19950786 Ver 1_Technical Memorandum_19950728

BRUNSWICK COUNTY
REPLACEMENT OF BRIDGE NO. 198 ON SR 1172
OVER ATLANTIC INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY
AT SUNSET BEACH, NORTH CAROLINA
FEDERAL AID PROJECT NO. BRS-1813(1)
STATE PROJECT N0.8.2230101
TIP NO. B-682
TECHNICAL MEM~RAN~UM
"THE INDUCED IMPACT ON -LAND USE
AS THE RESULT OF
HIGH RISE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT
AT HOLDEN BEACH AND OCEAN ISLE, NC'!
Prepared For.
OF ~ORTN ~,
'~~` ~~.
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0
sn,9 ~~
~~~~fi~T QF A~~4o~,`~
TR
PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL BRANCH
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
June 1995

(~ ~ ~ ~ / Final Report
_/ W
' SUNSET BEACH BRIDGE REPLACEMENT:
"THE INDUCED IMPACT ON LAND USE AS THE RESULT OF
HIGH RISE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AT HOLDEN BEACH AND
OCEAN ISLE, NC" TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
Prepared for:
GREINER, INC .
t
t
Prepared by:
' HAYES & ASSOCIATES
June 7, 1995
' Copyright ° 1995 Greiuer, Iuc.

1
' TABLE OF CONTENTS
' EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
' A . INTRODUCTION
' B . METHODOLOGY
' C . HOLDEN BEACH
D . OCEAN ISLE
' .
E. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED
' SUNSET BEACH BRIDGE REPLACEMENT .
' APPENDIX: SURVEY OF BEACH DAY-VISITORS AT OCEAN ISLE AND
SUNSET BEACH, 1994

~.

iii
1
2
3
10
17

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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGg
1.1: Holden Beach Population Growth, 1950 - 1990 3
1.2: Holden Beach, NC Corporate Limits Approximate
Land Use Acreage, 1980-1990 5
1.3: Building Permits Issued by the
Town of Holden Beach, 1982-1992 8
1.4: Town of Ocean Isle Beach Population Growth,
1960 - 1990
10
1.5: Town of Ocean Isle Beach Land Use Acreage,
1980-1990
11
1.6: Building Permits Issued by the Town of Ocean
Isle Beach, NC 1982-1992 13
1.7: Comparison of Building Permits for Sunset Beach
,
Holden Beach, and Ocean Isle, 1982-1992
18
1.8: Land Acreage Comparisons for Sunset Beach,
Holden Beach, and Ocean Isle 19
1.9: Real Estate Property Valuations for the Towns of
Holden Beach, Ocean Isle, and Sunset Beach, 1983-1992 21
1.10: Socio-Demographic Characteristics for the Towns of
Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle, and Holden Beach, 1990 23
DIAGRAM
l.l: Comparison of Residential Building Trends for the
Towns of Sunset Beach, Holden Beach, and Ocean Isle 18A

' $XBCUTIVB SUNIlNARY
' In order to evaluate the potential impacts of a brid e
replacement in Sunset'Beach, Hayes & Associates, in assocgation with _
Apogee Research, evaluated the historical impacts of bridge
replacements on the two neighboring islands - - Holden Beach and Ocean
Isle Beach, North Carolina. The objective of this case study was to
analyze land use and economic conditions in Holden Beach and Ocean
' Isle for the early 1990's and determine whether these conditions had
been influenced by the construction of high rise bridges in the mid--
1980's. The intent is to distinguish between the impacts attributed
' to the high rise bridges and changes that would have occurred
irrespective of the modern bridge structures that were built.
' The following summarizes the highlights of this case study:
* IMPACT OF HIGH RISE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AT HOLDEN BEACH. _
Examination of building trend data, current land use, and
' interviews with local officials and residents reveals that
the induced impact of the high rise bridge has been
relatively minor at Holden Beach. The quantity of dwelling
' units constructed was actually greater prior to the opening
of the high rise bridge than later. Local business leaders
attributed the building downswing to the national recession
in the late 1980's and changes in the federal tax treatment
of second homes in 1986.
* IMPACT OF HIGH RISE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AT OCEAN ISLE.
' The induced impact of the high rise bridge at Ocean Isle
Beach has also been relatively minor. As with Holden Beach,
the quantity of dwelling units constructed was actually
greater prior to the opening of the high rise bridge in
November 1985 than afterwards. Interviews revealed that
most thought that the downswing was attributed to the
national economy and changes in federal tax laws, rather
than a surplus of residential development caused by pre-
bridge speculation. The construction in 1987 of Ocean
Point, the 15-story condominium, was not related to the
' opening of the high-rise bridge. Ocean Point had been
planned by the developer for many years. The most important
factor for the developer was whether there was demand for a
' high rise condominium project in Ocean Isle, not what type
of bridge access was available. The construction of the new
bridge may have caused some new commercial development;
however, the greatest impact was probably felt by individual
' business owners who decided whether to locate their business
on the island or on the mainland. More dependable bridge
access enabled business owners to consider new locations
which previousily had been too inconvenient.

1

' *
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE P
ROPOSED SUNSET BEACH BRIDGE
REPLACEMENT
. It may very well be that the opening of the
Sea Trail Plantation championship golf cour
i
se
n Sunset
Beach in 1985 influenced future development mor
i
e
n Sunset
Beach than chid the construction of high rise bridges
i
H
l
' n
o
den Beach and Ocean Isle. Sunset Beach with its one-
lane pontoon bridge had an
overall greater rate of
residential development since 1985 than either
f

' o
the other
two beach towns with modern bridge structures. Sunset Beach
was better able to override the
ff
e
ects of the national
recession and Tax law changes which
were cited as deterrents
to growth by business leaders in the other two bea
h

' c
towns.
More day visitors may be going to Ocean Isle and Holden
Beaches; however
it i
,
s difficult to distinguish whether
this increase is the result of th

' e overall population growth
of Brunswick County or due to the construction of a new
bridge
A 1994
.
survey of day visitors revealed that a new
bridge at Sun
t B
se
each would result in minor changes in
current beach destination patterns
-~
t .

' THE INDUCED_IMPACT ON LAND USE AT OCEAN ISLE AND HOLDEN BEACH
AS THE RES[[T.T OF HI ~H RISR BRI B RE LAS' MBri'i'S
' A. INTRODTCTION
A common assumption is that improved access to coastal barrier
' islands via modern bridge structures will produce intensified and
accelerated development. In fact, this belief was a fundamental
reason that United States District Judge ordered that an Environmental
Impact Statement must be completed for the Sunset Beach Bridge
' Replacement project as evident from the following excerpt of the court
ruling:

1

.it is also common sense that the proposed high-rise
bridge,~and the increased access it will bring, will spur development
at Sunset Beach. As demonstrated convincingly by the plaintiffs'
expert witnesses, the contrary conclusion reached by NCDOT and FHWA
cannot be supported by human experience or any reasonable application
of known social, scientific, developmental, and traffic engineering _ _
principles. It is an irrefutable reality that the easier it is to get
somewhere, the more people will be inspired to do so. This seems
particularly true with respect to the North Carolina beaches, which
have been massively developed following improvements such as the one
at issue here. Although no new development has yet been planned at
Sunset Beach as the result of the proposed high-rise bridge, the
examples set by North Topsail Beach and the west end of Bogue Banks
portends large-scale future development if the bridge becomes a
reality." (page 37)
Do high-rise bridges to coastal barrier islands portend large-
scale future development? The objective of this case study is to
answer this question by examining the impact of high-rise bridge
replacements at Holden Beach and Ocean Isle. These beach towns were
selected because of their proximity to Sunset Beach which favors
comparison. All three towns are located in Southeastern Brunswick
County and share a regional, tourist-dominated economy. Another
similarity is.that development in all three towns was initiated by a
single principal landowner/developer. Most of Holden Beach was at one
time owned by the Holden Family while the Williamson and Gore families
are the principal landowners and developers of Ocean Isle and Sunset
Beach respectively.
More importantly for this study, replacement bridges to all three
islands were proposed by the North Carolina Department of
Transportation in the early 1980's. It is important to note that each
project represented a replacement to an existing bridge access, rather
than the construction of a new link to the island. Whereas new high-
rise bridges were dedicated in Ocean Isle in November 1985 and in
Holden Beach in May 1986, the proposed bridge to Sunset Beach has been
delayed by the court order for the preparation an Environmental Impact
Statement. It has now been almost eight years since the swing bridges
were replaced at Ocean Isle and Holden Beach. This should be
sufficient time to assess the short-term impact of high rise bridges
to Ocean Isle and Holden Beach.

' This criteria of selectin r
close to Sunset Beach was essentiaplformthe basegstudy.beThe tWOns
' bridges mentioned in the court order were not similar in this regard.
The North Topsail Bridge was a new transportation linkage to Topsail
Island and one would anticipate a more significant impact from such a
transportation improvement. The Bogue Banks bridge replaced a ferry
which also did not favor comparison. Moreover, both of these bridges
are located more than 100 miles from Sunset Beach and other factors
could have impacted development after the bridges were opened. For
' all of these reasons, it seemed most appropriate to conduct a case
study about the impact of the replacement bridges at Holden Beach and
Ocean Isle.
