Town of Duck, North Carolina

The project is a multi-phase initiative. Currently, the Town of Duck is close to completing Phase I of the park implementation project. Phase I includes installing a parking area, driveway, and walkways on the park’s northern side. The majority of the work on this phase has been completed. As part of the Town’s efforts to retain its coastal village atmosphere, the Town has worked to ensure that the parking and walkways blend with the park’s natural environment by choosing natural and pervious services including GravelPave2 for the driveway and parking area, and crushed bluestone for the walkways.

The bidding process for Phase II of the park construction is currently underway. Phase II includes the implementation of a public kayak/canoe launch, a soundside boardwalk, nature trails, playground, picnic pavilion, and gazebo. The design and implementation of the Phase II features are designed to complement and preserve the unique maritime forest and willow swamp environments that are in the park. Work on Phase II is expected to continue throughout 2007. Grant funding totaling $593,500 has been obtained from the Dare County Tourism Board and CAMA to assist with the implementation of Phase II.

Future phases of the Municipal Property Project include the construction of a small amphitheater and municipal building. The amphitheater will be situated on the southern edge of the park on the soundside and will be built to blend in with the park’s natural environment.

The municipal building design and construction was added into the overall Municipal Property Project in August of 2006 when the Town Council acquired the former Herron’s Restaurant Property after the untimely passing of Richard Herron, Jr. The Duck Town Council is now in the process of planning for the design and construction of a Town municipal building on this approximately 23,000 square foot site. The municipal building is envisioned to be a community space and would include a meeting room for Council meetings and Town events, public restrooms, an inside display area, and Town offices. The process will include public input sessions and Town Council workshops. Additionally, the municipal building has been incorporated into the overall Municipal Property Project and will be reviewed by the Town’s Municipal Property Master Plan Advisory Committee to ensure that it will fit in with the overall coastal village design that is being implemented throughout the park.

It is important to note that the purchase of the former Herron’s property site and the decision by the Duck Town Council to construct a Town municipal building on this new site does not change or affect the original Town park plans. The Town of Duck Municipal Park is being developed as envisioned and as per the wishes of the Town’s citizenry based upon input received from surveys and public input sessions held throughout 2004 and then approved by the Duck Town Council on February 2005 as the Municipal Property Master Plan.

Additionally, the decision to construct a Town municipal facility on the former Herron’s property was made by the Town Council after pursuing a number of alternatives. Among the various alternatives examined by the Town Council were: asking to expand the current facilities or place a building on the Army Corps of Engineers site; having a suitable building constructed by a developer and then renting the building; and renting of retail space throughout Town. Each of these alternatives proved infeasible for a variety of reasons. Requests to the Army Corps of Engineers to provide space to the Town were rejected, appealed by the Town, and rejected again; of the two sites examined for the construction of a Town Hall by a developer, one would require that wetlands be filled and one would require that homeowner covenants be condemned; and retail space of sufficient size and location to meet the Town’s needs is not available and is best utilized as retail space. Not a single one of these options has proved to be viable. This research occurred between 2004 and 2006, and culminated in the purchase of the former Herron’s restaurant site.

As background, the timeline for the Town of Duck’s Municipal Property Master Plan Project follows:

