Oak Island revises ordinance to target big beach holes
OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — The Town of Oak Island has changed an ordinance to target unfilled beach holes.
Since the start of May, the Oak Island Beach Safety Unit has responded to and filled in over 205 large, deep holes left unattended on the public beach areas.
The Town says deep holes in the sand can be dangerous to beachgoers, wildlife, and Beach Safety crews responding to emergencies. At well over 100 lbs. per cubic foot, the weight of sand from a collapsed hole can immediately crush most children, small pets, and wildlife. Often difficult to see when left unattended, and nearly impossible to see at night, these hazards regularly lead to damaged emergency equipment and severe injuries for people, pets, and wildlife walking along the beach.
On July 8, the Oak Island Town Council approved an update to Ordinance 14-142, which will now limit the depth and tools used to dig recreational holes on the public beach areas.
As noted in the new Ordinance Amendment, Holes dug on the beach strand:
- Cannot be deeper than 12”
- Can only be dug using toy shovels intended for use by children
- Must be attended at all times, and completely filled in by 6:00 p.m.
Violation of this ordinance can now result in a $50 fine, issued by the Beach Safety Unit or the Oak Island Police Department.
To educate beachgoers on the ordinance update, the Town is inviting everyone to help say “Goodbye to Deep Holes” — through this effort, the graphic below will be shared with accompanying information on multiple visitor-targeted pages of the Town Website, as well as social media platforms and on roadside billboards.