' B. METHODOLO Y
' The objective of this case study was to analyze land use and
economic conditions in Holden Beach and Ocean Isle as of the early
1990's and determine whether these conditions had been influenced by
the construction of the high rise bridges. The intent is to
distinguish between the impact attributed to the high rise bridge and
changes that would have taken place irrespective of modern bridge
structures being built in the mid-1980's.
' Three approaches were used to define the impact of high rise
bridges in these resort communities. First of all, an attempt was
' made to collect data which would reveal growth trends. Generall
attempt was made to collect data from 1980 thru 1992 in order toys an
analyze trends before and after the high rise bridge replacement.
This attempt was hindered to a great extent by the lack of data
available for small towns. For example, sales tax information is only
available for cities with a population of 5,000 or more and employment
data is only available for major cities and counties. Another problem
' was that all three beach towns and Brunswick County did not begin to
computerize their town and county records until the late 1980's;
therefore, some data indicators such as the number of real estate
transfers were not available for the 12-year period. Building permit
' data was the best indicator available.
The second approach was to interview key people in all three
' beach communities in order to ascertain their perceptions of the
impact of the high rise bridge. Long term residents of Ocean Isle and
Holden Beach who were familiar with these resort communities prior to
the bridge construction were interviewed. These key people
represented elected officials, town government, real estate, and
retail interests. Many of those who were interviewed actually
manifested several of these interests which is typical in small towns.
' The third approach was to examine the beach communi
Use Plans and land use regulations in order to ascertainttheir~ Land
attitude towards growth.

3
C. HOLDEN BEACH
The Town of Holden Beach is located in the Lockwood Folly
Township of Brunswick County and is a narrow, barrier island which is
about eight miles long and about 800 to 3,600 feet wide. In the early
1930~s, there was only one hotel and several dwellings on the island.
In 1933, after the construction of the Intracoastal Waterway, a two-
car, cable-guided ferry was built. It was not until World War II that
a large spurt in development occurred. The road from Shallotte was
paved and in 1954 a swing span drawbridge was installed. Originally,
the narrow swing span drawbridge was considered to be a two-lane
bridge, but eventually operated as a one-7,ane bridge as the size of
cars increased. Most of the islands 300 houses were destroyed by
Hurricane Hazel in 1954, and redevelopment began almost immediately.
Population in Holden Beach, as with other beach resort
communities, may be classified according to three segments: the
permanent resident who stays at Holden Beach at least six months of
the year and may be eligible to vote; the seasonal resident who comes __
to stay at Holden Beach for short-term visits during the peak season
' months; and the day visitor who comes to enjoy the beach for the day.
Table 1.1 states the permanent or year-round population and seasonal
resident figures for Holden Beach. United State Census information
was not available until 1970 for Holden Beach which incorporated in
1969. According to the United States Census, the Town of Holden Beach
had 136 year-round residents in 1970; 232 residents in 1980; and 626
residents in 1990. None of the LAMA Land Use Plans estimated the
number of day visitors to this resort community.

1

TABLE 1.1: HOLDEN BEA H POPULATION GROWTH 190 1990
TOTAL PEAK
PERMANENT SEASONAL RESIDENTIAL
YEAR RESIDENT RESIDENTS POP CATION
1950* 50 NA NA
1960* 50 ~ NA NA
1970* 136 3,927 4 063
1980** 232 6,800 7 032
1990** 626 10,460 11,088
PERCENT INCREASE 70.5 73.2 73.1
1970-1980
PERCENT INCREASE 170.7 53.8 57.7
1980-1990
PERCENT INCREASE 360.3 166.4 172,8
1970-1990
Sources: * 1980 Holden Beach LAMA Land Use Plan Update
** 1990 Holden Beach LAMA Land Use Plan Update

4
' Holden Beach has never changed its town boundaries. Today the
corporate limits of Holden Beach are just the barrier island itself.
The Town does not exercise its power of extra-territorial jurisdiction
' and therefore, has no governing authorit for an
across from the island, including the commercialystrip alongetheinland
causeway road. Consequently, this case study only focuses on the
impact of the high-rise bridge on the island itself since there was no
' data base available to assess the impact on the mainland.
The Town of Holden Beach is approximately 1,524 acres of which 52
' acres are shorefront, 656 acres are marsh and waterways, and 816 acres
are land. Table 1.2 shows the land uses in Holden Beach as cited frpm
its LAMA Land Use Plans. Land has been developed in Holden Beach
primarily for residential purposes with limited commercial and
' institutional uses. As stated in the 1990 LAMA Land Use Plan, the
residential island is approximately two-thirds developed and holds
1,724 dwelling units. Considering trends and development potential,
Holden Beach could accommodate an additional 862 units for a total of
2,586 dwelling units. At the growth rate of 40 to 60 houses a per
year, the full development potential of Holden Beach could be reached
' within the next 15 years. (page 5-1,2) Many of the vacant residential
lots may require the more expensive pressurized septic tank systems in
order to be developed. Development of a centralized sewer system is
being explored.

' 5

' TABLE 1 2• HOLDEN BEA H, NC CORPORATE LIMITS
APPROXIMATE LAND USE AC REA $. 1980-199n**
' PERCENT
LAND TR$ CHANGE
_
1980 1 84 199n 19 80 lggn
' Single-Family 116.5 155.3 189.8 62.gg
Duplex/
' Multi-family 14.1* 15.0 25.4 80.1$
Mobile Home/RV/
' Public/Institutional/ 27.1 28.1 28.9 6
6a
Recreational .

' -----Commercial 6.6
--------------------
-- 9.9 10.2 54.5a

---

TOTAL
164.3
--------
------------
2
08.3
----
-----
254.3

----------
54.7$
--- ------------ --------- ---------- --
Figures represent the estimated amount
particular l
d of acreage used for a
' an
use for the given year
later years reflects new development. . Additiona l acreage stated for
*Duplex included with multi-family, RV campgrounds included with
' recreational.
' ** Increases and decreases may not reflect true land amounts given
differences in survey methods. 1990 survey includes only lots platted
and recorded on County map prior tp preparation of Brunswick
' surveyors computer base map of Holden Beach.
Public and institutional land uses are concentrated near the bridge
and include the Town Hall, Police Station, an elevated water tank, a
' church, and a large area of public parking for beach visitors.
Commercial land use is limited within town limits and consists of the
' fishing pier, pavilion, oceanfront park, small grocery/convenience
store, few retail shops, and several real estate offices.
' Sources: 1985 Holden Beach Land Use Plan
Henry von Oesen and Associates, Inc.

6
The Town of Holden Beach adopted subdivision regulations in 1975
and zoning regulations in 1978. The Town of Holden Beach has enacted
a building height limit of 35 feet which can only be changed by a
' public referendum of local registered voters. Consequently, high rise
development above 35 feet is not allowed and could only be built if a
majority of town voters consented to change this zoning restriction.

1
1

Holden Beach's attitude towards growth has been characterized as
being "growth without change." This attitude is reflected by the 35
foot building height referendum restriction as well as by policy
statements in the LAMA Land Use Plan. The 1990 CAMA Land Use Plan
policy statements regarding growth patterns, tourism, and commercial.
development are as follows:
"Holden Beach's policy is to discourage large incremental amounts
of growth and development and large increases in population. Low to
medium density residential growth is preferred. Spatial segregation
of conflicting land uses will be encouraged. This policy is
implemented through the Town's zoning and subdivision
ordinances."(page 6-20) -
"The Town of Holden Beach recognizes the importance and necessity
of summer/seasonal residential tourists in houses (rental) and
properly managed camping facilities. However, it is the policy of the
Town not to promote or encourage commercial/hotel development to
accommodate tourists. Holden Beach does not want to promote "high
intensity" tourism. All development proposals will be thoroughly
reviewed for consistency with this and other policies of this plan. --
(page 6-18,19)
"Any commercial development will be limited and intended to
accommodate the needs of the island residents."
As can be seen by the above policy statements, Holden Beach wants
to continue to be a "family-oriented" beach with primarily low to
medium density residential development. Commercial services are
severely Limited. This same attitude towards growth was reflected in
the 1984 and 1980 LAMA Land Use Plans.
The 1980 and 1984 LAMA Land Use Plans do not have a specific
policy statement regarding replacement of the one-lane swing bridge.
The 1980 Plan states that bridge access was one of the most
undesirable characteristics of the Town. The 1984 Plan has a more
' cautious statement concerning the impact of the new high-rise bridge
which was by that time under construction:
"One major transportation issue in Holden Beach has been the one-
' lane swing bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. With a new two-lane
high rise bridge under construction, this problem will soon be
eliminated. The new bridge will, however, bring new land management
' issues•to the forefront: increased commercial development activity
along the causeway; new building at the island foot of the high rise
bridge, and redevelopment as old-obsolete structures are removed from
the island across the new, wider bridge. Completion of the new bridge
1

1

7
may well be the most important single factor affecting future island
development.~~ (page 9,10)
Has the high rise bridge been the most important single factor
affecting future island development? Examination of building trend
data, current land use, and interviews with local officials and
residents reveals that the induced impact of the high-rise bridge has
been relatively minor.
Table 1.3 states the number of dwelling units and commercial
building permits issued by the Town of Holden Beach between 1982 and
1992. Building permit information was not available prior to 1982.
The quantity of dwelling units constructed was actually greater prior
to the opening of the high rise bridge in 1986 than afterwards.