Summer/Fall 2003: 10.33 acres of land on the Duck soundside in the heart of the Village Commercial District was available for sale by the Food Lion Corporation.
November 2003: The Town of Duck purchased the 10.33 acres of land from the Food Lion Corporation for $4.5 million.
January 2004: A Municipal Property Master Plan Study Committee (MP2SC) was appointed by the Duck Town Council to prepare a recommendation on potential uses for the 10.33 acre parcel as per Resolution #04-01.
Throughout 2004: MP2SC conducted public input sessions and surveyed Town property owners. The Town Council hired Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) to work with the MP2SC to prepare various alternative plans for the 10.33 acre parcel.
Throughout 2004: The Duck Town Council sent correspondence to both the local representatives and the acting Secretary of the Army seeking to utilize space on the Army Corps of Engineers property adjacent to the Duck Volunteer Fire Department for the construction of a municipal facility. Both requests were summarily declined.
October 2004: The MP2SC and VHB present alternatives for the 10.33 acre parcel to the Duck Town Council. The alternatives basically boiled down to two: (1) a municipal park with a Town municipal facility incorporated and (2) a municipal park without a municipal facility incorporated.
February 2005: The Duck Town Council approved the Municipal Property Master Plan implementation design without a municipal facility incorporated and continued to pursue alternatives for land and/or facilities to locate a municipal building.
February 2005: The MP2SC was disbanded by the Duck Town Council as it had completed its charge and the Municipal Property Master Plan Advisory Committee (MP2AC) was officially formed.
Throughout 2005: The MP2AC met in regularly advertised meetings to discuss and plan the implementation of the Duck Municipal Property Master Plan. The Committee continued to meet through 2006 and will meet throughout 2007 as per the Town Council’s direction.
January 2005: Grant from North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (NCDENR) awarded to the Town for the Municipal Property Project.
July 2005: A second grant from North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (NCDENR) awarded to the Town for the Municipal Property Project.
January 2006: The former Herron’s and Swan Cove Restaurant properties became available for sale due to the untimely passing of Richard Herron, Jr.
February 2006: Town Council met in a closed session, as provided by law, to discuss the purchase of either the Herron’s Restaurant or Swan Cove Restaurant site for a new municipal building and to decide on an initial price offer. At this meeting, it was decided to pursue the Herron’s Restaurant site since it was adjacent to the Town’s 10.33 acre park on three sides.
May 2006: Duck Town Council unanimously approved the Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Herron’s Restaurant parcel at a May 24, 2006 Town Council Meeting.
June 2006: A public hearing was held at the Duck Town Council’s regular mid-month meeting on a resolution to authorize the execution and delivery of a financing contract with RBC Centura Bank for the purchase of the Herron’s Restaurant parcel. The Council passed the resolution unanimously.
July 2006: The Town of Duck purchased the Herron’s Restaurant parcel for $1.25 million specifically for the purpose of constructing a municipal facility.
July 2006: The Town receives a $225,000 grant from the Dare County Tourism Board for the Phase II of the Municipal Property Master Plan.
August 2006: The approximately 23,000 square foot former Herron’s parcel becomes part of the overall Municipal Property Master Plan Project. Although the property is contiguous on three sides by the Town’s 10.33 acre park, the design and construction of a new municipal facility will not alter the Town Park plans nor slow down the planned park construction.
November 3, 2006: The Town of Duck officially broke ground on Phase I of the Municipal Property Master Plan Park Project.
November 2006 through February 2007: Phase I work on the park property is completed. Phase I included installing a parking area, driveway, and walkways on the park’s northern side.
January 24, 2007: A conceptual design of a Town municipal facility was presented to the Duck Town Council at its annual retreat by the architectural firm of Tymoff and Moss of Norfolk, Virginia. This design was presented as a starting point to begin discussion on the design and space needs for the Town’s municipal facility. From this initial presentation, the Duck Town Council will plan public meetings/input sessions and will refer appropriate items to the MP2AC for its recommendations as to how the municipal facility plans fit in with the coastal village atmosphere that is being preserved at the Town’s new park.
March 2007: It is planned that the Phase II bids for the park project will be awarded in March with construction to begin shortly thereafter and continue throughout 2007. Phase II includes the implementation of the public kayak/canoe launch, a soundside boardwalk, nature trails, playground, picnic pavilion, and gazebo.
May 1, 2007: The Town of Duck will celebrate its five-year anniversary of its incorporation as a Town with a community picnic at the new park.
July/August 2007: The Town of Duck will host a variety of musical, children’s, and theater events in the new Town park.