Community Voices
PUBLIC COMMENTS AT PUBLIC MEETINGS
Because an application has been submitted to develop the south-end of the island, many people are speaking out about their love for Topsail Beach and interest in conserving the south-end of the island, fondly known as ‘The Point’.
Sometimes they speak up at public meetings before the Town’s Planning Board and Board of Commissioners. Listen to their comments on the meeting links below.
- January 25, 2023 Planning Board meeting, Public Comments starting at 12:15
- February 8, 2023 Town Board of Commissioners Public Comments
- March 27, 2023 Planning Board meeting Public Comments
- May 3, 2023 Planning Board meeting Public comments.
- May 24, 2023 Planning Board meeting Public comments.
- July 24, 2023 Town Board of Commissioners Special Meeting on Conditions for Rezoning Application.
- August 9, 2023 Town Board of Commissioners regular meeting public comments.
- Submit your own comments to the Town’s Public Officials here.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION RESOURCES
Included here are information documents that community members have prepared regarding the proposed development.
- Comparison of the Olson Proposed Development Plans. Click here to view.
- Comparison of Serenity Point and Proposed Development Plans. Comparison of SP & application -June 23
COMMUNITY OPINION EDITORIALS
This section includes opinion editorials written by community members about the proposed Olson development on the south-end of Topsail Beach, known as The Point.
- “A Call to Forever Preserve The Point on Topsail Island,” by Ryke Longest, Director of Clinical Programs, the Co-Director of the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic and Clinical Professor of Law at the Duke University School of Law. Read it here. Appeared in the Wilmington Star News.
Conserve the Point by Caroline Busby
In lands where nature’s beauty lies,
Where oceans meet the open skies,
There stands a point, a sacred place,
Where life converges in its grace.
For those who visit, those who dwell,
Topsail Beach’s allure weaves quite a spell,
A natural gem where hearts can swell,
In awe, we stand, where land and sea meld.
But shadows cast, a future feared,
As plans of development have appeared,
If dwellings rise where pristine once reared,
A dream that many hearts have jeered.
Construction’s roar disrupts the peace,
Neighbors vexed, their strife increase,
Rental joy begins to cease,
Inconvenience, a bitter lease.
The town’s own homeowners, concerned they be,
Flood rates that rise like the swelling sea,
Homes awash in uncertainty,
Home values falter, don’t let that be.
Wildlife’s realm, a habitat grand,
Threatened now by human hand,
Species rare on shifting sand,
Conserve the Point, let nature stand.
Dunes that guard, a sturdy shield,
Protecting homes from forces wheeled,
Erosion’s grasp, they bravely wield,
Their worth to us, not yet revealed.
Through these thoughts, we pause to see,
The Point’s true worth, its legacy,
A chorus of voices, unified plea,
Don’t develop, remain in harmony.
Conserve the Point, the rallying cry,
To guard this haven, let us try,
A sanctuary where creatures roam,
Their rightful habitat, their home.
So, town commissioners, heed this call,
Stand for nature, stand for all,
With evidence weighed, let wisdom sprawl,
Deny the change, let nature enthral.