Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative recently awarded two grants in partnership with North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives for pedestrian pathway projects in the villages of Buxton and Hatteras. CHEC’s funds were met with a 50 percent match through North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ Community Development Matching Grant Fund.
The first grant for $30,000 was given to Outer Banks Forever, a nonprofit that raises funds for the National Park Service in Dare County. This grant will help fund the feasibility study for a paved multi-use path on Lighthouse Road in Buxton. The proposed pathway will run from Highway 12 to the old lighthouse site, the current Cape Hatteras Lighthouse area and the National Park Service campground. The feasibility study is the first step necessary to move the project forward.
The proposed multi-use pathway for Hatteras Village is over three miles and will connect the town for non-vehicular travel.
The second grant for $10,725 was given to Hatteras Village Civic Association to fund an environmental assessment necessary for construction of a pedestrian pathway in Hatteras Village. The proposed pathway will run on one side of Highway 12 from the Civic Center to Hatteras Landing. CHEC has also applied for funding to support the project through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program, which provides zero-interest funds to electric cooperatives who in turn lend the money to local entities for projects that strengthen rural areas.
“We’re proud to support community enrichment projects that will bring both economic and safety benefits to these Hatteras Island,” said Susan Flythe, CHEC’s general manager and executive vice president. “These projects are a great demonstration of our commitment to the cooperative principle of concern for community and to building a brighter future for the people and region we serve.”
Visit the In the Community section of website to learn more about the cooperatives’ economic development and community efforts across the state.