Topsail Beach residents, commissioners remain split over public safety building

TOPSAIL BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Residents and commissioners in Topsail Beach remain split over a proposed public safety building. 

While most agree the town needs to update its fire and police stations, not everyone agrees on how far leaders should go after the town received an $8 million grant from the General Assembly. 

Option one would see a new building adjacent to the town’s current facilities that includes space for fire and police, a new town hall, and an emergency operations center. 

Option two would scrap the town hall and EOC while keeping the police and fire station. 

Option three would scrap the town hall and EOC, while also significantly reducing the square footage for police and fire. 

The town said option one would be the most costly, coming with a three-cent tax increase, but it would also be the most reliable for future growth and the town’s exponentially larger population during the summer. 

The current fire and police stations are both decades old and fall significantly short of industry standards.  

During the board of commissioner’s March 31 meeting, many residents like former firefighter Ross Dinkle said the new building is necessary to save lives, while others like Susan Crew said the town should prioritize lower taxes. 

“It seems to me that a three cent on the dollar tax now for what we the taxpayer will get in return, is a great value, and it shows that we will not bear an even greater tax burden in the future,” Dinkle said. 

“The risk of underutilization, paired with a 20-year tax burden, outweighs any potential benefits. By opting for renovations or regional collaborations instead, we can meet it affordably and responsibly,” Crew expressed. 

Mayor Pro Tem Tim Zizack feels building a new town hall is a bridge too far. 

“We all know we need a new firehouse and we need a new police station. We all know that and upgrading that is fine, we received the money to do that, so why aren’t we just doing that,” Zizack said. 

While Commissioner John Gunter said choosing option three would be a mistake. 

He noted the current police station is so small that officers use the same table to eat lunch and sort evidence. 

“If we have our police dealing with drugs, and in particular fentanyl, off the same table they’re eating off of, we’re not doing the right thing,” Zizack noted. 

The town’s board of commissioners will meet again Wednesday night at 6 p.m. to discuss the building plans further.