Between 1982 and 1985, the Town of Holden Beach issued permits
authorizing the construction of 419 units which averaged 105 units a
year. Between 1986 and 1992, the Town issued permits for the
construction of 379 units which averaged 54 units a year. Building
speculation prior to the anticipated bridge opening is one possible
explanation for this difference. However, interviews with local
public officials and business leaders revealed that most thought that
the national economy and federal tax laws, rather than speculative
activity, was a more plausible explanation.
There was a minor shift in commercial redevelopment.- The 6
commercial permits issued after the bridge opening reflects the
relocation of real estate offices near the foot of the bridge on the
island. Likewise, on the mainland, new commercial development
occurred along the causeway road. This commercial strip, however,
lies outside of Holden Beaches jurisdiction and this building activity
is not reflected in the building permit data. Some who were
interviewed suggested that the new commercial activity was actually a
case of repressed demand because many businesses which wanted to
locate to Holden Beach were waiting for the final bridge alternative
to be decided prior to the construction or relocation of their
business.

1

1

8
TABLE 1 3 - B TTLDIN pgRMITS ISSLTRI~
BY THE TOWN OF HOLDEN BEA H. 1982-1997
SINGLE- MULTI- TOTAL
FAMILY DUPLEX FAMILY RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL
YEAR (B UILDINGS) (L]NITS) (UNITS) UNITS (BUILDIN ~

PRIOR HIGH
RISE BRIDGE OPENING 1
1982* --

1983*
-- -- -- 57
--
1984 94 --
30 --
12 116
136 0
1985 86
------ 12
--------- 12 110 p

SUBTOTAL)

180
- -

42
---------- ----------

24
- -----419-------- ---------
----
0

AFTER HIGH
RISE BRIDGE OPENING --------- ---------------- -------------
1986** 30 18 0 48

1987
45
28
0
73 1

1988
38
16
0
54 1
3
1989 41 6 0 47 0
1990 42 10 0 52 0
1991 49 4 0 53

1992
50
--
2
---------
0
52 1
0

(SUBTOTAL)
295 -
84 ----------
0 ----------------
379 --------
-----
--------- - 6

TOTAL------

-475-----

--126- --------

24 --
---798--------
--------6-----
* Only total number of building permits issued available for 1982 and
1983.
**The high rise bridge was dedicated on May 13, 1986; therefore, 1986
was considered to be more indicative of the period after the high rise
bridge opened.
Source: Town of Holden Beach Building Permit Records

9
' The new high-rise bridge has facilitated the moving of obsolete
and endangered houses off the island. Approximately 50 houses have
been moved off Holden Beach since the high-rise bridge has been
' constructed and about 50 more now meet the FEMA guidelines and
probably will be moved in the future. Most of these houses were paid
by FEMA to be moved because the ocean-front houses were endangered by _
' beach erosion. Prior to the construction o~f the bridge, most
endangered houses were demolished and only one house had been moved
off the island by barge. The high-rise bridge, therefore, has
facilitated the recycling of endangered houses.

10
D, OCEAN I LE
The Town of Ocean Isle Beach consists of an island approximately
six miles long and varying in width from a quarter to one-half mile.
It has also 220 feet of commercial strip development on the mainland
along the causeway road. The Town was incorporated in 1959 and made
its first showing in the 1960 United States Census with a permanent
population of only 5 people. The Town established an extra-
territorial area (ETA) consisting of mostly residential and vacant
land on the mainland in mid-1990. Ocean Isle's population, as with
Holden Beach's population, may be defined according to permanent
resident, seasonal resident, and day visitor. Table 1.4 shows the
residential population characteristics of Ocean Isle.
TABLE 1.4• TOWN OF 0 EAN ISLE BEA H
POPULATION GROWTH, 19tin - 1990
' TOTAL

PERMANENT
SEASONAL PEAK
RESIDENTIAL

' YEAR RES
196
* IDENTS RESIDENTS POPULATION
0 5 NA
NA
1970* 78 3,000 3
078
' 1980* 180** 6,000 TO 7,000 ,
6,680
1990-TOWN*** 523 13,356 13
879
' ETA 435 1,374 ,
1,809
PLANNING AREA 958 14,730 15,688
' PERCENT INCREASE 130.7 NA NA
1 7 -1
PERCENT INCREASE 190.5 NA

'
1980-1 0
PERCENT INCREASE

570
5 NA
. NA NA
1970-1990
' Sources:
* 1981 Town of Oce an Isle LAMA Land Use Plan Update
' ** The Town of Ocean Isle Beach disputed the 1980 Census count of 143
as being too low. Based upon the 1981 LAMA Land Use Plan, the Town of
Ocean Isle Beach estimated that the 1980 year-round or permanent
' population was 180.
*** 1990 Town of Ocean Isle LAMA Land Use Plan Update
i

11
Estimates for day visitors were stated in the 1986 and 1990 LAMA
land Use Plans, but were not included in the 1980 LAMA Land use Plan.
The 1986 Plan estimated that there were 9,980 day visitors to Ocean
' Isle based upon average daily traffic counts. The 1990 LAMA Land Use
Plan estimated that there were 10,492 day visitors to the island and
403 day visitors to the ETA on the mainland based upon the turnover of
legal parking spaces. It is probably not reasonable to compare these
estimates of day visitors because different methodologies were used to
derive the figures.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Ocean Isle adopted zoning in 1972 and subdivision regulations in
1975. Mid-rise and high-rise residential buildings are permitted in
Planned Residential Districts as opposed to Holden Beach and Sunset
Beach which have enacted 35-foot building height regulations which can
only be changed by public referendum. A town sewer system was
established in 1987 and the sewer system has now been extended to all
parts of the island.
The 1990 CAMA land Use Plan stated that the Town land area was
1,950 acres of which 920 acres consist of water, wetlands, and --
marshes. The ETA consists of 1,939 acres of which 651 acres are water
and wetlands. Both the island and mainland of Ocean Isle have a
considerable amount of vacant land in contrast to both Sunset Beach
and Holden Beach. Approximately 74 percent of the island is vacant
and developable (760 acres) and 77 percent of the ETA on the mainland
is vacant and developable. Table 1.5 shows the land characteristics
of the Town of Ocean Isle Beach between 1980 and 1990.
TABLE 1 5• TOWN OF OCEAN ISLE BEACH
LAND USE ACREAGE, 1980 199n
LAND USE
Residential 1980
130.0 1985
164.0 19 0 g
187.8 19C80N8$
26.1 g19C8~N90

14.5 ETA*0

125.8
Commercial 11.0 16.0 22.5 45.5 40.6 25.5
Governmental 5.0 5.0 5.3 0.0
6.0
31.5**
Roads 45.0 50.0 50.0 11.1 0 107.4
Recreation 0,0 7 5 7 5 ---- 0
0
Undeveloped 839.0 787.5 756.9 -6.1
-3.9
998.3
Subtotal 1,030.0 1,030.0 1,030.0 0
0
1,288.2
Water,Wetlands 920.0 920.0 920.0 0
Beaches 0 651.0
-------------- _____________________
------------ _
TOTAL 1,950.0 1,950.0 1,950.0
----------------- _ _ _ _ -- 1,939.2
* The Town of Ocean Isle Beach established an ETA in 1990.
** Ocean Isle Airport Source: 1981,1986, 1990 Land Use Plans

' 12
The high-rise bridge was dedicate
1985 which replaced a two-lane swing baidgeObuiltline1956NovBmbween
1985 and 1990, an additional 23.8 acres was converted from vacant land
to residential use and an additional 6.5 acres was converted to
commercial use. In fact, the rate of conversion for residential use
' was actually smaller after the bridge was opened than before. The
rate of growth of residential use between 1985-1990 was 14.5 percent
as compared to 26.1 percent between 1980-1985. On the other hand, the
pace of commercial development was about the same for the two periods.
' The rate of commercial development was 40.6 percent between 1985-1990
as compared to 45.5 percent between 1980-1985.
' These development trends are also reflected by building permit
data. Table 1.6 states the number of dwelling units and commercial
building permits issued by the Town of Ocean Isle Beach between 1982
' and 1992. The quantity of dwelling units constructed was actually
greater prior to the opening of the high rise bridge in November 1985
than afterwards. Between 1982 and 1985, the Town of Ocean Isle Beach
issued permits authorizing 662 units which averaged 165.5 units per "-
' year. Between 1986 and 1992, the Town issued permits for the
construction of 288 dwelling units which averaged 41 units a year.
This same downswing of residential development after the bridge was
opened also happened in Holden Beach. Again, interviews with local
residents revealed that most thought that this downswing was caused by
the national recession and changes in federal tax laws, rather than by
a surplus of residential development caused by pre-bridge building
' speculation.
