State considers plan to give former Manns Harbor marina a new purpose

DARE COUNTY

Becky Basnight remembers when the old marina and motel at the base of the old Manns Harbor bridge was full of people.

They'd park campers and take boats out. Commercial fishermen docked vessels, and charter boats hauled folks out for fishing.

"Cars and trucks used to fill up the parking lot and line the street," said Basnight, who has lived in Manns Harbor all her life.

That was some three decades ago, she said. The buildings are gone now, and in May a permit was obtained by the property's current owner to erect a 60-foot-high dry-stack marina there.

The boat storage facilities are not uncommon in coastal areas where land is at a premium.

But Basnight and others in Manns Harbor objected to such a large building, prompting the Dare County Board of Commissioners to re-examine building restrictions where there aren't any.

When the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries in September called for ideas on how to spend a new, $20 million Waterfront Access and Marine Industry Fund, Basnight proposed turning the former marina back into a working waterfront.

The purpose of the fund, established by the General Assembly, is to obtain, improve and develop "public and commercial waterfront access," according to the Division of Marine Fisheries.

The 12-acre property in Manns Harbor is now on a list of 23 coastal projects being considered, said Patricia Smith, public information officer for the division.

More than 150 informal proposals were received, she said.

Those that made the cut are now being asked to submit formal proposals, and the division could make a final decision by spring.

Other Dare County projects under consideration are 4 acres in Avon with 500 feet of waterfront on the Pamlico Sound; 18 acres in Buxton where the former Pilot House restaurant was located; and assistance in rebuilding Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, owned by North Carolina Aquariums.

Clarence Gibbs, a co-owner of the property in Avon, said the land is already used by recreational and commercial fishermen.

"It seems to meet their criteria," Gibbs said. "We'd like to see it go into their program."

Gordon Myers, deputy director of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, proposed the Buxton project.

A number of agencies, including the county and the Division of Coastal Management, are on board, he said.

"Eighteen acres is a bit of a rarity on the Outer Banks anymore," Myers said.

Part of the formal application process for private properties, like the one in Manns Harbor, is that the owner is willing to sell, Smith said.

Robin Mann, a Manns Harbor resident who has been working on the proposal, said she envisions an active working waterfront, a pier, a kayak launch, a place for children and families to crab and fish.

"It used to be a busy place," Basnight said. "We would love to see it that way again."

Kristin Davis, (252) 441-1623, kristin.davis@pilotonline.com