Town of Duck

Municipal Property Master Plan

Needs Assessment and Vision Statement

Introduction

The Town of Duck, North Carolina, has embarked upon a master planning process for 10.33 acres of municipal property located between Duck Road (NC 12) and the Currituck Sound. The property includes maritime forest, cleared areas, wetlands, an abandoned house, and a cemetery. To determine the most feasible uses of the property, the Town has hired a consulting firm (VHB, Inc.) to develop up to five conceptual alternatives.

As an initial step in the planning process, Town officials and their consultants have sought public input to help determine desired uses of the property. By means of formal questionnaires, emails, letters, a public meeting, and informal conversation, a great deal of input has been received to-date. Based on that input, the following Needs Assessment and Vision Statement have been developed. They will form the base of information from which the conceptual design effort will proceed.

Needs Assessment

The Needs Assessment began with a questionnaire (posted on the Town’s web page) to gauge the public’s priorities for potential uses of the site. The questionnaire asked respondents to identify potential uses for the site, to identify uses considered most important, to rank potential uses in order of importance, to identify undesirable uses, and to provide additional comments. Based on 158 responses received over several months, a revised questionnaire was posted on the web page and was distributed at a public meeting held on June 8, 2004. The revised questionnaire asked meeting attendees to select from lists the potential uses, public facilities, and amenities that the site should accommodate. Below is a discussion of the responses to both questionnaires. It should be noted that on a few occasions, individuals responded more than once to the initial questionnaire and/or responded to both questionnaires. It should also be noted that written input continues to be received, in the form of questionnaires as well as emails and letters.

Initial Questionnaire

Of the 158 responses to the first questionnaire, 73% indicated that the most important use of the site would be as a park. Responses were evenly split between a “developed” park with physical improvements and an “undeveloped” park to retain the site in as natural a state as possible. Based on the responses received to-date, below are the most popular suggested amenities and facilities. Appendix A includes a complete listing of suggested uses from the initial questionnaire.

· 36% Gazebo for local events

· 33% Walking/nature trails

· 23% Picnic areas

Revised Questionnaire

The revised questionnaire provided respondents with lists of potential uses, public facilities, and amenities, based on the results of the initial questionnaire. Consistent with earlier results, the 40 responses to the revised questionnaire revealed similar interests.

The following lists of potential uses, public facilities, and amenities appeared on the revised questionnaire. Attendees’ suggestions for additional potential uses, public facilities, and amenities are included in Appendix B. Analysis of the responses indicated the following preferences:

Potential Uses of the Site

Thirty-nine of the 40 respondents completed the section of the questionnaire dealing with potential uses. As seen, below, walking/hiking ranked as the most popular of uses listed on the questionnaire, favored by 85% of respondents.

· 85% Walking/hiking

· 78% Bird/wildlife viewing

· 70% Boating access*

· 45% Bicycling

· 45% Fishing access

· 40% Historical/natural interpretation

*50 percent indicated a preference for non-motorized watercraft

It is important to emphasize that although 70% of the respondents indicated that the site accommodate boating access, half of those specified that such access should be provided only for non-motorized boats such as canoes and kayaks.

Public Facilities

Only 23 of the 40 respondents completed this section of the questionnaire, resulting in lower percentage figures. Nevertheless, 33% of respondents suggested that an amphitheater was appropriate for the site. The smaller response to these items may suggest their inclusion in later phases of development on the site.

· 33% Amphitheater

· 28% Community Center

· 17% Municipal Building

The 17% of responses in support of a municipal building provides some degree of contrast to earlier results, in which less than 2% indicated support for such a facility.

Amenities and Support Facilities

All 40 respondents completed this section. Comfort amenities such as trash cans and restrooms, were the most popular among those listed. However, broad support exists for a range of facilities.

· 98% Trash cans

· 85% Restrooms

· 80% Picnic tables

· 75% Boardwalk

· 73% Parking

· 65% Interpretive signs

· 63% Pier

It is important to note that although playgrounds were not listed on the focused questionnaire as an amenity and support facility, 40% of the responses indicated that the site should include a playground.

Summary

The results of the two surveys demonstrate a broad consensus for use of the site as a park or other public amenity. The responses also provide some concrete suggestions that will inform the design process as the study proceeds. There does appear to be some debate about whether the site should remain undeveloped or whether a more formalized “developed” park is appropriate. Furthermore, of the 198 responses received, the majority (63%) indicated that parking lots, residential or commercial development, and town/government office buildings are undesired potential uses for the site.

