for a new continuous path
system is west of the Croatan Highway, it must be recognized that
the Beach Road will continue to be used by pedestrians and
bicyclists as a transportation route and for recreation. Every
effort should be made to improve safety conditions on the Beach
road while encouraging recreational bicyclists and walkers to use
the new western path system.
Page 29, at end of first full paragraph:
The town should work immediately with NCDOT to improve
safety conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians using the Beach
Road. The town should further the path system as follows: . . .
89-09 Add

THIRD TOPIC: REQUIRED LAND DEDICATION FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES
IN SUBDIVISIONS.
Page 18, at end of Objective 1 writeup:
Dedication of land for recreational purposes should be
required in all subdivisions or resubdivisions.
iPage 23, new second paragraph:
Reservation for dedication of land to the town for
j recreational facilities should be required for all new
subdivisions and resubdivisions. The town's subdivision
ordinance should be strengthened to state this requirement
clearly. The subdivision ordinance should account for each of
these factors:
* A relationship between the development's lot sizes and
percent of land to be required for open space;
* Options for dedication of less land if facilities are
provided such that the value of the total dedication is
equivalent to the land dedication otherwise required;
* Suitability of the site for recreation and its
accessibility to residents.
Page 44, second paragraph, new second sentence:
As specified in Chapter V, Objective 1, mini -parks, the
town's subdivision ordinance should be amended to require such
dedications in Kill Devil Hills.
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89-09 Add

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We express our sincere appreciation to the Planning Board of
Rill Devil Hills for their review and comments, to Mr. William G.
Loy, Director of Planning and Development, for his guidance and
counsel, to Mr. Howard Williams, Director of Dare County Parks
and Recreation Department, for much valuable information, to the
town staff.who distributed the recreational facilities survey, to
the Recreational Facilities Planning Committee (Exhibit 3) for
rtheir comments and contributions to the plan, to all of the Rill
Devil Hills property owners who were interviewed or who responded
' to the Recreational Facilities survey and to Mr. Stephen R.
Gabriel with the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources
and Community Development for his overall assistance.
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN
Town of Kill Devil Hills, 1989
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter
Page No.
i.
Introduction
1
II.
Inventory
4
III.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats Analysis (SWOTS Analysis)
11
A. Town -owned land
11
B. Other land
13
14
C. Recreational facilities
D. Recreational programs
15
IV.
Goal and Objectives
17
V.
Recommendations
22
A. Objective 1: Mini- Parks
22
B. Objective 2: Youth Recreation Center
25
C. Objective 3: Path System for Bicycling,
Jogging, and Walking
28
D. Objective 4: Community -Scale Park
31
E. Objective 5: Indoor Swimming Pool
33
F. Objective 6: Maintain Existing
Facilities and Seek
Further Opportunities
35
Vi.
Summary, Cost Estimates, and Schedule
37
Exhibit
Current Recreational Facilities and Programs
E-1
2
Potential Recreational Facilities (map)
E-2
3
Recreational Facilities Plan Committee
Workshop Summary
E-3
4
Recreational Facilities Survey and
Summary of Results
E-5

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN I. INTRODUCTION
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
' The Town of Kill Devil Hills, NC is
an outdoor recreational playground. The
Atlantic Ocean, Kitty Hawk Bay, Roanoke
' Sound, and their adjacent beaches are
used for many types of water sports and
' recreation. The Wright Brothers National
Memorial is the site of an annual "Fly -
In" and there are numerous fishing
tournaments held in the town. Commercial
recreational facilities include swimming
pools, tennis courts, a golf course,
miniature golf courses, and many
others. Many land and water sports, such
as bicycling, skateboarding, and surfing,
thrive even where there are no formal
facilities.
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I89-09-Rec
The Town government has had a
limited role in providing recreational
facilities to date. The Town has a
stated recreational policy in its 1987
Land Use Plan as follows:
"The Town supports the
expenditure of public funds for
organized recreational
activities in Kill Devil Hills
and favors the development of
the following recreational
facilities in the next five
years, listed according to
priority:
a. Bicycle Routes
b. Jogging or walking paths
C. Playgrounds for children
age 10 and under
d. Parks and picnic areas"
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CREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN I. INTRODUCTION
11 Devil Hills, 1989
The above policy adopted by•.the
Planning Board in the Land Use Plan was
taken largely from rank -ordered responses
by property owners and residents to the
following question in the land use plan
update questionnaire:
"Listed below are several
recreation facilities. Please
circle any that you feel are
important enough to be built at
public expense:
a. indoor ball courts
b. tennis courts
C. ball fields
d. playgrounds (for children aged
10 years or less)
e. bicycle routes
f. jogging and walking paths
g. parks and/or picnic areas
h. golf course
i. other "
In order to further develop and
carry out its policy in the way that best
meets the demand for recreation, the Town
has begun the current Recreational
Facilities Plan.
There has never been a comprehensive
needs assessment for recreational
facilities in Kill Devil Hills. The
current planning -effort should, --
therefore, be as comprehensive as
possible, within three important
constraints: (1) The wealth of
recreational facilities of some types
89-09-Rec - 2 -

