Town of KDH bio

March 30, 2021

Mr. Brad Rosov
Coastal Protection Engineering of NC, Inc.
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409

Dear Mr. Rosov:

The Division of Coastal Management hereby acknowledges receipt of your application, acting as agent for the
Town of Kill Devil Hills, for State approval to authorize the Town’s beach nourishment permit from 3522
Virginia Dare Trail to the Prospect Ave. beach access in Kill Devil Hills, Dare County, and adjacent to the
Atlantic Ocean. It was received as complete on 2/16/21 and appears to be adequate for processing at this time.
The projected deadline for making a decision is 5/2/21. An additional 75-day review period is provided by law
when such time is necessary to complete the review. If you have not been notified of a final action by the
initial deadline stated above, you should consider the review period extended. Under those circumstances, this
letter will serve as your notice of an extended review. However, an additional letter will be provided on or
about the 75th day.

If this agency does not render a permit decision within 70 days from 2/16/21 you may request a meeting with
the Director of the Division of Coastal Management and permit staff to discuss the status of your project. Such
a meeting will be held within five working days from the receipt of your written request and shall include the
applicant and project designer/consultant.

NCGS 113A-119(b) requires that Notice of an application be posted at the location of the proposed
development. Enclosed you will find a "Notice of Permit Filing" postcard which must be posted at the
property of your proposed development. You should post copies of this notice at a conspicuous point along
the project area where it can be observed by the public. Failure to post this notice could result in an incomplete
application.

An onsite inspection will be made, and if additional information is required, you will be contacted by the
appropriate State or Federal agency. Please contact me if you have any questions and notify me in writing if
you wish to receive a copy of my field report and/or comments from reviewing agencies.

Sincerely,

Heather Coats
Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator

cc: MHC Files, DCM Debora Diaz, Town of Kill Devil Hills
Josh Pelletier, COE Chris Pullinger, DWR

DIVISION OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT
FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT

l. APPLICANT’S NAME: Town of Kill Devil Hills

2. LOCATION OF PROJECT SITE: The project site is located in Kill Devil Hills, from 3522 N. Virginia
Dare Trail to the Prospect Ave. beach access in Kill Devil Hills, Dare County.

Approximate State Plane Coordinates – Approx. Lat: 36° 3'26.47" N (start)/ 36° 1'21.00" N (end)
Long: 75°41'1.41" W (start)/ 75°39'36.69" W (end)

3. INVESTIGATION TYPE: CAMA / D&F

4. INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURE: Dates of Site Visit – 3/5/21
Was Applicant Present – No

5. PROCESSING PROCEDURE: Application Received (complete) –2/16/21
Office – Wilmington

6. SITE DESCRIPTION:
(A) Local Land Use Plan – Town of Kill Devil Hills
(B) AEC(s) Involved: OH, PTA, EW
(C) Water Dependent: Yes
(D) Intended Use: Public
(E) Wastewater Treatment: Existing – Private septic
Planned - N/A
(F) Type of Structures: Existing – Primarily residential structures and accessways
Planned – Beach renourishment project
(G) Estimated Annual Rate of Erosion: ~0’-4.3’/year SBF: 2-4’/year

7. HABITAT DESCRIPTION: [AREA]
DREDGED FILLED OTHER
(A) Vegetated Wetlands (coastal)

(B) Other (Below MHW)

Up to 1173 acres

~ 83.68 acres

(C) Other (Above MHW)

~39.62 acres

(H) Total Area Disturbed: ~123.3 acres of beach fill/Up to 1173 acres of excavation
Primary Nursery Area: No
(I) Water Classification: SB Open: No

8. PROJECT SUMMARY: The applicant is requesting reauthorization of the Town’s beach nourishment
project to include approximately 14,464’ of shoreline from 3522 N. Virginia Dare Trail to the Prospect Ave.
beach access.

Town of Kill Devil Hills Beach Nourishment
Page Two

9. PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Town of Kill Devil Hills is an east facing beach in the northern Outer Banks in Dare County with the
Town of Kitty Hawk to the north, and the Town of Nags Head to the south. The Town of Kill Devil Hills
is approximately 3 miles in total length. It is also bordered by Currituck Sound to the west and the
Atlantic Ocean to the east.