' There was one major change in residential land use after the high
rise bridge was built which should be addressed separately. In 1987,
Ocean Point, a 15-story high rise condominium containing 73 units was
' built on the western end of Ocean Isle. This high rise is visible
from Sunset Beach and to many Sunset Beach residents has become a
symbol of the type of development which naturally follows the
construction of high rise bridges and centralized sewer. First of
' all, according to one of the developers of Ocean Point, this
condominium project was in no way dependent upon a high rise bridge
being built or a central sewer system being installed. The high rise
project had been in the planning stages for many years prior to the
construction of the bridge. A package treatment plant for the high
rise had been planned and this package plant would actually have been
cheaper than utilizing the Town sewer system. Construction of the
' high rise was also physically possible with the previous swing span
bridge. The most important factor for the developer was whether there
was demand for a high rise condominium project at Ocean Isle, not what
' type of bridge access was available. In fact, more high rise towers
were originally planned for the Ocean Point project and these towers
could be built if the market and demand for condominium projects in
' the region improves. Consequently, in the case of Ocean Isle Beach,
it is misleading to assume a relationship between the improved access
offered by the high rise bridge and the construction of high rise
buildings.
1

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13
TABLE 1.6: BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED BY THE
TOWN OF OCEAN ISLE BEA H, NC 1982-1992
SINGLE- MULTI- TOTAL
FAMILY DUPLEX FAMILY RESIDBNTIAL COMMERCIAL
Y$AR (BU ILDIN S) (UN ITS) (UNIT ) ITS (BUILDINtS
PRIOR HIGH RISE BRIDGE OPENING
1982 83 2 51 136 1
1983 99 6 116 221 2
1984 102 2 96 200 2
1985 99 6 0 105 2
(SUBTOTAL) 383
----- 16
--- -------263-----
-- -----662------- -----~-----------

AFTER HIGH RISE BRIDGE -------------
OPENING --------------- -----------------
1986 15 0 0 15 4
1987 38 6 73* 117 1
1988 24 p 0 24 2
1989 27 p 0 27 2
1990** 35 2 0 37 1
1991 32 [7] 0 0 32 [7l 1
(50 unit
motel)
1992 36 [19] *** 0 0 36 [19] 2
(SUBTOTAL) 207 8 73------ ----288------- ----13-----------
TOTAL 590 [26]
----- 24
--- 336
---------------- 950 [26]
-------------- 20
-----------------
* Construction of Ocean Point, 73-unit high rise building.
**Extra-territorial area established on mainland in mid-1990.
***15 single-family homes and 4 mobile homes were built in ETA in
1992.
[ ] Denotes permits issued in the ETA.
Sources: 1986 and 1990 Ocean Isle CAMA Land Use Plans
Town of Ocean Isle Building Permit Records

14
' Commercial development in Ocean Isle including the causeway road
on the mainland nearly doubled in land area between 1980 and 1990 as
shown on Table 1.5. In 1980, there was 6 acres of commercial use; by
' 1985 there was 16 acres; and by 1990 there was 22.5 acres of
commercial land use representing a net gain of 11.5 acres during the
1980's. Ocean Isle Beach averaged nearly 2 building permits a year _
' for commercial development for both the period before the high rise
bridge was opened as well as after. Commercial development during the
1980's was about evenly divided between the island and the mainland.
How did the opening of the high-rise bridge influence commercial
development? Only one small business shopping center on the mainland
was displaced by the new bridge and was rebuilt on the mainland. It
' was suggested that a new restaurant on the island may not have built
unless the new bridge was constructed because the owners wanted
dependable access. Two new real estate buildings were built along the
mainland causeway road. One of these owners had considered moving to
' the island in order to avoid delays caused by the previous swing span
bridge. However, this owner decided to rebuild on the mainland once __
the plans for the high-rise bridge were announced. The construction
of the new high-rise bridge may have caused some new commercial
development, but perhaps the greatest impact was upon individual
business owners decisions about whether to locate their business on
the island or the mainland.
The growth of commercial development must also be viewed in
relationship to population growth. During the 1980's, the year-round
' population of Ocean Isle grew from 180 residents in 1980 to 523
..residents in 1990 while the peak residential population nearly doubled
from 6,000 to 7,000 in 1980 to 13,879 in 1990.
' These development trends should also be understood in reference
to the Town's attitude towards growth as reflected by its LAMA land
Use Plans policy statements and land use regulations. The 1990 CAMA
', Land Use Plan's policy statements regarding growth patterns, tourism,
residential, and commercial development are as follows:
"The Town of Ocean Isle Beach wishes to maintain its image of a
quiet, relaxing family beach community. Intense commercial
development, beyond that necessary to serve tourists and residents
' will not be encouraged. Commercial accommodations, and basic
retailing and services are uses that are encouraged. Continued
residential development is regarded as desirable for the Town, as long
as no major or irreversible damage threatens an environmentally
' sensitive area. The single-family detached dwelling is the
predominant residential type in the Town, although multi-family units
and planned unit developments are increasing trends. Development with
higher density levels than one and two-family uses is not viewed as
desirable in the finger-canal areas." (page 53,54)

1

1

15
"Ocean Isle Beach will continue to support tourism as its main
economic base. The development of non-intensive recreational and
commercial uses will be encouraged in order to enhance services for
the public." (page 56)
"Residers tial development in Ocean Isle Beach is a mix of single-
family, duplex, or multi -family structures. In accordance with the
Town's Zoning Ordinance, and policies aimed at protecting natural
resource and fragile areas, more dense residential development such as
townhouses, cluster homes, and mid-rise to high-rise condominiums are
permitted. Ocean Isle believes that development densities should not
be allowed to exceed those contained in the zoning ordinance. A11
zoning ordinance amendments requesting increased densities should be
scrutinized very carefully by both the Planning Board and the Town
Board of Commissioners." (page 52)
As can be seen by the above policy statements, Ocean Isle, like
Holden Beach, wants to be a "quiet, relaxing family beach community."
However, subtle differences towards commercial and residential growth _
are evident in Ocean Isle's policy statements. First of all, Ocean
Isle favors commercial development along the causeway corridor on both
the mainland and the island in contrast to Holden Beach's attitude
that commercial development should be severely restricted in its
island community. Ocean Isle also favors more dense residential
development, including mid-rise to high-rise residential buildings in
planned residential developments. Promoting suitable density of
residential development, rather than restricting the height of
buildings, is the major development concern in Ocean Isle.
This same attitude towards growth patterns, commercial, and
' residential development was reflected in the 1986 and 1980 LAMA Land
Use Plan Updates, with one major exception. The 1980 LAMA Plan states
the following: "

1

"High-density, high-rise developments will not be encouraged
during the planning period. Such developments are viewed as being
inconsistent with the aesthetics of the island." (page 48)
By 1986, the LAMA Plan was changed to support mid-rise and high-
rise developments. According to the Ocean Isle building inspector,
the change was initiated by the desire to make the LAMA Plan conform
to the Zoning Ordinance. Even in 1980, the zoning ordinance permitted
mid-rise and high-rise residential buildings in Planned Residential
Development districts.

1
16
' The 1986 CAMA Land Use Plan also predicted that the improved
bridge access would result in more cars and people coming to Ocean
Isle:
' "Access to and from the island, from the mainland, was improved
substantially in November 1985 with the completion and opening of the
new Ode11 Williamson Bridge, which is a high-rise span across the
Intracoastal Waterway. However, the improved access may well mean
more cars, more people, and more of the problems related to the items
discussed in the above paragraph (i.e.. demand for community
' facilities). Obviously, planning for more extensive services as the
result of increasing development is an issue which must be addressed.
by Ocean Isle Beach." (page 13)

1
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' 17
' E _IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROPO ED INSET BEA H BRID E REPLA EMENT
By examining the impact of the high-rise bridges at Holden Beach
' and Ocean Isle, one can obtain a better perspective of the
implications of improved bridge access at Sunset Beach. Five possible
impacts will be explored: rate of development, effect on property
values, increase in day visitors, changes ~n population, and effect on
' crime.
1. Rate of Development
' Comparison of residential building permit data from 1982 and 1992
for all three beach towns reveals a surprising fact -- Sunset Beach
' with its floating one-lane pontoon bridge actually had an overall
greater residential growth rate than either Holden Beach or Ocean Isle
during most of the period from 1982 thru 1992. This higher rate of
residential development continued even after 1986 when the high-rise
' bridges were operational. Table 1.7 and Diagram 1.1 compares building
permit data for all three towns.
' One partial explanation is that the planning area for Sunset
Beach includes the island and 2,665 acres on the mainland. Table 1.8
shows the land acreage comparisons for all three towns. The major
t focus of development on the mainland since October, 1985 has been the
development of Sea Trail Plantation, a residential, championship golf
course community. For most of this period, the Town of Ocean Isle
consisted of just the island and the commercial strip along the
t causeway road on the mainland. Ocean Isle did not establish an ETA
until 1990. The Town of Holden Beach consists of just the island
itself. Moreover, residential golf course developments similar to Sea
' Trail Plantation have not been developed in the immediate vicinity on
the mainland near Ocean Isle or Holden Beach.

1

Consequently, one should also compare building permit data for
just the islands. However, it was only possible to obtain this data
for the Town of Sunset Beach for 1992. During 1992, Sunset Beach
issued permits authorizing 37 single family and 12 duplex units on the
island for a total of 49 dwelling units. During 1992, Ocean Isle
authorized 36 dwelling units on the island and 19 on the ETA mainland
in comparison to the 52 dwelling units authorized by Holden .Beach.
The rate of island development in 1992 was similar for Sunset Beach
and Holden Beach and actually lower in Ocean Isle. Apparently the
type of bridge access did not directly influence the rate of
development on the islands in 1992.