Kill Dev
)NAL FACILIT:
Hills, 1989
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provided by sources other than the town
will be assumed to fulfill some part of
the demand (town facilities would not
replace them); (2) A Shoreline Access
Plan for the Town of Kill Devil Hills,
NC. (underway) is assumed to provide the
needs assessment for shoreline access;
(3) The current planning effort is being
accomplished with limited resources. The
planning process must move quickly from a
comprehensive needs assessment to
recommendations for specific facilities.
The plan will abide by the goals of
the Coastal Area Management Act (CARA) of
1974 and with its:
"(4)... policies, guidelines and
standards for:...
c. Recreation and tourist
facilities and parklands;"
(N.C. Code 113A-102b(4))
In practice, the CAMA guidelines for
recreation and tourist facilities and
parklands have largely been twofold.
First, parks and recreational facilities
must abide by CAMA permitting
regulations. Second, CAMA Article 7A
(N.C. Code 113A-134), Coastal and
Estuarine Water Beach Access Program
provides for the shoreline access program
mentioned earlier. The program may be
used for ancillary recreation facilities - -
at beach access sites.
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
89-09-Rec
II.
The Town of Kill Devil Hills
currently has one public park area, Kill
Devil Hills Municipal Park (Exhibit 11
Exhibit 2). Its facilities include one
lighted ballfield of regulation size for
softball and another smaller softball
field. The lighted ballfield has two
sets of bleachers and two dugouts. T-
ball, "Knee pants" softball, Little
League baseball, and adult men's and
women's softball leagues use the
fields. There are summer and fall soccer
leagues for all ages; the soccer field is
short and portable equipment is used on
the field. The park also has two
unlighted, standard asphalt -surfaced
tennis courts. There is a shaded picnic
area with playground equipment.
The town owns and maintains its
municipal park facilities. An annual
budget in the tens of thousands of
dollars covers labor and materials and is
a part of the overall Public Works
buildings and grounds budget. The Kill
Devil Hills Taxpayers' Association
donated one thousand dollars towards the
dugouts to the town.
All municipal park recreational
programs are run by the Dare County
Recreation and Parks Department and are
open to all county residents. Tourists
are welcome to make casual use of the
facilities but the department's mission
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN II.
Kill Devil Sills, 1989
is to serve county residents. There is a
formal interlocal agreement between the
town and the county that sets forth the
exchange of facilities for services. No
funds exchange takes place.
The two ballfields at Kill Devil
Hills park accommodate both the practices
and games for all youth ball teams in the
Beach leagues that serve all of Dare
County's beach communities. The 1988
distribution of teams, who played between
April and August, was as follows:
T-Ball 10 teams Coeducational
"Knee Pants" softball 10 teams Coeducational
Little League baseball 8 teams Coeducational
There is an adult softball league
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with 10 teams (separate men's and women's
teams), that serves the beach and
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mainland Dare County and uses the town's
field for some of its games.
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Soccer is played from August through
December. The participation is as
follows:
Ages 6-9 5 beach teams, county -wide league
Ages 10-12 5 teams in beach league
Ages 13-15 2 teams in beach league
Adults 4 teams in beach league
In summary, the Kill Devil Hills
park provides the playing fields for over
600 ball players and about 325 soccer
players from the beach communities.
Tennis courts are open for use on a
first -come, first -served basis.
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
INVENTORY
Elsewhere in the beach communities
the most active Dare County recreational
program is at Kitty Hawk school, where
some activities have been curtailed
during school construction. When
construction is complete, Little League
baseball, soccer and tennis will resume
at Kitty Hawk school, as will the
following indoor programs: basketball,
volleyball, aerobics, gymnastics and
dance. Nags Head has 6 tennis courts
that are used for tennis classes.
A county -sponsored learn -to -swim
program is available to children in the
Manteo elementary school. The program
uses a health club swimming pool near the
school.
The town owns beach access
corridors, with fifteen of them currently
developed in some way.
There is one large property owned by
government agencies, commonly known as
the "Baum tract", that has much
recreational development potential. Of
the area originally purchased by the
town, about 100 acres have been
transferred to the Dare County Board of
Education. The preliminary plans call
for one elementary school, one middle
- school; -and -one-high- school -to- be built
on the tract. A sketch plan for
recreational facilities to be eventually
associated with the schools shows the
following:
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN II. INVENTORY
'
Kill Devil Sills, 1989
'
1
football field with quarter mile track,
stadium to seat 31400
1
football field with bleachers to seat 11360
1
high school baseball field
2
softball or little league fields
2
soccer fields
1
combination soccer/little league field
1
31,000 square foot indoor recreation
building with a pool of 80' x 100'
'
The construction of the elementary
and middle schools has been approved by
the Town of Kill Devil Hills and building
permits will probably be issued during
1989. Playground equipment will be
erected as a part of the schools'
construction and will be maintained
according to the terms of a cooperative
agreement. None of the organized sports
facilities listed above will be a part of
the initial phase of construction.
The new schools will require
construction of an access road on a
relocated right-of-way. The Board of
Education and Dare County will be
'
obligated to thirteen conditions as
the right-
compensation for relocation of
of-way and the resultant reduction in the
'
town's ability to use its wastewater
treatment facility site. The obligations
include the following three items that
are relevant to this recreational
facilities plan:
"- An agreement by the County within
'
two years to provide a minimum of
10,000 square feet of office space
on a joint Town -County building
located on Town property at a
'
location mutually agreed upon.
'
89-09-Rec
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN II. INVENTORY
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
An agreement relating to
construction of an auditorium
' located on town property which would
have shared use by the Town, the
County and Board of Education and a
site needs to be selected for this
location.
An agreement to provide certain
' recreational activities on County
property which would have joint use
by Town, County and Board of
Education."
Approximately 125 acres out of the
' remainder of the tract has been assigned
users. Of this area, about one-third is
' used or to be used for water treatment,
solid waste transfer and wastewater
disposal, so it has no recreational
potential. The other land uses are the
existing Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce,
the existing Thomas Baum Center managed
by the Dare County Adult Services
' Department, the existing town municipal
complex, the site of the future Dare
' County Library (to be built by 1991), and
the town site earmarked for construction
of the auditorium that is a part of the
schools' agreement (above).
The new existing town municipal
complex is on a site of over twenty
acres. The vacant portion of the site
has been considered for additional
offices and for recreational use. The
' vacant area includes a scenic natural
pond of nearly two acres.
I89-09-Rec - 8 -

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN II. INVENTORY
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
' Several of the facilities listed
above are in the business of providing
' leisure services, including the library,
the Thomas Baum Center, and the
' auditorium. Whether or not such
facilities are recommended for program or
' facility additions as a part of this
recreational facilities plan, the
relationships among all leisure services
' will be recognized.
The westernmost portion of the Baum
tract is adjacent to Buzzard Bay. Its
official proposed use is for a college
' facility but there are no plans for any
specific college on the site. The famous
' living sand dune, "Run Hill", covers part
of the "college" site, part of the Dare
County school site, and part of adjacent
' Nags Head Woods.
The town owns a five -acre vacant
' site on the western bank of the Fresh
Pond. The town has assumed ownership of
' the Ocean Acres wastewater treatment
plant and is preparing for its
' abandonment when the new plant is
available. The wastewater treatment
plant site and its associated corridor
will thereafter become available for a
different use by the town.
The town also owns seven properties
' that are considered to be possible
locations for mini -parks. Three of the
sites are inland in the northern half of
' town, three are on Kitty Hawk Bay, and
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FACILITIES PLAN
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
II.
one is on the ocean. All of the. -
waterfront sites except the Bay site
south of Truxton Street have been
recommended as shoreline access points.
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
PLAN III. SWOTS ANALYSIS
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
'
Recreational facilities strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
'
((SWOTS) are analyzed based upon the
inventory and certain interviews.
The analysis helped to define the
recreational facilities issues to be
addressed in the second phase of the
plan. The needs assessment that was the
second phase of the plan then yielded a
'
prioritized list of facilities and parks
desired by citizens (Chapter IV). That
from of
prioritized list resulted review
the SWOTS analysis and from citizen
'
survey questionnaires and a workshop. In
the strategic planning tradition, it will
be expected that a needs assessment done
following SWOTS analysis will yield
realistic recreational facilities goals
for the town rather than an idle wish
'
list.
This analysis considers the
'
following aspects of recreational
facilities:
A. Town -owned land.
'
B. Other land.
C. Recreational facilities.
D. Recreational programing.
A. Town -owned Land
The total town -owned land in use or
'
available for recreational purposes is a
strength -in Kil•1 Devil -Hills: Assuming
the resident, year-round population will
'
89-09-Rec