A State CAMA/Dredge & Fill Permit (No. 134-15) was issued to the Town for beach nourishment in
2015 (SAW-2014-02203; and DWR Project #04-0393 v2). The project was constructed in 2017 and
placed approximately 817,359 cubic yards of material along the Town’s beachfront. The long-term
erosion rate for the proposed project area ranges from approximately 0-4.3’/year. The Division’s
calculated 100-year storm recession line for the island is predicted to be 25’.

In the 2015 permit application, the permittee identified two borrow sites located off the island, ~1173
acres and ~354 acres, referred to as Borrow Area A and Borrow Area C, respectively. Sediments
collected via Vibracore samples within Borrow Area A were calculated at a composite mean grain size of
0.36mm. Gravel sized material (≥4.76mm) was reported at a weighted average composition of 0.52%
with granular material calculated at 1.48% and fines (<0.0625 mm) content at 0.83% overall. Calcium
carbonate was calculated at 1%. No archeological resources were identified in the borrow area. Dredge
depth was authorized at varying elevations ranging from -58.5’ to -68’ NAVD 88. It was estimated that
the Borrow Area A contained up to 17.35 Mcy of beach-compatible material. Borrow Area C was also
determined to contain up to 2.05 Mcy of compatible material.

The previously permitted placement area extended from Kitty Hawk south to a taper point just north of
the Prospect Ave. beach access (14,464 linear feet). The beach fill template included berm fill to an
elevation of +6’ NAVD 88 with a 15:1 slope out to tie into existing grade from approximately -10’ to -12’
NAVD 88. Dune construction was also proposed with the engineered dune construction to tie into a
maximum elevation of +15’ NAVD88, with a typical dune crest of 20’ in width. The project narrative
stated that dune planting and sand fencing was also proposed with sand fencing to be placed at the toe of
the newly constructed “dune”. An anticipated fill placement volume of approximately 913,000 cubic
yards was calculated in the application, which included additional “ advance fill” to achieve a 5-year
design life. At time of construction, 817,359 cubic yards was placed on the beach.

The native beach was previously characterized with fines calculated at 1%, and a mean grain size of 0.33
mm. Calcium carbonate was estimated at 2% and gravel and granular material was estimated at 2% and
~4%, respectively. The count of shell and rock material greater than 3” in size was determined to number
25 clasts for a 50,000 square foot area.

The waters in the project area fall within the Pasquotank River Basin, as classified by the NC Division of
Water Resources (DWR). The waters of the Atlantic Ocean are classified as SB by the DWR. The NC
Division of Marine Fisheries has NOT designated any of the areas to be impacted as a Primary Nursery
Area, and there are no foreseen significant impacts to shellfish resources at this time.

Town of Kill Devil Hills Beach Nourishment
Page Three

PROPOSED PROJECT:

The applicant is proposing to reauthorize the limits of the previously permitted beach nourishment for the
Town of Kill Devil Hills. The project site extends along 2.73 miles of shoreline from 3522 N. Virginia
Dare Trail to the Prospect Avenue beach access. A multi-agency scoping meeting was held with the
applicant’s consultant and the various resource agencies on April 29, 2020.

The beach berm would be filled to an elevation of +6’ NAVD 88 with a 15: 1 slope out to tie into existing
grade from approximately-8’ to -12’ NAVD 88. The berm would be constructed at a variable width
ranging from 18.5’ to 148.2’. Repair of the previously constructed engineered dune, which is located
immediately waterward of the existing frontal dune, is proposed in keeping with an elevation of +15’
NAVD 88 with a maximum 20’ crest and 5:1 slope down to the +6’ berm elevation. Note that the
proposed engineered dune as shown retains the same design as the previously permitted project and it is
the intent of the applicant to evaluate the condition of the dune prior to construction and only repair areas
of erosion in keeping with the original template (see p. 13 of the narrative). As proposed, a gross
excavated volume of up to 848,735 cubic yards of sand is calculated as the volume needed to construct
the template along with the advance fill designed to achieve another 5-year design life, given current
conditions. However, the applicant has indicated that additional excavation could be needed for dredge
losses and future storm erosion, and therefore up to 1,273,103 cubic yards of excavation is requested to
account for these potential losses. It is currently estimated that 83.68 acres would be filled below MHW.
Approximately 39.62 acres of beach fill material would be placed above the MHW line.