In fact, a possible irony about the rate of development and
Sunset Beach floating pontoon bridge was raised during the interviews
with local residents. Many of the opponents to the high-rise bridge
replacement feared that a new bridge would accelerate development.
The reverse effect may actually have happened. Some Sunset Beach
residents suggested that the publicity over the bridge controversy as
well as the quaintness of the bridge itself actually accelerated,
rather than deterred, development.

18
TABLE 1. 7: COMPARISON OF BU ILDING PERMITS FOR
SUNSET BEACH . HOLDEN BEAC H, AND O EAN ISLE, 1 982-1992

SUNSET BEACH HOLDEN BEACH OCEAN I SLE
DWELLING COM. DWELLING COM. DWELLING COM.
YEAR _ UNITS* UNIT

1982 151 0 57 0 136 1
1983 108 1 116 0 221 2
1984 185 0 136 0 200 2
1985 180----- -1--- -------110 0 105 ?
624 2 ----
419 --
---
0 ------
-----
662 --
7

1986
166
0 -
48 ------
1 --------------
15 ------
4
1987 89 0 73 1 117** 1
1988 172 0 54 3 24 2
1989 115 1 47 0 27 2
1990 107 1 52 0 37 2
1991 97 2 53 1 39* 1
1992 143 2 52 0 55* 2
-----------------------------------------------------
889 6 379 6 314 13
TOTAL 1,513 8 798------6---------976------20------
----------------------------------------------------
* These figures include housing and mobile home permits issued for
both the Town and ETA.
**Ocean Point, 73 unit condominium built.
Source: Town of Sunset Beach, Holden Beach, and Ocean Isle Building
Permit Records

DIAGRAM 1.1: COMPARISON OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDING TRENDS FOR
THE TOWNS OF SUNSET BEACH, HOLDEN BEACH, AND OCEAN ISLE
BEACH. 1982 - 1992
250
200
aai
a~
~ 150
.~
a
c
'D
.y
GC
100
G
3
Z
50

- ...._ .~.. Sunset Beach - - -Holden Beach - - - - - Ocean Isle

SOURCE: Town of Sunset Beach, Hoiden Beach, and Ocean Isle Building Permit Records
~ = YEAR BRIDGES OPENED
1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
Year

19
TABLES 1.8 : LAND ACREA ,E OMPARI ON FOR
SUNSET BEA H. HOLDEN BEA _H, AND O EAN I LE
_ LOCATION/TYPE SUNSET BEA H HOLDEN BEA H O EAN ISLE
Corporate Limits 2,147 1,524 1
950
Extra-territorial 2,855 -0- ,
1,939

-otal-Planning Area
5 002
1 524 ----
3,ggg
ACREAGE BY LO TI ON AND ENERAL TYPE OF LAND

ISLAND - nRPORATE LIMIT
Shorefront 108 52

Developable
261
816 114

Marsh and Water
924
656 ggg

(Subtotal)
(1,293)
(1,524) 814
(1,927)
MAINLAND - ORPORATE LIMITS
Developable 748 -0-

Marsh
(Subtotal)
106
-0- 23
-0-
(854) -0- (23)
ISLAND - EXTRATERRITORIAL AREA

Shorefront 4

Developable

33 -0-
-0-

Marsh and Water
1,007 -0-
-0- -0-

(Subtotal)
(1,044)
-0- 163
(163)
MAINLAND - EXTRATERRITORIAL
Developable 1 652
X -0-

Marsh and Water
159
-0- 1,526

(Subtotal)
(1,811)
-0- 37
(1,563)
Source: LAMA Land Use Plans and Hayes & Associates

20
' It may very well be that the opening of Sea Trail Plantation in
Sunset Beach in October 1985 influenced future development more in
Sunset Beach than did the dedication of high rise bridges in Ocean
' Isle in November 1985 and in Holden Beach in May 1986. Replacement of
existing bridge accesses with high-rise bridges may not greatly
influence the rate or•character of development. In fact, other
highway improvements to Interstate 40, US 421, US 17, and US 74-76
' which provide better road access to these beach communities may have
has more of an indirect impact on growth than did the high rise bridge
replacements. The community's attitude towards growth, the national
economy, and the demand for resort housing may affect resort
development more than the type of bridge access provided.
2. Effect on Property ValueG
How did the construction of high rise bridges influence property
values in Holden Beach and Ocean Isle? Table 1.9 shows the real
' estate property valuations for all three towns between 1983 and 1992.
The percent change in property values is examined from 1983-1985 and
from 1986-1992 for two reasons. First, these time periods reveal -
' changes in property values between the periods of the former swing
bridges and then the period after the high rise bridges were
operational. Secondly, Brunswick County re-evaluated property values
in 1986 and it is better to compare property values with similar
' valuations. Apogee Research concluded from these trends that the data
does not support the hypothesis that new bridges at Holden and Ocean
Isle Beaches spurred an increase in the value of island property.
(Apogee Research, "Sunset Beach Bridge Replacement: Economic Impact
Analysis," pages 24,25.)

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TABLE
TOWNS OF HO 1.9: REAL ES
LDEN BEA H TATE
O EAN PROPERTY VALUATI
ISLE, AND SUNSET ONS FOR
BEA H THE
198 1992
Y$AR HOLDEN B$A O ~ATQ I LE Ti~TSRT B$ACH
1983 $ 65,145,125 $ 67,298,594
$
36,911,668
1984 $ 69,975,727 $ 77,584,307 $ 40,500,000
1985 $ 76,345,529 $
----- 98,180,807
------ $ 45,000,000

Percent Change ----------- ------ --------------
1983 - 1985 17.20 45.90 21.9$

*1986
$
207,718,467
$ -------
265,751,691 -
$ -------------
138,840,179

1987
$
212,263,726
$
270,058,119

$ _

139,345,528
1988 $ 217,518,657 $ 284,863,094 $ 150,276,621
1989 $ 221,460,393 $ 290,858,728** $ 153,327,320
1990 $ 226,794,705 $ 290,836,128
$
162,015,531
1991 $ 228,998,427 $ 296,195,243 $ 179,383,395
-----1992 $ 231,723,000 $
---- 300,820,104
---- $ 203,848,811

Percent Change ------------- ------- -------------
--
1986-1992 11.6% 13.2°s 46.80
* Year of Re-evaluation
** The 1989 valuation for Ocean Isle Beach does not reflect a
reduction due to property loss from Hurricane Hugo. The loss is
estimated to be approximately $9,069,000, not including land or Town
owned property.
Sources: 1986 and 1990 Town of Ocean Isle CAMA Land Use Plans
1987 and 1992 Town of Sunset Beach LAMA Land Use Plans
Towns of Holden Beach, Ocean Isle, and Sunset Beach
. Day Visitors
Another change noted by some who were interviewed both at Holden
Beach and Ocean Isle was that there may be more day visitors to the
islands since the high-rise bridge were opened. This impression is
difficult to confirm because of the lack of day visitor estimates and
uniform collection of traffic counts. It is also difficult to
distinguish between growth of day visitors attributed to the general
population increase in the surrounding area, the provision of
facilities for day visitors, and the better accessibility provided by
the high rise bridges. Most of those who were interviewed suggested
that the majority of day visitors came from the immediate area within
5 to 20 miles from the beaches. This area can best be defined as the
Lockwood Folly and Shallotte Townships which are the fastest growing
areas of Brunswick County. The joint population of these two
townships increased from 13,943 residents in 1980 to 22,523 residents
in 1990 for a 61.5 percent growth in year-round residents. It is not
surprising, therefore, that the beach communities would witness an
increase in day visitors as the population in the bordering mainland
areas increases.

22
' The decision by these mainland residents about which beach to
visit may be influenced by the better accessibility offered by the
high-rise bridges in Holden Beach and Ocean Isle. Some mainland
' residents have expressed a fear about being stranded at Sunset Beach
and choose to go to other beach communities.

1

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1

The availability of facilities for day visitors may also
influence decisions about which beach to visit. Holden Beach now has
approximately 180 parking lot spaces as well as additional parking
available on some side streets. Ocean Isle has 645 parking lot spaces
available for day visitors. Sunset Beach has 283 public parking
spaces and approximately 200 private spaces available at the fishing.
pier which charges $4.00/day.
Hayes & Associates conducted a survey of beach day-visitors at
Ocean Isle and Sunset Beach during the peak summer season of 1994 in
order to clarify these impressions. The survey is included in the
Appendix of this report. The objective of the survey was to ascertain
beach destination preferences, to define which factors influenced _
current destination decisions, and to determine to what extent, if
any, a new bridge at Sunset Beach might influence future travel
patterns. Characteristics of beach day-visitors such as distance
traveled, number of persons per vehicle, number of hours spent at the
beach, and expenditures per vehicle unit were also determined.