Vision Statement

The following Vision Statement identifies a broad image of what the Municipal Property could be at some point in the future. It is followed by a series of goals and objectives designed to help make the vision a reality. This section is an outgrowth of the extensive public outreach that has taken place to-date. It documents the ways in which the Town will use that input to shape its plans for the property. The Vision Statement is formatted as a set of comments that could be made about the property after potential improvements have been put in place.

“The municipal property is a welcome amenity for residents and visitors alike. It offers a range of activities for people of all ages, and it has helped shape the character of Duck as an Outer Banks village. The site promotes active and passive pursuits in a manner that is compatible with the natural quality of the site. More specifically, the property…

· Is a great place to watch the sunset

· Invites people to enjoy a wonderful Soundside boardwalk

· Includes a trail system that functions as a logical “side-loop” to the Duck Trail

· Includes amenities such as trash cans, restrooms, parking, and bike racks

· Allows low-impact access to and preservation of a maritime forest and wetlands

· Is a wonderful gathering place, especially for community events

· Provides public access to the Sound for kayaks and canoes

· Includes playground equipment for children

· Promotes heritage tourism and eco-tourism

· Preserves significant open space at the center of Town

· Is perfect for bird and wildlife viewing

The following goals and objectives will be pursued to help implement the Town’s vision for the property. It is possible that not all of these will prove feasible; specific assessments will have to be made as planning and implementation proceed.

Goal: construct a Soundside boardwalk

Objective: obtain funding and conduct a feasibility study for a boardwalk along the Sound throughout the village commercial center of the Town

Objective: construct the portion of the boardwalk at the municipal property as a pilot for implementation of additional segments

Goal: implement a connected network of traditional trails and elevated walkways throughout the site

Objective: using the Currituck Nature Preserve as a model, develop a maritime forest, willow swamp, and wetland trail

Objective: provide trail access to the “high spot” at the south end of the site, and incorporate a viewing platform at this location

Objective: ensure that the trails connect various uses in a logical and convenient way, and provide appropriate access to the boardwalk

Objective: design facilities to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act

Goal: build an amphitheater or other event facility

Objective: investigate the potential to use the natural topography of the of the site to design an amphitheater

Goal: provide a public gathering space

Objective: include a gazebo, town green, or other suitable location for holiday/cultural events, band concerts, or other events

Goal: provide access for kayaks and canoes

Objective: provide adequate drop off and parking areas

Objective: provide a small tending pier

Goal: incorporate playground equipment into the site

Goal: Identify active and passive areas of the site and program improvements accordingly

Goal: include historical and natural interpretation as an integral part of site improvements

Objective: design a unified theme for all signage to be placed on the site

Objective: identify topics for historical signs, such as the Rodgers House and historical uses of the Sound

Objective: build upon the completed vegetative survey to develop natural heritage signs

Goal: coordinate with natural resources agencies to integrate wildlife viewing opportunities into the design of trails and other facilities

Goal: utilize low impact development techniques for proposed improvements

Objective: provide adequate parking using pervious surface material to minimize runoff

Objective: using the completed vegetative survey as a guide, implement selective clearing while preserving native plants

Objective: design improvements to enhance the natural quality of the site

Goal: investigate the potential for a created wetland stormwater management facility to handle runoff from the site and address drainage problems in the vicinity

Athletic field

Bicycle trails

Bicycle racks

Boardwalk

Boutique stores

Commercial shops

Community center

Convention center

Croquet course

Dog park

Driving range

Dock with sound access

Duck history exhibit (interpretive)

Farmers market

Fishing/crabbing access

Flora and fauna exhibit (interpretive)

Frisbee area

Geology exhibit (interpretive)

Government complex

Group exercise

Light refreshment stands

Limited parking

Marina (bait store, snack bar)

Mini-golf

Municipal building

Museum

Native plants

Oceanography/dunes exhibit (interpretive)

Outdoor summer movies

Parking lot for shoppers

Pedestrian access/access only

Pier

Playground

Pool

Preservation of plant life

Promote tourism

Recreation center

Rest area

Restaurant

Restrooms

Retreat

Sanctuary (wildlife)

Satellite police/fire office

Shuffleboard

Sound access

Starbucks

Tennis courts

Town Hall

Township building for office space

Town library

Volleyball court

Water fountain

Water sport rentals

Welcome center

Wetlands preservation

Wildlife refuge