' RECREATI,
Kill Dev
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FACILITIES
Hills, 1989
YS
grow to about 7,000 at build -out,
national standards would recommend a core
system of 45 to 75 acres of municipal
parkland. Kill Devil hills has up to 140
acres of town -owned land available for
parks.
The distribution of land available
for larger, multi -use facilities is
good. A community park located at the
Baum tract would be fairly centrally
located. The existing municipal park
largely performs neighborhood park
functions but it is used for some
community park events such as the Kill
Devil Hills Park Day. The site adjacent
to the Fresh Pond and the Ocean Park site
on West Hayman Boulevard have potential
as neighborhood parks to serve areas
remote from the larger parks.
The distribution of land for mini -
parks or tot lots is not as good. There
are too few and they are all in the
northern one-third of the town. The town
has almost no land remaining to be
subdivided, so it has few.opportunities
to negotiate for developers to dedicate
recreational land as a part of the
subdivision process.
The only developed town -owned land
is at the municipal park. The rest of
the town -owned land contains a variety of
features, including flat, stable land,
dunes, wetlands, and ponds, that would
lend themselves to a variety of uses.
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ATIONAL FACILITIES
Devil Hills, 1989
I
ANALYSIS
B. Other Land Other existing and potential
recreational land that should be
considered is of two types. First, there
is vacant or redevelopable land that
could be purchased or otherwise acquired
by the town for town facilities. Second,
there are lands that will remain in other
than town ownership but that provide or
could provide recreational activities for
town residents.
Kill Devil Hills is growing rapidly
but it has many remaining vacant lots
_ within existing subdivisions. There are
potential mini -park and neighborhood park
sites throughout the town. Land prices
are, however, very high.
There are many unbuilt, platted
streets ("paper streets") in subdivisons
in the southern part of town that will
not be required for property access. The
town could acquire use of these right-of-
ways by completing street vacation
procedures followed by establishing a
recreational easement.
Much of Kill Devil Hills land is
recreational land owned or controlled by
other governmental agencies or by private
owners. The ocean beach is available for
public use for the full length of Kill
Devil Hills. It is the chief attraction
for the seasonal population and provides
for much of the recreational activity for
tourists and residents. Sound shore
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN III. SWOTS ANALYSIS
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
beaches provide some of the same
activities.
The Wright Brothers National
Memorial is an important cultural amenity
and also provides a large tract of open
space in the center of the town.
Nags Head Woods is partially owned
by the North Carolina Nature
Conservancy. The Conservancy also has
stewardship over some portions of Nags
Head Woods that are in other private
' ownership. The Conservancy has a sole
mission: preservation of the Woods, a
unique maritime forest. It has no
recreational mission, but it does
represent a large tract of open space in
the town.
C. Recreational
Facilities The town's current recreational
facilities for organized sports are used
to capacity. The ballfields and soccer
fields connected to school construction
on the Baum Tract could provide for the
expansion of such sports programs. There
is not yet a definite date for
construction of any of those facilities.
The recreational policy adopted as a
part of the 1987 Land Use Plan displayed
a preference for the town to provide
- - bicycle -routes,- paths; -playgrounds, and
parks and picnic areas. These represent
' a mix of active and passive recreational
activities. It is notable that the
89-09-Rec - 14

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN III. SWOTS ANALYSIS
' Kill Devil Hills, 1989
desire to fund such facilities rated
' higher than the desire for public team
sports or tennis facilities.
The completion of the elementary and
middle schools at the Baum Tract will
make indoor sports facilities available
there to accommodate a county
recreational program similar to the one
in Kitty Hawk school.
A swimming pool has already been
included in the preliminary layout for
1 facilities at the Baum Tract. If
constructed, it would be operated and
maintained according to a cooperative
agreement among some combination of Dare
County, the Board of Education, and the
' town.
The citizens' survey that was a part
of this recreational facilities plan was
the town's first opportunity to assess
1 the demand for a broader range of
facilities.
' D. Recreational
Programs The Town of Kill Devil Hills does
1 not have a recreation department and
currently offers no programs. Both the
1 town and Dare County officials have
stated that the relationship between the
town and the county for county programs
1 at _town _facili.ties ..is _ working. well. -Such
a cooperative effort and the good
' prospects for including the schools in
the future present the town with many
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RECREATIONAL FACI
' Rill Devil Hills,
' 89-09-Rec
TIES PLAN
89
I. SWOTS ANALYSIS
opportunities.
There are other opportunities for
cooperative arrangements with commercial
providers of recreation, such as motels
with pools. There are, though,
complicating factors with regard to such
arrangements. A typical example is
trying to match the season when town
residents would participate most heavily
in a swimming program with the season
when a motel pool might be open yet not
heavily used by tourists. Such
cooperative arrangements need further
exploration.
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RECREATION
FACILITIES PLAN IV. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
'
Rill Devil
Hills, 1989
The needs assessment phase of the
recreational facilities plan provided the
basis for a proposed recreational
facilities goal and objectives for the
Town of Kill Devil Hills. The needs
assessment included two workshop sessions
of the newly -formed Recreational
r
Facilities Committee (Exhibit 3) and the
analysis of a Recreational Facilities
Survey (Exhibit 4). The goal and
objectives are stated below; each
'
objective is a type of recreational
facility to be provided. Objectives 1,
2, and 3 are of equal priority;
objectives 4, 5, and 6,-in that order,
are of lesser priority. The facilities
could be provided in various combinations
and according to various options for
rservice
provider, schedule, location, and
funding arrangements. The final chapters
comprise options and recommendations.
The proposed Kill Devil Hills
Recreational Facilities Goal is:
r
DEVIL HILLS WILL
GOAL
THE TOWN OF KILL
PROVIDE OR SUPPORT A VARIETY OF ACTIVE
AND PASSIVE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR
ITS RESIDENTS OF ALL AGE GROUPS. A
SPECIFIED SET OF OBJECTIVES WILL BE MET
SO THAT ABUNDANT FACILITIES WILL BE IN
'
PLACE BY THE YEAR 2000.
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RECREATION FACILITIES
PLAN IV. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
OBJECTIVE 1:
Mini -parks will be provided on Town -
MINI -PARKS
owned sites with priority given to
locations within walking distance of
residents. Each mini -park will contain a
variety of recreational facilities to
serve all ages when complete such as
tables,
playground equipment, picnic
mini -playing fields, and horseshoe pits.
OBJECTIVE 2:
The Town of Kill Devil Hills will be
YOUTH RECREATION
one of the funding agencies for a youth
CENTER
recreation center to serve the northern
beaches. It should include at least one
space designed as a drop -in center,
another space designed for organized,
scheduled functions, and a kitchen. It
might be appropriate to construct the
youth center as the first phase of a
multi -purpose facility that would later
include a swimming pool and/or indoor
court sports facilities. (see objectives
4 and 5). On the other hand, a youth
recreation center at one location and a
later indoor recreation building at
the
another location might serve youth
population just as well.
OBJECTIVE 3:
The Town of Kill Devil Hills will
PATH SYSTEM FOR
support a continuous path and trail
BICYCLING, JOGGING,
system from the northern town boundary to
AND WALKING
the southern town boundary. As much of
-the-system-as-possible-will be -
constructed to standards to accommodate
two-way bicycle, jogging, and walking
traffic. The system will be designed
89-09-Rec
- 18 -
1

