Wrightsville Beach updates: floating restaurant, parking, sidewalk seating

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Amid controversy over a floating home in Carolina Beach, a floating restaurant is now coming to Wrightsville Beach.

It will be located within Wrightsville Yacht Club’s existing marina near Bluewater Grill.

At a meeting Thursday night, the Board of Aldermen first had to approve a text amendment creating a definition and rules for floating restaurants, as this will be the first of its kind in Wrightsville Beach.

After two public hearings, the board approved both the amendment and a conditional use permit for this particular restaurant.

While it was proposed to be exclusive to club members and their guests, town leaders mandated that the first floor be open to the public. The town has also listed additional conditions such as no outside music, no customers seated outside after 10:00 p.m., no customers served after midnight, and more.

“There were quite a few of them, but generally to protect the viewshed, to protect the health, safety and welfare of the town’s citizens,” said town manager Tim Owens. “There was some very specific stuff about how tall, how wide, how long, those type of things.”

An illustration shows what the restaurant is expected to look like.

An illustration shows plans for a floating restaurant in Wrightsville Beach.
(Photo: Public Record)

It will be constructed off-site and is expected to be permanently moored in July 2022.

Another first of its kind was approved by the board Thursday night. Shark Bar and Restaurant on East Salisbury Street will be the first ‘sidewalk cafe’ in town.

After two more public hearings, the board approved both a conditional use permit for Shark, and a text amendment spelling out rules for sidewalk seating.

Shark’s Bar and Restaurant has been issued a conditional use permit for outdoor seating.
(Photo: Matt Bennett/WWAY)

Alcohol can be served to patrons sitting at tables on the sidewalk, but outside music, paper products, umbrellas, and smoking are prohibited. All outside seating must be put away by 10:00 p.m.

Finally, those who frequent the Wrightsville Beach boat ramp may have more difficulty finding parking. The Board of Aldermen approved a new ordinance Thursday banning parking on the unnamed road underneath Heidi Trask bridge.

Parking is no longer allowed under Heidi Trask Bridge.
(Photo: Matt Bennett/WWAY)

The town says parking in that area creates congestion under the drawbridge, litter concerns, and damage to the bulkhead and roadway. That ordinance goes into effect immediately.

Click here to view the agenda from Thursday night.

Click here to watch the full meeting. The video hasn’t been uploaded at the time of this posting, but should be soon.