The results of this survey indicated that a new bridge at Sunset
Beach will only have a minor influence on beach destination. For the
most part, those day-visitors currently going to Sunset Beach will
continue to do so. Some Ocean Isle day-visitors would occasionally go
to Sunset Beach for a change of pace, but most would still go to Ocean
Isle as a matter of routine. A few Ocean Isle day-visitors would
consider going to Sunset Beach on a more regular basis if a new bridge
was built. This change in beach destination preferences was more
likely stated by those who lived closer to Sunset Beach or who lived
about equal distance to both beaches. Yet the majority of Ocean Isle
day-visitors would always go to Ocean Isle no matter what type of
bridge was available at Sunset. It is obvious; however, that the
number of day-visitors to all beaches along the North Carolina coast
will continue to increase as the population of the coastal counties
and mainland communities continues to grow.
~. Socio-D moaraphic Changes in Population
Many of those interviewed at Holden Beach and Ocean Isle
suggested that the high rise bridge replacement influenced more the
character of the population, rather than the quantity or quality of
development. Socio-demographic data for all three beach towns was
reported in the 1990 U.S. Census and these characteristics are stated
on Table 1.10. Unfortunately, these demographic statistics were not
reported in the 1980 Census and it is not possible to ascertain
changes in population characteristics over time or to define
demographic characteristics of island and mainland residents in Sunset
Beach. Consequently, the demographic characteristics of the three
beach towns appear to be very similar.
1

1

23
TABLE 1 10• SO T[) -DEMO RAPHI C HARA TERISTI S FOR
THE TOWNS OF SUN ET BEA H OCEAN IS LE, AND HOLDEN BEACH, 19 0

~RACTERISTIC SUN SET BEACH HOLDEN BEACH O EAN ISLE
1990 Permanent* 321 642 534
Population
Under 16 32 51 72
16-65 238 442 382
Over 65 51 149 80
School Enrollment
Persons 3 and over 60 84 78
enrolled in school
Pre-primary school 3 2 _
Elementary/High School 37 41 62
College 20 41 16
Percent persons over 25 high
school graduate or higher 91.Oo 94.Oo 94.60
Percent bachelors degree
or higher 46.10 45.1%
43.7s
Persons 5 years and older who
lived in same house in 1985 37.20 40.90 38.70
Percent born in N.C. 36.10 55.50 56.9a
Percent of persons over 16
in labor force 60.50 54.3a 57.6%
Mean travel time to work 17.5 min. 20.6 min. 14.9 min.
Median Household Income $49,583 $44,000 $40,278
Per Capita Income $31,658 $23,999 $36,818
o Persons Below Poverty
----- 6.9% 3.10 6.60
/
-
Registered Voters, 10 93**
----------- -----------

512 -----489---------
------
---276
-

Children Attending Brunswick -----------

County Scho --
---------------
ols, Fall 1993***
-------------
Island 10 26 22
Mainland 72 152 p
Total 82 178 22
*1990 Census Population for S
sli
htl
fr
ffi
i elected Social Characteristi cs varies
g
y
om o
c
al Census population figures because of sampling
techniques
Sources: 1990 U.S. Census,** Brunswick County Board of Elections

***Brunswick County ,
School Transportation Department

24
5. Imbact of High Rise Bridges on Crime
A major concern expressed by several Sunset Beach residents
during the interview process was that high rise bridges in Ocean Isle
and Holden Beach caused crime to increase because criminals now had
better and more reliable access to the islands. The North Carolina
State Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting Center was
contacted to determine whether crime statistics were available to
confirm this impression. Unfortunately, uniform and reliable crime
data was not available. However, discussions with police officials at
Holden Beach and Ocean Isle revealed that in their opinion crime was.
actually deterred by the high rise bridges because police departments
also benefitted by the more dependable and reliable access. Moreover,
improvements such as street lighting and crime prevention activities
such as Neighborhood Watch and property identification have also been
implemented and have deterred crime. Police officials in all three
towns noted that one road access to the islands facilitates roadblock
operations and this feature did not depend upon what type of bridge
acce

ss was available.

x
H
Z
w
Q

~ Hayes & Associates
2222 MIMOSA PLACE • WILMINGTON, NC 28403-2428 • [phone]
SIINSET BEACH BRIDGE REPLACEL~4EN'P
SIIRVEY OF BEACH DAY-VISITORS
AT OCEAN ISLE AND SIINSET BEACH
JULY 30 AND AIIGIIST 2. 1994
GREINER PROJECT # R1077.0
T.I.P. NO. B-862
PROJECT NO. 8.2230101
SIIBMITTED SEPTBN03ER 1, 1994

i
EXECUTIV$ SLTMMARy
OBJECTIVE OF SURVEY-
- A survey of 96 Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle visitors was performed
during the peak summer season of 1994. The objective of the survey
was to ascertain beach destination preferences, to define which
factors influenced current destination decisions, and to determine to
-• what extent, if any, a new bridge at Sunset Beach might influence
future travel patterns. Characteristics of beach day-visitors such as
distance traveled, number of persons per vehicle, number of hours
- spent at the beach, and expenditures per vehicle unit were also
determined.
METHODOLOGY:
~, Surveyors interviewed beach visitors at the Sunset Beach and
Ocean Isle town parking lots on Saturday, July 30 and Tuesday, August
- 2, 1994. A copy of the short questionnaire and detailed tabulated
results are attached. Only one interview per vehicle was conducted. "-
The survey was designed for beach day-visitors traveling from the
- mainland and spending less than 24 hours at the beach. Ail day-
visitors had to cross the bridge to come to the island. During the
course of the survey, overnight beach visitors were also interviewed.
- These tourists were visiting the island, but spending the night either
at an island motel, rental unit, or with friends and relatives. At
,_ Sunset Beach, 27 day-visitors and 6 overnight visitors were
interviewed. At Ocean Isle, 50 day-visitors and 13 overnight visitors
- were interviewed.
- Ocean Isle Beach was selected as a survey site because it is the
closest beach to Sunset Beach and has a high rise bridge. More day-
! visitors were surveyed at Ocean Isle than at Sunset Beach because the
- Ocean Isle day-visitors were considered to be the "swing' group. It
would be these visitors who would be most likely to change their beach
destination patterns if a new bridge was built at Sunset Beach. In
- other words, it was hypothesized that people going to Sunset Beach
would probably continue to do so no matter what type of bridge was
available, but that visitors to Ocean Isle may change their
destination if a more dependable bridge access was available to Sunset
-- Beach. Consequently, the survey interviewed nearly twice as many
visitors at Ocean Isle than at Sunset Beach.
- FINDINGS-
Numerous factors influence beach destination decisions. Each
beach has a different geographic area from which it draws most of its
day-visitors based upon the survey results. The average distance
traveled to Sunset Beach by the day-visitors was 5.7 miles. Nearly 88
percent of Sunset Beach day-visitors came from the Town's immediate
- mainland area including Sea Trail Plantation, Calabash, and Bonaparte
Retreat. On the other hand, Ocean Isle draws from a larger geographic
area and the average distance traveled was 21.8 miles. Nearly 72
- percent of the Ocean Isle day-visitors came from the Ocean Isle

3
many to visit Sunset Beach. Fourteen percent of Ocean Isle day-
visitors knew nothing about Sunset Beach and declined to answer the
question.
' CONCLUSION:
' A new bridge at Sunset Beach will only have a minor influence on
beach destination based on this survey. For the most part, those day-
visitors currently going to Sunset Beach will continue to do so. Some
Ocean Isle day-visitors would occasionally go to Sunset Beach for a
' change of pace, but most would still go to Ocean Isle as a matter of
routine. A few Ocean Isle day-visitors would consider going to Sunset
Beach on a more regular basis if a new bridge was built. This change
' in beach destination preferences was more likely stated by those who
lived closer to Sunset Beach or lived about equal distance to both
beaches. Yet the majority of Ocean Isle day-visitors would always go
' to Ocean Isle no matter what type of bridge was available at Sunset.
It is obvious, however, that the number of day-visitors to all beaches
along the North Carolina coast will continue to increase as the _
population of the coastal counties and mainland communities continues
to grow.

1

'

'

'
RESULTS OF SUNS
BEACH
CONDUCTED JULY
DAY-VI

NO. QUESTION SUNSET
BBACH
NUMBER OF SURVEYS 27 4
ET BEAC
VISITOR
30 AND
SITORS

OCEAN
ISLE
50
H AND OCEAN ISLB
SURVEY
AIIGIIST 2, 1994
OVERNIGHT
VISITORS
SUNSET OCEAN
BEACH ISLB
6 13

OTAL

96
1. Where is your permanent residence?
Shallotte Township (Local) 7 8 0 0 15
Brunswick County
Other NC Counties 1
11 0
31 0
1 0
9 1
52
South Carolina 2 3 1 0 6
Other states in USA 6 8 4 4 22

2. If you are a visitor, where are you staying now?
' Sunset Beach Island 0 0 6 0 6
Sunset Beach Mainland 13 5 0 0 18
' Ocean Isle Island
Ocean Isle Mainland 0
0 0
10 0
0 13
0 13
10
Calabash 11 3 0 0 14
Shallotte 0 7 0 0 7
' Southport 1 0 0 0 1
Other Brunswick Co. Towns 0 2 0 0 2
Little River/Myrtle Beach 1 2 0 0 3
Passing Thru 1 0 0 0 1
' Columbus County 0 5 0 0 5
Bladen County 0 2 0 0 2
Robeson County 0 2 0 0 2
Other NC Counties 0 10 0 0 10
Other SC Counties 0 2 0 0 2

3. How many miles did you drive to come to this beach today?
' Average miles driven 5.7 21.8 .5 .6 ---
' 4. Did you have to cross the bri dge to come to th e beach today?