RECREATION FACILITIES PLAN IV. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
' Kill Devil Hills, 1989
with recognition of its combined
transportation and recreational..
functions. Its development will be
coordinated with the North Carolina
Department of Transportation, neighboring
towns, the National Park Service, and the
Nature Conservancy, and the interests of
affected property owners will be
considered.
OBJECTIVE 4:
The Town of Kill Devil Hills, in
COMMUNITY -SCALE
cooperation with other jurisdictions,
' PARK
will develop a community -scale park on
the Baum Tract. Some of the desired park
functions will be accomplished according
to the conditions of the agreement for
new schools location (Chapter II); other
functions would be chiefly the town's
responsibility. Facilities desired by
rtown
residents that are most likely to be
provided by the Town by 1995 are:
*Passive park facilities such as
benches, picnic grounds, and nature
preserve areas;
* A bicycling/jogging/walking loop
'
trail to be connected to the cross-
town path system (see Objective 3);
* An outdoor fitness course integrated
with the trail; and
Tennis courts
Those facilities to be eventually
provided by the new schools' agreement
that are most in demand by town residents
are:
89-09-Rec - 19 -

RECREATION FACILITIES PLAN IV. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
i* Athletic fields;
* Playground equipment;
* An indoor recreation building with
swimming pool; and an auditorium
'
The goals of the town in its efforts
toward a community park will be,
* To continue to participate in Baum
Tract site planning and site plan
review with overall park design in
mind;
* To coordinate the locations of town
facilities, such as paths, with
school facilities, such as playing
fields;
* To construct the town facilities as
soon as possible; and
r*
To work with the County, the Board
of Education, and others to
construct other park facilities
soon; to provide facilities in
conjunction with school
construction.
OBJECTIVE 5 The Town of Kill Devil Hills will
INDOOR SWI14MING work with other jurisidictions to provide
POOL an indoor swimming pool The pool is in
demand particularly as an off-season
facility. It would be appropriate to
build the pool as a part of the community
' park on the Baum Tract. It could be
reasonable, however, for the park, pool,
I and youth center to be independent
facilities.
89-09-Rec - 20 -

1
RECREATION FACILITIES
PLAN IV. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
'
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
rOBJECTIVE
6
The town will maintain the existing
MAINTAIN EXISTING
municipal park playing fields and
FACILITIES AND SEEK
playground facilities and will seek
FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES
opportunities to develop desired
'
facilities and programs at available
sites that are not earmarked for
facilities objectives 1 through 5. The
town will continue to work cooperatively
with the Dare County Parks and Recreation
Department and others to share
operational and maintenance
responsibilities for all facilities.
r
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89-09-Rec
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1
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
V.
,TI ONS
All of the facilities that are high -
priority objectives of this plan are
multi -purpose facilities. All of the
projects except the mini -parks would have
a multi -town or countywide service
area. It is reasonable therefore, that
the town should share funding
responsibility for the projects with
other localities and agencies. On the
other hand, there are some components of
each project that the town could
accomplish soon for its own residents and
tourists at a feasible cost and without
precluding completion of the remaining
components of the multi -town or
countywide projects according to good
design practice later.
The recommendations for each
objective are in narrative form but
generally cover the following points:
* Physical description of the
facility, its location(s), (Exhibit
2), and area requirements
* Recommended immediate actions
* Recommended long-term actions
* Other options and considerations
A summary of the funding options,
' costs, and schedule for the recommended
facilities is the subject of Chapter VI.
I
89-09-Rec - 22 -

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
PLAN V. RECOMMENDATIONS
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
A. OBJECTIVE 1:
There are three inland town -owned
MINI -PARKS
sites in the northern part of town that
might be suitable for mini -parks. There
are some neighborhood street easements in
the southern part of town that are not
needed as streets and that could be made
available for mini -parks. The Ocean Park
circle in the north end would be a good
choice for the first facility since it is
within walking or biking distance of many
residents, it is removed from current
facilities at the municipal park, and it
is designated for recreation in the
'
comprehensive plan. A street eligible
for abandonment in the south end would be
a good choice for the second facility
since it would meet the same location
criteria; a south end street's land use
designation would have to be changed.
Mini -parks occupy areas of less than
one acre to five acres. Desired
facilities to meet the needs of all age
groups at mini -parks might include:
* Playground equipment for small
1
children
* Play areas for older children to
1
allow for kite -flying, ball -
throwing, frisbee -tossing and
similar activities
'
-* - -Facilities -for-older-children and
adults such as low-cost, multi-
purpose "sandlot" courts,
89-09-Rec
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rRECREATIONAL FACI
Rill Devil Hills,
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89-09-Rec
IRS PLAN
V
tetherball, shuffleboard courts, and
horseshoe pits
* Passive park facilities such as
benches, picnic tables, and trash
containers
* Some part of each area shaded by
roof or landscaping
Recommended immediate actions are to
develop the Ocean Park circle site within
one year with at least one facility from
each category in the above list, and to
investigate specific sites in the
southern part of town for mini -park
potential, anticipating the second mini -
park development within three years. Two
related issues to be resolved before
mini -park construction are liability and
citizen construction of facilities. The
town should be satisfied that its
personal injury liability at new sites
can be managed satisfactorily; at best
there may be a satisfactory risk
management situation at the municipal
park that would apply to the mini -
parks. Citizen construction and citizen
participation in design of facilities has
benefited many communities by providing
facilities and by building a sense of
community pride. Special liability
questions arise, though, connected to
risk to citizens during construction.
Recommended long-term actions are to
develop two additional mini -park sites,
- 24 -

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN V. RECOMMENDATIONS
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
for a total of four sites, so that by the
year 2000 a mini -park or mini -park
functions at larger parks would be within
one mile of nearly all of the town's
year-round residents. At that time the
ratio of acreage of mini -park land to
rpopulation would meet national standards
but the distances from many neighborhoods
' to parks would still exceed desired
standards.
The high priority placed upon mini
park development by the committee and by
survey respondents commends mini -parks to
be appropriate.expenditures of ad valorem
tax revenues.
B. OBJECTIVE 2:
A youth recreation center rated
YOUTH RECREATION
equally with mini -parks and a path
CENTER
system as the most -needed recreational
facility in town. The reasonable service
area for a youth recreation center,
however, would be larger than the town.
Some of the reasons that the northern
beaches plus Manteo would be a reasonable
service area are:
* in to be used as a youth
Any building
'
center would be costly enough that
it would require the entire youth
population of the service area, as
'
defined; -for-it to -be cost=justified
in terms of per capita benefit.
'
* Many teenagers can provide their own
transportation and are accustomed to
89-09-Rec
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' RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
n
VN
traveling throughout the northern
beaches for recreation so a distance
of several miles from home to the
center would not be an obstacle to
use of the center.
The entire service area is in the
same public high school district so
any desired agreements and
logistical arrangements (such as
transportation between the school
and the center) between whomever
provides the center and the Board of
Education could be made fairly
simply.
Preteens and teenagers especially
value activities at the center that
are large -group activities, such as
dances and mingling with large
groups of their peers.
It is recommended that the town
coordinate its efforts toward a youth
'
recreation center with the efforts, led
by the Outer Banks Women's Club, of a
isteering
committee which at the time of
this writing also included three local
'
Rotary groups, a Lion's club, and a
Kiwanis club, and representatives of the
youth population. That effort was being
organized as the plan neared
completion. Certain findings of this
plan should be helpful to the project.
jFirst, the survey and the committee
strongly support a youth drop -in center
89-09-Rec - 26 -

