Topsoil Island people expect to be riding aver their new high-level bridge this year, and they are
betting it will bring extensive new development to the island. — (N. C. Highway Commission photo.)
PART
П
Updating the Beaches
Concluding' our report on the prog¬
ress of hesieli developments along' the
xVorth Carolina coast.
By W. B. AVIUGHT
Continuing down tine coast, con¬
struction of another new bridge is
creating excitement at Topsail Island.
The bridge is a $ 1 million-plus high-
rise {65-foot vertical clearance) struc¬
ture which arches over a half-mile of
the Intracoastal Waterway and sur¬
rounding marshlands to join the north¬
ern section of Topsail Island.
Last month construction by T. A.
Loving Company was well ahead of
schedule, and an aeeess link was be¬
ing cut which would join the bridge
with Highway N. C. 172 in the vicinity
of Southemaire Restaurant, and with
nearby U. S. 17.
People at Surf City and Topsail
Beach figured tine new access would
give a boost to business throughout
the island, but most talk was of the
anticipated land development which
the new bridge may trigger at the
north end of the island, a section
which until now is practically unde¬
veloped, even though a hard surfaced
road has for years extended to within
sight of New River Inlet.
Rare Ocean Front
Going northward on Topsail Island,
present development begins to thin a
little after you cross the Pender-
Onslow County line; and by the time
you reach Paradise Pier, about 7 miles
up the beach from Surf City, the signs
of human habitation are few and far-
between. It is 2 miles from here to the
new' bridge, and beyond that the mad
goes on for another 5 miles. Along this
stretch {to where the road ends in a
litter of beer cans and pop bottles)
there are maybe a half-dozen cottages,
an old range tower, and McKee’s Fish¬
ing Pier.
On the North Carolina Coast there
are only a few other pieces of
privately-held ocean frontage as ex¬
tensive as this which are still so vir¬
ginal. Much of this is land grant
property whose owners have not been
anxious to sell or develop in the past;
and the feeling along the beach has
been that development would be un¬
likely until the property changed
hands.
Heightened demand created by ad¬
vent of the bridge may bring this
about. But if local reports are ac¬
curate, anyone with designs on this
property should be prepared to pay
well. We were told that the price of
some of the land in this section is
already exaggerated. One realtor
threw up his hands when a property
owner wanted to offer an unde¬
veloped, -average-sized beach lot for
$18,000.
Meantime, the development of prop¬
erty elsewhere on Topsail Island has
also picked up steam. The Old Settler’s
development has added new lots by
draining and dredging on the sound
side.
Л1
Ward is preparing to add to
his extensive offerings by developing
some wooded soundfront property
back of Buccaneer Beach, to go on
sale later. At Topsail Beach a new
section of property has been developed
by Anderson and Boryek, and several
attractive residences are already built
there.
On Topsail Island 50-foot ocean
front lots were available at $4,500,
75-foot lots for $7,500, and second
row lots from $2,000 up. As else
where, year-around residence is a
definite trend here.
Exclusive
A year ago the first residence was
under construction on Figure 8 Island.
This year we counted 13 residences
either complete or building. Most of
them apparently range in cost from
around $50,000 upward, and several
are in the SI 00,000 class, wreU in
character with the exclusive resort
community projected here by the Is¬
land Development Company.
As of last month, about 70 lots had
been sold. The supply of 100 x 300
foot ocean front lots, selling for $15,-
000, is about gone until another
section of Figure 8 is opened. Channel
lots are selling for $6,500.
More channel lots are soon to be
dredged on the sound side of Figure 8,
and there are plans to start a con¬
dominium building, possibly next year.
Bruce and Dan Cameron, principals
of the development company, now
have homes under construction on the
island.
Shell island
Comparable in scope and class is
the new Shell Island development at
Wrightsville Beach, where home sites
went on sale last year. Shell Island,
( Continued on page 26)
20
THE STATE, June 1. 19 SB