St. Regis Resort launches $750K emergency project to rebuild eroded dunes

NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, NC (WWAY-TV) — After recent storms and high tides battered beaches in the Cape Fear, the St. Regis Resort in North Topsail is fighting back with a major project to protect its waterfront condos.

The St. Regis sent a letter to its residents last week informing them of a $750,000 assessment for an emergency effort to stabilize the resorts dunes.

Jeff Wells, a property owner at the resort, said the price of the assessment is worth protecting his condo.

“As a homeowner I don’t have any issue with them spending money to protect the property at this point it’s a small price to pay to try and sustain, the environment protect the dunes and the erosion from destroying the property,” Wells said.

The resort said this project will address immediate erosion concerns with an emergency sand push or nourishment and install concrete blocks on the beach.

The resort HOA said the assessment will also go toward a major sandbag placement nearly six feet high.

“A lot of harm comes from bureaucratic red tape and people wasting too much time instead of acting,” Wells said.
Well said while the St.Regis has responded quickly to the issue, he worries for other North Topsail residences that are vulnerable to future storms and high tides.

“It has gone from worrisome to the levels where it’s going to be catastrophic.”

Wells claims the north part of the island could benefit from a terminal groin to stop the onslaught from the ocean, but that request is caught up in red tape.

Alice Derian, the North Topsail town manage said come January the town will be resuming the emergency project from potential tropical cyclone number eight in 2024.

In a statement to WWAY, Derian said in part:

“The contractor will be picking up where they left off near Topsail Dunes working north to place sand back in the dunes that was surveyed as lost during Potential Tropical Cyclone #8.”

The town is also working to secure permitting for a beach nourishment project.

In a statement WWAY, The St. Regis HOA said they are coordinating with approved contractors and regulatory authorities to ensure their work meets all environmental and safety standards