1
1
1
ATIONAL FACILITIES
Devil Hills, 1989
V.
,TIONS
where teens would be able to socialize
with minimal supervision. The drop -in
space might include games such as
videogames, ping-pong or billiard tables,
and a kitchen/snack bar. The space
should be designed to be appropriate for
dances. Based upon a stated need for
meeting places for organized teen and
pre -teen groups, it is recommended that
the center include a separate multi-
purpose room to be used for scheduled
activities.
Second, pre -teenagers and teenagers
should be involved in, planning, fund-
raising, and programming. The best and
perhaps the only way for persons of those
age groups to identify with a facility is
for them to be involved in planning it.
Third, it is recommended that the
youth recreation center and an indoor
swimming pool and sports facility
(Objective 5) be considered to be
separate but closely coordinated
projects. While teenagers desire the
indoor sports complex, they have a more
immediate interest ina drop -in center.
The entire service area popultation would
use a pool and sports facility while the
teenage population should have exclusive
or at least preferred use of a youth
center.
Fourth, it is recommended that the
' 89-09-Rec
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN V. RECOkMNDATIONS
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
youth center be constructed as soon as
' possible. Kill Devil Hills would support
a suitable location for the center-
anywhere in the northern beaches. If the
' center were to be constructed in Kill
Devil Hills, two town -owned sites that
' might be considered are the Baum Tract or
the area west of the Fresh Pond.
Fifth, until the time that the youth
center is constructed, the town should
work with the steering committee, the
Dare County Parks and Recreation
Department, and others to assure that
pre -teen and teen events will take place.
' in the town.•. For example, the town might
make available rooms at the new town
hall, the old town hall, or other
municipal buildings for youth activities.
C. OBJECTIVE 3:
The Town of Kill Devil Hills should
PATH SYSTEM
work with the North Carolina Department
FOR BICYCLING,
of Transportation bicycle committee to
JOGGING, AND
provide combined bicycle routes (signage
WALKING
on the roadways), paths, and trails.
throughout the town from north to south
'
west of the Croatan Highway. The town
should be the lead agency to provide
certain facilities for bicycling,
jogging, and walking.
- - - - - - ' - -The- existing NCDOT ten-year schedule
for bikeways includes a route from the
northern boundary to the Baum tract,
including a dedicated path on the
89-09-Rec 28

RECREATI
' Kill
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IES PLAN
s, 1989
V
National Park Service land. At the time
of writing of this plan, discussions are
underway with the National Park Service
concerning the potential path on its
property. The town should express its
support at every opportunity for the
acceleration of the ten-year schedule.
The support of the property owners of the
town for bikeways is documentated by the
top priority given bicycle routes in the
1987 land use plan and the listing of
bicycling as the top priority
recreational activity for which public
funds should be expended in this plan's
survey (Exhibit 4, Question 10). The
town should work with the bicycle
committee, the Nature Conservancy, and
others as appropriate to add a bicycle
route, path, or trail between the Baum
tract and the southern boundary of the
town to the ten-year plan.
It is recommended that the town take
certain actions independently that either
supplement the state bicycle committee's
work or that would be appropriate for the
town to complete on its own.
First, the town should support that
as often as possible, construction should
be at the ten -foot width standard for
two-way bicycling, jogging, and walking
paths. The town should work with private
associations such as runners' and hikers'
clubs to stress the need for the wide
I
89-09-Rec
- 29 -

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IONAL FACILITI
vil Hills, 198
PLAN
V.
ONS
path system. The support of the private
groups is especially important since
there is no state government committee
for jogging or walking as there is for
bicycling.
Second, any route or path that
crosses the Baum tract should be
connected to a town -built trail in the
community park to achieve a loop trail in
the park (see Objective 4). The first
step toward that end should be
coordinated, preliminary park design.
The town should investigate the use of
materials that would not discharge any
toxic runoff for any path proposed for
the Baum tract or Nags Head Woods.
Compacted gravel is one suitable
material.
Third, the town should plan paths in
a way that takes into account those beach
access points with bicycle parking
facilities. The paths would not
necessarily intersect all such beach
access points, but beach access points
would provide opportunities for motor
vehicle and bicycle parking to be shared
by those visiting the beach or proceeding
on a bicycle path.
Fourth, the town should consider
incentives or requirements for the
provision of bicycle parking racks at
commercial enterprises.
89-09-Rec _ - 30 -

' RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN V. RECOMMENDATIONS
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
' Paths represent an opportunity for
the town to serve tourists as well as the
' residents and property owners whose
recreational facilities needs are the
main mission of this plan. The proposed
geographic distribution and the high
capacity of paths would permit them to
' serve tourists and residents without one
group displacing the other. Because
' paths serve both a transportation
function and a recreational function,
' their use should replace motor vehicle
use in some cases which could ease
traffic congestion.
D. OBJECTIVE 4: A community -scale park is
COMMUNITY -SCALE recommended for the Baum tract. A brief
PARK description of the facilities categorized
by provider (town or town, county and
Board of Education), appears in Chapter
IV. This recommendation is intended to
provide further details as to the
immediate actions of the town both to
' provide town -owned facilities and to work
cooperatively toward a countywide
' facility.
' The facilities identified to be
constructed by the town are:
' - - - - - - - - - - * - - - Passive park facilities
* A loop trail
' * A fitness course
* Tennis courts
89-09-Rec - 31 -

E
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Devil R
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V
Demand for the above facilities is
documented in this plan's needs analysis
and in the town's land use plan. They
are also facilities for which there is no
agreement for joint provision by the
town, county, and Board of Education. It
is recommended that the town, county, and
Board of Education have some more
preliminary Baum tract design discussions
before the town begins to provide any of
the facilities listed. The purpose of
the meetings would be to sketch a
preliminary master plan for a community
park and to review which Baum tract
facilities would be provided best by the
town or the consortium. The current
status of designs for all facilities on
the Baum tract would be reviewed and
suitable locations for town -provided
facilities would be discussed. If the
proposed locations for a sports complex,
team sports, school playgrounds, and an
auditorium (Exhibit 2, C-3, C-4, C-51 and
C-6) were reconfirmed at that time, the
actions that follow are recommended to be
accomplished by the town at the locations
indicated.
It is recommended that passive park
facilities be installed as soon as
-possible on -the -vacant -portion of the
town municipal complex site adjacent to
the pond (Exhibit 2, C-2). The passive
park facilities and the Baum tract link
89-09-Rec - 32 -