Yes 27 50 1 3 81
' No 0 0 5 10 15

5
5. Why did you choose to come to (Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle) ?
Sunset Beach Day-visitors Comments•
10 - Proximitv
*SECOND HOME ON SUNSET BEACH MAINLAND
*WORKS IN CALABASH, VISITS SUNSET BEACH ON WAY TO WORK
*NEAR SEA TRAIL CONDO
*CLOSEST TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE
*CLOSEST BEACH
*STAYING IN CALABASH WHILE HUSBAND PLAYING GOLF, SUNSET
BEACH IS CLOSEST BEACH
6 - Best Bea h/ Quality of Beach
*QUIET, FAMILY BEACH
*BEST BEACH
*UNCROWDED
*NICE AND QUIET
*FAVORITE, GRANDCHILDREN LIKE IT
*PARKING
*"BEST BEACH ON ATLANTIC COAST"
*"GOD'S TERRITORY"
3 -Recommenda_ion of a Friend or FamilX
*VISITING FRIEND'S HOUSE
Always Come t
*WEEKLY GROUP
*TRADITIONAL,
*CAME HERE AS
*GLAD TO FIND
Sunset Beach
OUTING OF CALABASH FRIENDS TO COME
BEEN COMING HERE FOR 6-7 YEARS
CHILDREN WHEN GROWING UP IN CHAPEL
PARKING SPACE, DON'T USUALLY FIND
Ocean Isle Day-visitors' Comments•
16- Proximitv
*CLOSEST BEACH
*LIVE HERE ON OCEAN ISLE MAINLAND
*DADDY HAS HOUSE ON OCEAN ISLE MAINLAND
*CONVENIENT TO GO TO NC BEACH
*CLOSEST BEACH TO FOOD LION AT SUNSET BEACH
*OWN LAND IN SHALLOTTE
15 - Best B ach/Quality of Beach
*PEACEFUL, NOT CROWDED
*LIKE OCEAN ISLE BETTER THAN SUNSET
*QUIET,SIMPLE BEACH, CLEAN WATER AND
*LIKE THE BRIDGE + HAS GOOD PARKING
*GOOD WAVES
*RENTING CONDO AT NORTH MYRTLE, LIKE
*LIKE OCEAN ISLE THE BEST
*"OUR BEACH"
OR HOLDEN
SAND
TO SUNSET
HILL
ONE
OCEAN ISLE FOR BEACH
*NOT AS CROWDED AS MYRTLE BEACH, FAMILY BEACH
*GOOD ATMOSPHERE, NO CROWDS
' *REMINDS ME OF SIMPLER TIME, NO HUSTLE-BUSTLE
*VIEW FROM APPROACH OF OCEAN ISLE BRIDGE IS BEAUTIFUL

6
' 7 - Recommendation of Friend or Family
*SOUNDED LIKE GOOD BEACH
*STAYING WITH RELATIVES
*VISITING PARENTS IN SHALLOTTE
*DAD HAS PROPERTY IN SHALLOTTE
*RECOMMENDED BY FRIEND FOR FISHING

9 - Traditional Beach/ Always Come to Ocean Isle
*WORK WITH SLOAN REALTY, ALWAYS GO OCEAN ISLE
*COMING HERE FOR 15 YEARS, LOVE THIS AREA
*BEEN HERE BEFORE, GOOD FISHING
*MOTHER + FATHER USED TO LIVE HERE
*ONLY BEACH HE KNOWS, GOOD LOCATION
*FAMILY USE TO HAVE COTTAGE HERE
*AUNT USE TO HAVE HOUSE HERE, BEACH NOT CROWDED
Other Comment~•
*CALABASH NATIVES, SWITCH BETWEEN OCEAN ISLE AND SUNSET
*DON'T LIKE HOLDEN BEACH
*GET NEWSPAPER AND EAT BREAKFAST
*WANTED TO TRY DIFFERENT BEACH, FIRST TIME COME HERE
*CHECKING WAVES FOR SURFING
*SUNSET BEACH DOESN'T LIKE DAY-VISITORS
nset Beach Overnight Visi
*FAMILY TRADITION
*NICE BEACH, FAMI:
*PEACEFUL, QUIET,
*LOVE IT,LIKE THE
* 4TH YEAR COMING
*ALWAYS COME HERE
Fors' Comments:
TO RENT AT SUNSET
~Y PLACE
TRADITIONAL BEACH
BRIDGE, GOOD VALUE FOR RENTAL MONEY
TO SUNSET BEACH
Ocean Isle Overnight Visitors' Comments•
*SURFERS WANT BIG WAVES
*ONLY BEACH WITH MOTEL ROOM AVAILABLE
*STAYING WITH FRIENDS' AT'-OCEAN ISLE BEACH
*SUGGESTION BY FRIENDS
*MEETING FRIENDS AT CONDO
*CAME LAST YEAR AND LIKED IT, LESS CROWDS
*USE TO WORK HERE AS POLICE OFFICER
*LIKE OCEAN ISLE, I HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE
*FATHER'S RECOMMENDATION
*VISITING DAUGHTER WHO RENTED BEACH HOUSE
*FISHING
*REAL ESTATE PACKAGE

DAY-VISITORS OVERNIGHT
VISITORS
' NO. QUESTION SUNSET OCEAN SUNSET OCEAN TOTAL
BEACH ISLE BEACH ISLE
' 6. Which of these factors influenced your decision to come to (SUNSET
BEACH/OCEAN ISLE) ?
Proximity 26 20 46
Parking Facilities 18 26 44
Restroom Facilities 3 5 g
Quality of Beach 26 28 54
Bridge 2 13 15
Road Conditions 3 9 12
Always Come to This Beach 5 22 27
' Family Beach 4 7 11
7. Did you consider traveling to (name other beach) today?
Y
es 4 4 1 1 10
No 22 46 5 12 85
' Maybe 1 0 0 0 1
unset Beach Day-visitors' Comments•
8 - GO TO THE CLOSEST BEACH
3 - DON'T LIKE TO GO TO OCEAN ISLE
4 - LIKE SUNSET BEACH THE BEST OF ALL THE BEACHES
5 - ALWAYS GO TO SUNSET BEACH
OTHER COMMENTS:
' *DON'T KNOW WHAT PLANS ARE YET
*NEVER GO TO OCEAN ISLE
*OCEAN ISLE IS FURTHER AWAY
t *OCEAN ISLE NOT AS PRETTY
*HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT
*WOULD GO TO OCEAN ISLE IF HAD MORE TIME
*WILL VISIT OCEAN ISLE ONE DAY BEFORE I LEAVE
' *LIKE THIS BEACH EVEN IF SLOWED BY BRIDGE
*WHERE IS OCEAN ISLE? T00 FAR AWAY
Ocean Isle Day-visitors' Comments•
7 - AVOID SUNSET BEACH BECAUSE OF BRIDGE AND CONGESTION
' 4 - OCEAN ISLE IS BEST BEACH
3 - OCEAN ISLE IS CLOSEST BEACH, WHY DRIVE FARTHER?
3 - BETTER ACCESS TO OCEAN ISLE BEACH
2 - WE ALWAYS GO TO OCEAN ISLE BEACH
2 - WHERE IS SUNSET BEACH?
2 - NEVER BEEN THERE
i
1

8
' OTHER CONIMENTS
*GRANDKIDS WANTED TO GO TO OCEAN ISLE
*SUNSET BEACH IS "DEAD BEACH" FOR TEENAGERS
' *BRIDGE IS SCARY
*WE GO TO SUNSET BEACH AND MYRTLE BEACH ALOT
*WE LIKE OCEAN ISLE THE BEST WITH NEW OR OLD BRIDGE
*DON'T LIKE SUNSET BEACH, LESS ROOM ON BEACH AND PARKING
*HATE BRIDGE, NEW BRIDGE NEEDED
*JUST LIKE OCEAN ISLE THE BEST
*NEVER BEEN THERE
' *OCEAN ISLE IS "OUR BEACH"
*WAVES BETTER HERE
*WILL GO THERE SOMETIME DURING VISIT
' *SUNSET BEACH HAS NO RESTAURANT FOR BREAKFAST
*BAD PARKING AT SUNSET BEACH
*BRIDGE INCONVENIENT
*STUPID BRIDGE
' *AGE GROUPING IS BETTER AT OCEAN ISLE FOR YOUNG ADULTS
*LOOKING FOR WAVES
*DID CONSIDER GOING TO HOLDEN BEACH
t *SUNSET BEACH DOESN'T LIKE DAY-VISITORS
*DON'T WANT TO PAY $4 TO PARK AT FISHING PIER AT SUNSET
*BOTH SUNSET AND OCEAN ISLE ABOUT SAME DISTANCE FROM
' TRAILER, BUT OCEAN ISLE HAS BETTER ROAD/BRIDGE ACCESS
*SUNSET PARKING IS T00 FAR FROM BEACH

1

Sunser Beach Overnight Visitor Comments
3 - LIKE SUNSET BEACH BETTER
*DON'T LIKE OCEAN ISLE, LOOKS BIG
*LIKE FAMILY CHARACTER OF SUNSET
Ocean Isle Overnight Visitor Comments•
*WHY, ARE THE WAVES GOOD THERE?