A limited amount of sand fencing is also proposed. The narrative states that sand fencing would only be
installed along areas where the dune has eroded and needs repair and will generally be installed in
accordance with the conditions of the exemption for sand fencing (15A NCAC 07K. 0212). The narrative
further states that if the Town instead opts to install sand fencing in excess of the requirements of the
exemption [in accordance with 15A 07H .0311(c)], they will apply for a permit modification to allow
additional review and will agree to conduct such work after October 31. Dune vegetation planting of
American Beachgrass, Sea Oats and Bitter panicum would follow a similar plan to the 2017 project (see
page 13 of the narrative).

Staging of construction equipment and materials has been identified at three locations: Helga Street (0.54
acres), 5th Street (0.02 acres), and Asheville Drive (0.04 acres). These locations would also include
associated beach access corridors and the applicant states that no impervious surfaces or alteration to the
dunes will be required.

The applicant is proposing to use the remaining material from the Borrow Area A site. The 1173-acre
borrow area is located approximately 6 miles offshore of the Kill Devil Hills shoreline and is currently
estimated to contain approximately 12.8 million cubic yards of material, based on a November 2017
survey performed by TI Coastal, Inc. The Town’s proposed borrow area remains divided into several
zones of varying depth, with no proposed overdredge allowance, but an additional 2’ “area of
disturbance” is indicated. The applicant’s consultant has indicated that no material would be excavated
from this area, but evidence of disturbance could be evident due to mechanical constraints. Proposed
excavation depths remain between -58.5’ to -68’ NAVD 88. As previously stated, vibracores originally
taken from the proposed Borrow Area A show a mean grain size of 0.36 mm with an average composite
sand content of 97.2%. The average composite gravel content for material within proposed dredge depths

Town of Kill Devil Hills Beach Nourishment
Page Four

in this borrow area is 0.52%, the average granular content of 1.48%, average fines content is 0.83% and
average calcium carbonate is 1%.

While the applicant states there is adequate volume remaining in the undredged portions of the borrow
area, to allow the contractor the maximum flexibility in using the borrow area, t he applicant has also
agreed to conduct updated bathymetric surveys and sediment sampling for the previously dredged
portions (Cuts A1, A2, A6 & A7), as stated in Section 2.1.4 (page 19) of the narrative.
No cultural resources were confirmed in the borrow area during the archeological investigation previously
performed and included in the 2015 application for Borrow Area A, but 4 potentially significant magnetic
anomalies were identified and remain excluded from the dredge area with 3 buffer areas (see Sheet 9 of
10/Appendix A/application drawings and Appendix B).

Dredging would be conducted via a cutterhead dredge, a hopper dredge, or a combination of the two
methodologies.

Construction is proposed year-round due to weather-related constraints. The narrative states that based on
production rates for the last project, project construction is anticipated to take 2.5 months if it were built
out independently; however, it is expected that the project will be bid and constructed with the 3 other
northern Dare County beach projects, in which case construction time is estimated at 5 months.

Mitigation and monitoring measures to account for work outside of the environmental window are
proposed, similar to the original permit conditions, as described in the narrative.

10. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS

The proposed dredging associated with the project would result in impacts to up to 1173 acres of
submerged bottom at Borrow Area A. The project would result in the fill of approximately 39.62 acres of
upper beach (above MHW) and would fill approximately 83.68 acres of intertidal area and nearshore
shallow bottom. The dredging and beach fill would result in temporary increases in turbidity. Temporary
impacts to benthic and invertebrate infaunal communities can be expected. The applicant states they
propose to dredge year-round due to weather constraints, and have proposed mitigative measures as
outlined in the narrative and anticipate permit conditions similar to the original permit. The applicant has
committed to utilizing existing beach accessways with heavy equipment to minimize impacts to the
dunes. Any permit issued for the project would be contingent on the finding that dredged material is
beach compatible and consistent with the sediment criteria requirements outlined in 15A NCAC 07H
.0312.

Submitted by: Heather Coats Date: March 22, 2021 Office: Wilmington