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN V. RECOMMENDATIONS
' Rill Devil Hills, 1989
of the cross-town paths (Objective 3)
should be complementary to one another
and should be completed by 1995. In
' addition, an outdoor fitness course is
recommended to be integrated with the
' passive park and the paths. Passive park
facilities (such as benches and trash
receptacles) and stations on a fitness
1 trail are types of facilities that can be
supplied in components of modest cost;
' donations of those facilities could be
solicited.
Tennis courts are recommended for
the community park because they are in
demand and are not currently shown to be
a part of the recreational facilities
associated with proposed schools. Tennis
courts would be a reasonable addition to
the schools' recreational facilities,
though, so the town should suggest to the
'
other agencies that they be provided
cooperatively, in the same category as
'
playgrounds and athletic fields.
It is recommended that the town
consider conserving natural heritage
areas of the Baum tract by working with
'
the North Carolina Natural Heritage
Program or by some other means. The
natural conditions of the tract were
inventoried in 1985 by N. C. State
University. That inventory might
facilitate a specialized inventory that
can be requested of the Natural Heritage
89-09-Rec
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN V. RECOMMENDATIONS
' Kill Devil Hills, 1989
1
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Program. Ideally, if areas of prime
ecological significance are identified by
the inventory, they would be designated
for protection in the master community
park plan.
E. OBJECTIVE 5: An indoor swimming pool was a
INDOOR SWIMMING facility frequently requested in the
POOL survey and by the committee. A swimming
pool was listed as the top -ranked
facility "to have available during the
off-season (September through May)"
(Exhibit 4, question 12). The consultant
theorizes that an indoor swimming pool
was not a top -rated facility for summer
use in Kill Devil Hills because the
town's vast area of swimming beaches
meets the demand for swimming.
Conversely, when respondents were asked
about facilities for off-season use, an
indoor swimming pool headed the list,
since the demand for swimming remains
high but the beaches are unusable. The
demand for an indoor pool on rainy summer
days was not explored in the survey, but
it is presumed that there would be a
great demand for rainy -day use.
An indoor swimming pool would have a
service area that would be larger than
the town, according to various sets of
standards, including those established in
Dare County. On the other hand, those
same standards would indicate a current
need for several swimming pools in the
89-09-Rec - 34 -

1
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN V. RECOMMENDATIONS
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
county, where there are now no public
pools. It is recommended, therefore,
that the town work with the county to
construct a swimming pool or pools as
soon as possible. Economies of scale and
the interests of the town would be served
best by supporting a large swimming pool
complex on the Baum tract, to include at
least one fifty meter pool.
The town actions necessary to
support construction of a swimming pool
are covered in the discussions of
Objectives 2 and 4.
F. OBJECTIVE 6: It is recommended that the town
MAINTAIN EXISTING
maintain
the existing municipal park
FACILITIES AND
playing
fields and playground facilities
SEEK FURTHER
and that
the town seek opportunities to
OPPORTUNITIES
develop
sites not earmarked for
facilities
objectives l through 5.
The maintenance of the existing park
is important for several reasons. The
' park is used to capacity. It is in a
central location, so it should be
maintained permanently as -a neighborhood -
scale park. It is an effective multi -use
facility.
- -__ --- There are several town -owned areas
- that- are- not -now -earmarked for facilities
objectives 1 through 5, except for the
' Fresh Pond site's possible use for a
youth center. The Fresh Pond site and
89-09-Rec - 35 -

' RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN V. RECOMMENDATIONS
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
the Ocean Acres wastewater plant site are
large enough to become neighborhood -scale
parks (Exhibit 2, N). In addition both
' are in environmentally -sensitive areas.
It is strongly recommended that the town
retain those sites for future park
expansion.
The town supports expansion of the
county's learn -to -swim program to include
all school children as soon as possible.
Finally, there are several kinds of
recreational programs that, despite a
sizeable demand in the town, are not
associated with a recommendation for town
support of facilities. The programs
'
include live theatre performances, opera,
ballet, or classical music concerts,
popular music concerts, museum visits,
and arts and crafts fairs. A facility
recommendation would not have been
appropriate because the survey
respondents and committee do not think
'
that those activities should be supported
with public facility funding. It is
recommended, however, that the town work
with private providers, the county, and
others to make such activities available
at the town's multi -purpose facilities,
elsewhere within the town limits, or by
_ _ _ _ - - - - _group -travel -to -another -location.
89-09-Rec
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ATIONAL FACILITIES
Devil Hills, 1989
This recreational facilities plan
recommends provision of six types of
recreational facilities, listed as
"objectives". Those six objectives are:
1. Mini -parks
2. Youth recreation center
3. Path system for bicycling, jogging
and walking
4. Community -scale park
5. Indoor swimming pool
6. Maintain existing facilities and
seek further opportunities
Objectives 1 through 3 are of equal
priority; objectives 4 through 6 are of
lesser priority. The following table
lists construction and contingency costs
for Objectives 1 through 4. Objective 5,
the indoor swimming pool, is covered by
Objective 41 since the only proposed
location for an indoor swimming pool to
date is as a part of an indoor recreation
building at the Baum tract community -
scale park. The indoor swimming pool
should be pursued, however., whether or
not the indoor recreation building is
built as now envisioned. The swimming
pool, by itself, rates as a higher
priority than any other single sports
facility to be a part of the_ indoor _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
recreation building.
89-09-Rec - 37 -

ATIONAL FACILIT
Devil Hills, 19
PLAN
VI. SUMMARY
Objective 61 not listed on the cost
table, will require operational and
maintenance budgeting for existing
facilities, rather than the capital costs
that are estimated on the table. Of
course, the town should actively seek
further opportunities to develop
facilities, particularly at suitable,
town -owned sites that are not earmarked
for the other objectives.
The following table lists
specifications for each facility that
were made in order to attach cost
estimates to real categories of
facilities. The equipment, furnishings
and buildings specified are generally one
of several possible configurations that
would meet the facility objective.
89-09-Rec
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1
ATIONAL FACILITIES
Devil Hills, 1989
VI.
RECOMMENDED RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
CAPITAL COSTS AND SCHEDULE
Kill Devil Hills
FACILITIES TO BE CONSTRUCTED 1990-1995:
Estimated
Objective Description Cost/Year funded
1. Mini -Parks
Ocean Park Circle Mini -Park $ 34,000
- 2.5 acre site. 1.0 acre to be made lawn. FY 1990-1991
- Equipment to include 2 tot swings, 3 belt
swings, 2 climbers, 1 slide
- Play areas to include 1 60' x 100' play
space and 1 60' x 120' court space with
metal net
- Furnishings to include 2 picnic benches;
2 picnic tables, 1 under shelter;
1 tot shelter and table, 400 L.F. of fence,
2 trash receptacles
South end Mini -Park (on former street right-of-way) $ 17,000
- 1.0 acre site FY 1993-1994
- Smaller -scale version of Ocean Park Circle
Mini -Park
2. Youth Recreation Center ($150'1000)1
- Phase one project, 2000 to 2500 square As soon as
feet, to include a kitchen, a drop -in cost -sharing
center/party room, a meeting room and agreement with
restrooms other localities
is arranged
3. Path system for Bicycling, Jogging and Walking
Bicycle, jogging, walking path on the Baum tract $ 57,000
- 2 mile loop path to connect to cross-town FY 1992-1993
path
- Build to 10' width standard
- Bituminous sidewalk priced.
Compacted gravel without bituminous paving
preferable and less costly, but requires more
maintenance.
89-09-Rec - - 39 -

