The Outer Banks Voice - KDH Police crack down on Aviation Park problems The Outer Banks Voice
KDH Police crack down on Aviation Park problems
By Outer Banks Voice on March 15, 2022
The “skate park” is one of the attractions at Aviation Park. (Photo credit: Town of Kill Devil Hills)
Aviation Park is a centrally located park in Kill Devil Hills off Veterans Drive across from First Flight High School. Also known as the “skate park,” “frog pond,” or the “turtle pond,” Aviation Park is the Town’s busiest public park. A one-fifth mile track around the pond is popular for fitness enthusiasts and casual strollers alike. “Mary’s Paws Park,” the fenced dog park, sees dozens of two- and four-legged visitors every day. The skateboard bowl is one of the largest and most popular in Dare County. All of these amenities and more are supported by public funds and free for everyone to enjoy.
For approximately the past three months, incidents of disorderly conduct, vandalism, arson and other criminal mischief have occurred on a regular basis at Aviation Park resulting in over $2,500 in damages. The cumulative effect of these incidents has diminished the enjoyment of the park for many people, created an unsafe atmosphere and cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars in repairs and labor. There are security cameras at the park, however the perpetrators of these incidents know all of the blind spots and the cameras cannot be placed in the public restrooms where much of the damage occurs. To date the Town’s more passive mitigation efforts such as signage and securing bathroom doors during the problem hours have not helped resolve the problem.
Unfortunately, this means a more proactive stance by the police department in enforcing public nuisance ordinances is necessary to address the problem. Effective immediately, plain clothes officers will be in the park on a regular basis. Uniform officers will conduct more foot patrols in the area. Any individual, including students/juveniles, who are observed violating the law will be banned from Aviation Park for up to one year and possibly face criminal charges. This includes, but is not limited to, offenses such as underage possession of tobacco, tobacco use generally, vaping, littering, damage to property, disorderly conduct and fighting. Park rules, such as designated areas for skateboards and use of the equipment in children’s playground by persons over 12, will also be enforced and violators will be banned from the park.
Aviation Park is owned and operated by the Town of Kill Devil Hills and the Town reserves the right to limit access to places and persons in the park at any time through its agents. The Department would encourage anyone witnessing acts of destruction, vandalism or disorderly behavior to call the Dare Central non-emergency number at (252) 473-3444 and request an officer to respond.
Go to commentsPUBLIC NOTICE
NC- INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY – ALBAMARLE SOUND TO NEUSE RIVER ALLIGATOR RIVERSECOND CREEK-ALLIGATOR RIVER
All interested parties are notified that the Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District has received a proposal from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, with plans for modification of an existing highway drawbridge over a navigable waterway of the United States.
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: Alligator River, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 84.2, at Columbia, NC.
CHARACTER OF WORK: The proposed project is to replace the existing 2.83-mile long, 2-lane swing span drawbridge with a twolane, high-rise, fixed bridge on a new alignment approximately 2,000 feet north of the existing bridge. The purpose of the project is to replace a structurally deficient bridge experiencing substantial deterioration, due to its age, and to avoid the need to perform extensive maintenance on the obsolete operating machinery.
The existing drawbridge has a horizontal clearance of 100 feet on each side of the swing span and a vertical clearance of 14 feet above mean high water in the closed position and unlimited vertical clearance in the open position. The replacement bridge will be a fixed bridge with a horizontal clearance of 140 feet and a vertical clearance of 65 feet above mean high water.
A copy of Preliminary Public Notice D05PPN-02-2022, which describes the proposal in detail, can be obtained by calling (757) 398-6222 or by viewing at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=pnBridges. Comments on this proposal should be forwarded to the address in the notice no later than 01 APR 2022.
