Projects raise concerns for N.C. wild horses

Three new projects in the Currituck northern Outer Banks could attract more people to the habitat of the wild horses that are already trying to avoid the crowds.

Residents have repeatedly fought off commercial projects and road improvements in the remote communities, preferring fewer services and harder travel in exchange for quiet living.

Wild horses are one of the main attractions on the Currituck Outer Banks. Shops in Corolla sell T-shirts, caps, photographs and books about the herd. A small group of horses on the beach can attract hundreds of people. Some ignore or are unaware of a rule to stay 50 feet away as they to touch their noses or get close for photographs.

The herd of about 110 horses typically roams in smaller groups throughout the 12,000-acre area, including in yards.

Lately, the horses are spending more time in the maritime forest area on the sound side away from people, said Karen McCalpin, director of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

"We have seen that they are staying more in the back," she said.

Tourists have been coming in larger numbers and for longer in the season, said Richard Bell, a resident of the four-wheel-drive area and a volunteer with the Horse Fund.

"It is just really overpopulating the area," he said.

Residents generally support plans to straighten and level three to four miles of Ocean Pearl Road in Carova Beach.

Work is set to begin in March. Paid for with county occupancy taxes, the $300,000 project would be the first major improvement in decades to the sandy roads riddled with pond-size potholes.

Ocean Pearl Road serves as an artery for emergency and construction vehicles and is the address for many high-end beach rentals.

Wild horses often graze along the side of the road. Even though it will remain unpaved, a better road could bring more sightseers at higher speeds.

"It's a concern," McCalpin said. "It's all about personal responsibility."

The speed limit is 15 mph when people are within 300 feet, said Kimberlee Hoey, president of the Board of Directors for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

"I'm confident the Sheriff's Office will enforce it," she said.

South of Carova, a 13,000-square-foot beach house with 23 bedrooms and 23 baths on 20 acres of oceanfront property is ready for rent this year. Open for large events, family reunions and weddings, the house is called Wild Horse, according to an online advertisement by Twiddy & Co. Realtors.

Not far from the beach mansion in Swan Beach, a developer proposes a commercial district of 31.71 acres that would include an inn, shops, restaurants and residential units.

Also in the same plans is another small commercial area of 5.86 acres that would include a fishing pier to the ocean and a bait shop.

Original plats done in 1969 set aside these tracts for commercial use. County zoning calls it residential.

The commission turned down an application for a similar project on the same tract in November 2008 after residents protested.

This time, Bissell Professional Group is asking for rezoning that specifically names what will be built there, said Ben Woody, director of the Currituck County Planning Department.

Typically, rezoning allows for a range of projects, which can make locals more wary, he said.

The project is to go before the Currituck County planning board in February and to the Board of Commissioners in March.

Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com