t
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Devil Hills,
4. Community -Scale Park:
VI.
Town facilities portion $ 43,000
- 8 acre site; 2 of the 8 acres are pond FY 1994-1995
- 1 acre to be made lawn
- Equipment to include 1 9-station fitness
course
- Furnishings to include 4 picnic tables in
shelter, 4 trash receptacles, stoves, 4 benches
Subtotal, objectives 1, 3 and 4; town principally $ 151,000
responsible for funding.
1$150,000 total cost; town responsible for a proportionate share.
Estimated costs are in 1989 dollars and include an allowance for
construction-and-cont-ingencies.--Costs-include no property acquisition
costs; town -owned land is available for most facilities.
89-09-Rec
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V_
1
RECREATIONAL FACILITIE
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
FACILITIES TO BE CONSTRUCTED 1995-2000:
Objective Description
1. Two more mini -parks
3. Path system for Bicycling, Jogging and Walking
Bicycle, jogging, walking paths
4. Community Scale Park:
SUMMARY
Estimated
Cost/Year funded
$ 50,000
FY 1998, 2000
$ 50,000
FY 1997,1999
Indoor recreational building, 30,000 square feet ($2,000,000)
50-meter swimming pool, locker rooms, Work toward
courts, meeting rooms, kitchen consummation of
agreement for
funding by 1995
Two tennis courts, outdoor $ 35,000
FY 1996
Subtotal, objectives 1, 3, and 5 except for indoor
recreaton building; town principally responsible for $ 135,000
funding.
NOTES: Objective 2, Youth Recreation Center, Phase two is covered by
objective 4, Community -Scale park, recreation buildings so Objective 2
is not listed separately in 1995-2000.
' Objective 5, Indoor Swimming Pool, is covered under Objective 4, -
Community -Scale Park, -so it is not listed separately. _
' Estimated costs are in 1989 dollars and include an allowance for
construction and contingencies. Cost include no property acquisition
costs; town -owned land is available for most facilities.
' 89-09-Rec - 41 -

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN VI. Sa
' Kill Devil Hills, 1989
The above table lists $286,000 in
projects for which it is recommended that
'
the town assume principal funding
responsibility. To meet the schedule
listed on the table, a funding level of
$30,000 per year in the town budget would
provide for all of the facilities.
The table also lists two recommended
multi -town or countywide projects, a
$150,000 youth recreation center and a
'
$2,000,OOO indoor recreation building.
25%
Kill Devil Hills will have roughly of
the permanent service area population in
the year 2000 for the two facilities. If
the town's share of funding were computed
'
on a per capita basis, the town would be
responsible for $37,500 of the funding
for a youth recreation center and
'
$500,OOO of the funding for an indoor
recreation building. These figures are
'
offered as estimates only for the
purposes of making rough comparisions to
the town's estimated costs for the
"principal funding responsibility"
'
objectives.
' The sources of funding for
recreational facilities include ad
valorem taxes, user fees, facility fee
' financing, required dedication of land or
facilities and gifts. The
appropriateness of each type of funding
for each objective is discussed briefly
' below.
I
89-09-Rec - 42 -

' RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN VI. SUMMARY
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
Ad valorem taxes are usually deemed
' most appropriate for those facilities
that benefit the taxpayers
' collectively. All of the facilities
recommended in this plan are recommended
to receive some portion of their funding
' from ad valorem taxes. The recommended
facilities are of the types that are
typically supported by local taxes; some
of the facilities, such as the youth
' recreation center, are for a targeted
segment of the population, but are still
' considered to be of public benefit.
While taxes are an appropriate funding
source for some portion of each
facility's costs, various other funding
sources should be considered for the
' remainder of the cost.
' User fees are payments for services
actually received by the user; as such
they are considered to be most equitable
to pay for facilities used by or of
benefit only to a particular segment of
the population. As a practical matter,
time -of -service user fees yield the
highest net revenue in facilities with
controlled access, i.e. a doorkeeper can
1 collect the fee. User fees can also
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ present an. opportunity for the town to
open its facilities while charging a
premium to use by those other than
residents and property owners. Obvious
choices for user fee financing would be
' 89-09-Rec - 43 -

E
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN VI. SUMMARY
Rill Devil Hills, 1989
the youth recreation center and the
indoor recreation building.
Facility fee financing allows for
the town to charge a new development a
fee in proportion to the share of the
demand for a new facility that is
attributable to the new development.
Facility fee financing formulas and
schedules must, according to state law,
be constructed with careful attention to
time the providing of a facility to match
the time of demand for it. Similarly,
fee schedules may be set by service areas
for facilities that serve some geographic
areas more than others. There are
provisions for dedication of facilities
by developers in exchange for a reduction
in the fees. Consideration of facility
fee financing is recommended for the
mini -parks, paths, and community -scale
outdoor park facilities.
Dedication of land or facilities at
the time of subdivision is a common means
for communities to receive neighborhood
parks. However, since the town is almost
fully subdivided, that type of dedication
is not available at many locations in the
town. On the other hand, there are
several incentive zoning techniques that
could be instituted in the town that
would permit a developer to proffer
certain recreational amenities and in
return, receive credits, such as density
bonuses.
89-09-Rec - 44 -

Dev
PLAN
VI
Gifts of recreational facilities
could be solicited relatively easily,
especially if the giver would derive a
benefit from the gift. Benefits could
range from tax write-offs to preferred
use of the facility to public recognition
of the giver. Obvious facility donations
to solicit would include individual
pieces of equipment and furnishings at
mini -parks, the youth recreation center
and the community park.
89-09-Rec
- 45 -

I
Town
11
EXHIBIT 1
CURRENT RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
AND PROGRAMS
Kill Devil Hills, 1989
Kill Devil Hills Municipal Park
One lighted regulation softball field, with bleachers/dugouts
One unlighted small softball field
One area used for short soccer field
Two unlighted asphalt tennis courts
Picnic area with playground equipment
Seven improved beach access points with both parking and walkways
Pier at Hayman Boulevard
' County of Dare
At Kill Devil Hills Municipal Park
T-Ball, "Knee Pants", softball, Little League baseball, and
adult softball for four age groups, both sexes, with 600
participants.
' Soccer for four age groups with 325 participants.
Thomas A. Baum Center, a multi -purpose area, classes.
County programs at 21 sites throughout the county are available to
Kill Devil Hills residents.
' State of North Carolina
Nearest recreational facility is Jockey's Ridge State Park, Nags
' Head.
' United States
Wright Brothers National Memorial, with annual Fly -in.
Cooperative, private and other
Pier at Avalon Drive---------- -------------
' Annual fishing tournament
Pools and playgrounds at many hotels/motels.
Indoor tennis courts and exercise equipment at one hotel/motel.
E - 1

