HATTERAS, N.C. — A vacant lot on the sound side of Hatteras Village is set to become public waterfront space after the state awarded Dare County $383,000 on Friday to buy the land.
The money will go toward purchasing a 1.06-acre parcel along Slash Creek with about 331 feet of shoreline. The site once held a restaurant, which was torn down in 2017, and it has sat empty ever since. State coastal officials say the planned Hatteras Island Park will be the first estuarine access park on the island.
County commissioners voted unanimously on July 7 to let staff seek state money for the purchase. At that time county staff said more than one grant would likely be needed to cover both buying and building the park, and the county hoped to get it done without local tax dollars. Ideas floated over the summer included a kayak launch, a dock, a playground, a gazebo, picnic space and a pickleball court, but no design has been approved, and the county has said it will gather input from village residents first.
Program rules give the county a five-year window, counted from grant closeout, to begin work on public water access at the site. No date has been set for the purchase or for construction.
Manteo also landed money in the same round. The town will get $53,382 to redo a 320-foot stretch on the north end of its waterfront boardwalk, swapping the old wood planks for a vinyl surface that lets more water drain through.
Both awards come through the state Division of Coastal Management and its long-running beach and waterfront access grants. In its 45th year, the program is handing out more than $1.8 million to 10 coastal communities for the 2026-27 budget year. Dare County’s award was the largest single grant on the list. The program draws its yearly funding from the state Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and has helped local governments build or improve more than 800 access sites along the coast.
Section: More Outer Banks NC politics news
Filed under: Outer Banks NC Politics News
