![]() It is a feather in the cap of Mayor Bennett and the Town Council plus other improvements. Dogwood Trail are a welcomed addition to Southern Shores from an aesthetic, safety and property value perspective. Crumbling infrastructure whether at the local or national level is an issue that will separate us from third world communities and nations. Mayor Bennett and the Town Council have listened to fellow citizens but someone has to make decisions to move forward. Road/bridge construction and improvements is the province of local and state government. Maintaining beachfronts and canals will continue to be a controversial issue but doing nothing, an option, is a poor option. ![]() Mayor Bennett has tried and succeeded in navigating through “minefields” of competing interests. ![]() I’ve been very fortunate to have served during my entire time with an experienced staff, people that are very capable. Peter having the longest time, with Cliff being here now. I’m saying this as something that I’m proud of, what our managers did over their tenures. Before I was elected mayor, every inspection of that bridge and said it is marginal…It’s not in the condition that it should be for the traffic you’re carrying. The federal government paid a significant amount of money toward that, like three quarters of the cost. If somebody is waiting to cross, you see that go from a low intensity to real high intensity. I saw crazy stuff happen there.Īnother thing that doesn’t get talked about, but it is a real important asset, especially with the volume of tourists we have right now are our crossovers on Highway 12. The Highway 12 and East Dogwood infiltration basin was potentially a real lifesaver because people will come through there at 35 or 40 miles an hour and into a foot of water. The walking paths on East Dogwood and the completion of the South Dogwood walking paths the Duck Woods Country Club north have been a wonderful asset to our community. The top of the list was construction of a new fire station. Voice: Are there some specific accomplishments in the town that you feel are significant?īennett: We have some things that I think were critical to our public safety and to help our residents keep this wonderful place. When it came time to do the larger project we’ve been talking about for next year, we had very little real outcries. Everybody was on board with what we wanted to do and what they had to have. Voice: In 2017, the town did do a small nourishment project at Pelican Watch.īennett: We had 24 or 25 families involved there. That was the most contentious meeting I’ve ever been in. We were trying to give us the right to access the oceanfront from your property to deposit sand on your property. It was very specific what we were trying to do. One or two members believed it was using this mechanism to condemn Civic Association property and take away their parks and playgrounds. We had a huge turnout of people who were adamantly opposed to that…they were protecting their land. We don’t know when, but it’s going to happen. And one of the things we have to have in place…is access to the oceanfront.’ Peter suggested that we have a council meeting where we address the issue of easements and explain to people that we would have to do a beach nourishment project sometime in the next X number of years. This was Peter Rascoe and me working with him…He said, ‘at some point in time, we’re going have to do a beach nourishment project. Voice: When it was first presented to residents in 2016 beach nourishment was a contentious, controversial proposal.īen nett: It was a good example of you’re trying to look ahead, but you get too far ahead, and people don’t understand the implications. How do I stop the traffic using South Dogwood…and not affect a person who’s got to get there to get a house cleaned? How do I close streets and not affect the people that have to go to Corolla and beyond? There could be a fireman or policeman or somebody else, but they’ve got to get to work. They can’t go to the store and come back. He is signed to Hey Hay Productions for booking and is managed by Traincase Management in Nashville Tennessee.Voice: Since we’re discussing roads, what is happening with summer cut-through traffic in the town?īennett: It’s one of those things that you think, ‘What am I missing? What happens if I do this option?’ All of a sudden, I’m punishing a third of my homeowners on the streets that we’re closing. ![]() He has performed 300 shows annually for the last 4 years. He has been featured in USA Today and many other media outlets. Tom Bennett is a nationally touring country blues one man band from Georgia based in Utah. ![]()
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