EXHIBIT 2
POTENTIAL RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
(Selected Public Land Available)
C Community - Scale
1,2
Park
3
Sports Complex
4
Team Sports
5
School Playgrounds
6
Auditorium
Neighborhood - Scale
®
Mini - Scale (Inland sites)
— — — — Proposed Bicycle Route, Phase I
—'—" Proposed Bicycle Route, Phase II
4000 0 4000 8000
SCALE IN FEET
WILLIAM C. OVERMAN ASSOCIATES, P.C.
Enphaea • Pbmerr
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' EXHIBIT 3
' RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN COMMITTEE WORKSHOP SUMMARY
The Recreational Facilities Plan Committee was established
' in April 1989 so that those citizens with a leadership role or a
special interest in recreational facilities could participate in
the planning process. The committee attended workshops on May 17
' and 18 to set priorities for those recreational facilities to be
provided or supported by the town. Members attending were:
Ms.
Peg Casey
Citizen
'
Ms.
Cori Daniels
Student, Manteo High School
Ms.
Amy Frazer
Dare County Library
Ms.
Cindy Gill
Nags Head Woods
Ecological Preserve
'
Ms.
Regina Hardee
Citizen
Mr.
David Jewel
Student, Manteo High School
Mr.
Randy Metzger
Citizen
Mr.
Howard Willams
Dare County Parks and
Recreation Department
Others
attending as resource members were:
Mr.
William A. Brobst
North Carolina Bicycle
Committee
'
Mr.
Gary Ferguson
Town of Nags Head
Mr
Stephen Gabriel
N.C. Division of Coastal
Management
'
Mr.
W. Greg Loy
Town of Kill Devil Hills
A
summary of the workshop results appears below. The
workshops concluded with a decision
for the continuation of the
committee, and with the election•of
Mr. Randy Metzger as chairman
and Ms.
Peg Casey as vice-chairman.
'
FACILITIES?
WHAT
Public Park by 1995 (Community
or Regional Scale)
'
Bicycle trails
Walking and Jogging trails
Playground equipment
'
Fitness Course
Windsurfing
E - 3

Recreation (youth) center
Multi -use room(s) by 1995
' Some drop -in time slots (ping-pong, videogames, TV)
Some activities scheduled by Town/County
Some time -slots open for rental by outside groups
' Swimming pool
' Court sports, team sports, indoor
Children's playgrounds (several small ones; walk home to lot)
' Auditorium/theatre
Bikeway throughout town -transportation function
iFOR WHOM?
Year-round residents
Property owners
Children (organized activities, competitive and non-c.; day
camp, recreation classes - arts, dance)
' Teenagers: special, exclusive access to center, above
Expand facilities for seniors as needed to handle growth
' WHERE?
West of bypass
Central site (Baum), virtually all regional, community scale
' facilities
Paths continuous throughout northern beaches
Sound beach improvements would meet regional demand
' Playgrounds, walking distance
Anywhere in northern beaches:
Outdoor courts, aerobics
Cultural programs (theatre, crafts)
Golf course (only possibility in KDH is "College tract")
' DO NOT INVEST TOWN $ FOR
Support or promotion of very large special events (i.e. rock
concert)
COMMENT
' If the Town builds facilities "the programs will happen"
but . . .
--Special. effort -needed
ito attract teens
to program non-competitive activities
for community theatre and cultural events in general
1
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E - 4

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EXHIBIT 4
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES SURVEY
AND
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
1. 865 surveys were mailed to property owners in Kill Devil
Hills. As of May 30, 1989, 119 surveys had been tabulated.
2. The following table shows the distribution of the age of the
head of household, separated into year-round and seasonal
residents.
Seasonal
Year-round
Total
18-24
0
0
0
25-34
3
5
8
35-44
15
18
33
45-54
17
3
20
55-64
25
14
39
65-74
10
5
15
75+
0
2
2
Nonresponses
1
1
2
TOTAL
71
48
119
3. The number of households with at least one child in the 0-13
age category:
Seasonal Year-round Total
27 10 37
4. The number of households with at least one child in the 14-
17 age category.
Seasonal Year-round Total
12 4 16
5. The questionaire appears on the pages that follow. Each
survey was mailed to a property owner's address (as selected
from the water department's mailing list) and returned to
the town Planning Department. The message on the outside of
the survey read:
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES SURVEY
The Town of Kill Devil Hills is currently assessing parks
and recreational facilities needs in the town. Your address
was randomly selected to receive this survey. Please take a
few minutes to complete and return the survey to help the
town government to provide better -parks -and -recreational.
facilities.
Thank you for your assistance; (signed by) Lowell M. Perry,
Mayor, Kill Devil Hills.
E - 5

H
1
F
6. Highlights of the survey responses appear below. The
responses are listed in rank order of frequency, with the
number of respondents following the response.
Question 9 (Inadequate facilities in town)
Year-round
1.
Concerts (144 & #45) -
24
2.
Bicycling -
17
3.
Theatre performances -
17
4.
Swimming (pool)
- 15
5.
Museum
- 13
6.
Arts and crafts fairs
- 11
7.
Picnicing
- 10
8.
Playground
- 8
9.
Walking
- 8
10.
Watch team sports
- 8
All other activities had fewer
than seven responses each.
Seasonal
1.
Theatre performances -
16
2.
Bicycling
- 12
3.
Arts and crafts fairs
- 9
4.
Walking
- 4
5.
Golf
- 8
6.
Tennis
- 8
7.
Museum
- 8
8.
Concerts
- 8
9.
Swimming (beach)
- 7
10.
Community center
- 7
All other activities had fewer
than seven responses each.
' Question 10 (Public fund expenditures appropriate)
Year-round
1. Bicycling
- 18
2. Playground
- 15
3. Boating
- 13
4. Walking
_ 8
5. Classical concerts
8
All other activities had
than six responses each.
fewer
Seasonal
1.
Bicycling
- 20
2.
Tennis
- 12
3.
Swimming pool
- 11
4.
Walking
- 10
5.
Beach swimming
- 9
All other activities had fewer
than eight responses each.
Question 12•(Willing to pay a use fee)
Year-round
1. Swimming pool - 10
2. Classical concerts - 7
3. Theatre performances - 6
All other activities had fewer
than five responses each.
Seasonal
1. Tennis 10
2. Swimming pool - 9
3. Golf - 8
All other activities had fewer
than five responses each.
E - 6

11
7. Of 119 surveys received, 44 surveys did not have comments to
questions 14
and 15. Seven groups of key words adequately
described the
comments from the remaining surveys. Some
surveys provided
more than one comment. Each key word
appearing in
either comments section was counted separately.
Recreational
facilities needed for teenagers
15 responses
- youth center
Recreational
facilities needed for preschoolers
11 responses
- picnic/playground area
Recreational
facilities needed for everyone
10 responses
- indoor/outdoor swimming pool
10 responses
- more beach parking
7 responses
- combination walkway/bikeway
5 responses - golf course
1 response each - tennis courts, skateboard ramps, pier
into ocean
Comments about what was liked the best
'
8 responses
- Baum Center
4 responses
- beaches
1 response
- library
Comments about what was liked the least
2 responses
- dissatisfied with Baum Center age
limitations
2 responses
- underutilized facilities, unenforced
litter and leash laws
1 response
- objected to fishing on the beach
Desirable hours of facility operations
5 responses
- seven days per week from sunrise to
sunset
Miscellaneous comments
5 responses
- use public funds to repair roads
3 responses
- don't do anything to raise taxes
1 response each - leave things as they are, fight drugs and
alcohol with public funds
E - 7