*WHERE IS SUNSET BEACH?
*STARTED TO GO TO CHERRY GROVE, CAME TO OCEAN ISLE INSTEAD
*MAY GO TO MYRTLE BEACH LATER
DAY-VISITORS OVERNIGHT
VISITORS
' NO. QUESTION SUNSET OCEAN SUNSET OCEAN TOTAL
BEACH ISLB BEACH ISLE
8. If a new bridge was bull t to Sunset Beach, would you consider
traveling to that beach?
1
1
1
1
Yes 25 4 5 1 35
May Go to Sunset More Often 0 9 0 0 9
But Will Go to Ocean Isle Mo st
Only Consider Going to Sunset
Beach if Had Better Parking 0 5 0 0 5
No 2 25 1 5 33
Don't Know About Sunset Beach 0 7 0 7 14

9
Sunset Beach Day-visitor Comments•
3 - STILL COME TO SUNSET BEACH NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF BRIDGE
IS HERE, BRIDGE NOT A FACTOR IN BEACH DESTINATION DECISION
*SURE, STILL COME TO SUNSET BEACH, WHY NOT?
*CLOSEST, BEST BEACH
Comments For New Bridge•
*LIKE THIS BEACH, BRIDGE HASSLE
*WOULD COME MORE OFTEN
*NEED NEW BRIDGE
*SUNSET BRIDGE IS SCARY, NEED
GETS KILLED
*BRIDGE OK BUT GETS BACKED UP
*SHOULD BUILD BRIDGE, SOMEBOD
*CURRENT BRIDGE IS T00 SMALL
*"WORRISOME" BRIDGE
NEW BRIDGE BEFORE SOMEBODY
WHEN CLOSED FOR BARGE
Y WILL BE KILLED
omments Against New Bridge•
*DON'T WANT NEW BRIDGE
*THE BRIDGE IS CHARM OF THIS PLACE, I WILL SELL MY SEA
TRAIL CONDO AND WILL MOVE IF NEW BRIDGE IS BUILT
*LIKE BRIDGE, DETERS DEVELOPMENT
*LIKE THIS BRIDGE EVEN WITH TRAFFIC
*HATE TO SEE NEW BRIDGE BECAUSE IT WILL CAUSE DEVELOPMENT
"*WHY SPEND $15 MILLION OF TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS TO AVOID A 15
MINUTE WAIT?"
Other Comments•
*SUNSET IS GOOD BEACH, ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT BUILDING A
NEW BRIDGE?
Ocean Isle Day-visitor Comments•
8 - BRIDGE NOT A FACTOR IN BEACH DESTINATION DECISION, WILL STILL
GO TO OCEAN ISLE
' *STILL PREFER OCEAN ISLE TO EITHER SUNSET OR HOLDEN
*PREFER OCEAN ISLE
*LIKE OLD BRIDGE, BUT WHY DRIVE 6 MILES FARTHER WHEN OCEAN

ISLE IS ONLY .5 MILE AWAY?
*LIKE OCEAN ISLE THE BEST, SUNSET NOT BIG ENOUGH,
PARKING
*ONLY BEEN TO SUNSET BEACH 3 TIMES EVEN THOUGH I
THERE 7 YRS.
*ONLY BEEN THERE ONCE
*WHY CHANGE? LIKE OCEAN ISLE, ALWAYS COME HERE
*BRIDGE NOT A FACTOR
*REALLY LIKE OCEAN ISLE, ALWAYS GO HERE
*STILL LIKE OCEAN ISLE BETTER, HAS BIGGER WAVES
*OCEAN ISLE STILL "OUR BEACH"
*SUNSET BEACH HAS NO PARKING
*
HAS LESS
WORKED
STILL BETTER AGE GROUPING FOR YOUNG ADULTS AT OCEAN ISLE
*BRIDGE NOT A FACTOR, I WOULD GO TO THE CLOSEST BEACH
*DON'T THINK I WOULD GO TO SUNSET EVEN WITH NEW BRIDGE

' 10
5 - WILL STILL GO TO OCEAN ISLE THE MOST
BUT WILL CONSIDER GOING
TO SUNSET BEACH MORE OFTEN IF NEW BRIDGE IS BUILT
' *WITH BETTER BRIDGE ACCESS, I WOULD GO TO SUNSET MORE
OFTEN,~NOW ONLY GO IN WINTER WHEN THERE IS NO
CONGESTION
*AVOID BRIDGE MESS NOW, IT'S A NUISANCE, DEFINITELY GO MORE
OFTEN IF NEW BRIDGE IS BUILT
' *WOULD GO TO SUNSET MORE OFTEN, LIKE BIRD ISLAND, PREFER
SUNSET BEACH
*STILL GO OCEAN ISLE THE MOST, MAY GO SUNSET SOME
*STILL GO TO OCEAN ISLE THE MOST
' *WOULD CONSIDER GOING TO SUNSET BEACH IF HAD BETTER ACCESS
*DON'T GO NOW BECAUSE OF BRIDGE, STILL WOULD GO TO OCEAN
ISLE THE MOST
' 5 - WOULD ONLY CONSIDER GOING TO SUNSET BEACH WITH NEW BRIDGE IF
THERE WAS ADDITIONAL FREE PARKING FOR DAY-VISITORS _
' *ONLY IF PARKING WAS EASY
*IF BETTER PARKING
*IF DON'T CHARGE FOR PARKING
' S - NOT FAMILIAR WITH SUNSET BEACH, NEVER BEEN THERE
' 2 - WHERE IS SUNSET BEACH?
Other Comment -
*LIKE BRIDGE AS IS
*WILL BE MOVING TO THE ISLAND OF SUNSET BEACH NEXT WEEK,
BRIDGE NOT FACTOR
*PRETTY BEACH
' *TWO-WAY BRIDGE AT SUNSET BEACH WOULD BE NICE
inset Beach Overnight Visitor Comments
' *BRIDGE KEEPS TRAFFIC DOWN, ENHANCES "QUAINTNESS"
*WORRISOME BRIDGE
*LIKE BRIDGE BUT STILL COME TO SUNSET, BRIDGE NOT A BIG
FACTOR
' *WHY NOT? STILL COME TO SUNSET NO MATTER WHAT BRIDGE
*STILL COME NO MATTER WHAT BRIDGE
Ocean Isle Overnight Visitors' Comments
5 - NOT FAMILIAR WITH SUNSET BEACH
3 - BRIDGE NOT A FACTOR FOR BEACH DESTINATION
' Other Comment~~
*FAMILY ALWAYS RENTS AT OCEAN ISLE
' *LEAVE BRIDGE ALONE
*WHERE IS SUNSET BEACH?
*FRIENDS' RECOMMENDED OCEAN ISLE

1
NO. QUESTION
11
DAY-VISITORS OVERNIGHT
VISITORS
SUNSET OCEAN SUNSET OCEAN TOTAL
BEACH ISLE BEACH ISLE
9. How many people are in your traveling party?
Average Persons/Vehicle 2.8 3
7 -- --

' ___
.
10. How many hours do you plan to visit the beach Coda ?
Y
' Average Hours Spent 2.6 4.1 -- -- ___
at Beach
' 11. How much money did you spend during your beach visit today?
Average Spent $2.60 $5.40 $4.36
t Percent Surveyed Who 92.5°s 66% 750
Spent Nothing
1
' NO.• QUESTIO

A~,~E
' Under 18
19-30
31-50
51-64
65 and Over

Male
' Female
RACE
' White
Black
Other race

DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS
DAY-VISITORS OVERNIGHT
VISITORS
N SUNSET OCEAN SUNSET OCEAN
BEACH ISLB BEACH ISLB
TOTAL
0 0 0 0 0
3 9 2 4 18

14
31
3
8 _
56
4 7 0 1 12
6 3 1 0 10
16 27 5 10 58
11 23 1 3 38
27 46 6 13 92
0 3 0 0 3
0 1 0 0 1

BEACH VISITOR SURVEY, JULY 30, 31 1994
Hello, I am of Today, I am conducting a
survey of beach visitors to determine beach destination travel
preferences. I am not trying to sell anvthing Do you have a few
minutes? Thank you!

1
Date: Time: Location: Interview #:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
l. Where is your permanent residence? _ -
2. If you are a visitor, where are you staying now?
Check status: Day visitor Permanent Resident
Seasonal/Overnight Visitor/Second Home
(If applicable Island Location Mainland Location)
' 3. How many miles did you drive to come to this beach today?
4. Did you have to cross the bridge to (SB/02) to come to the beach
today? Yes No
5. Why did you choose to come to (Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle)?

1
1

6. Which of these factors influenced your decision to come to (SB/0I)?
Proximity Parking Restroom Facilities Quality of Beach
Commercial/Recreational Facilities Bridge Road Conditions
Other Factors/ Comments:
7. Did you consider traveling to (name other beach) today?
Yes No Comments:
8. If a new bridge was built to Sunset Beach, would you consider
traveling to that beach? Yes No
Comments
9. How many people were in your vehicle for this beach trip?
10. How many hours do you plan to visit the beach today?
11. How much money do you plan to spend during your beach visit?
12. What is your age group?
' Under 18 19-30 31-50 51-64 Over 65
Male Female White Black Other race
' Comments:

1