Conservation group makes deal to buy Serenity Point on Topsail Island

The 150-acre, undeveloped area at the south end of Topsail Island known as Serenity Point will be sold to North Carolina land preservation organization Coastal Land Trust for $8 million, ending a year-long battle for the future of one of the largest and last remaining tracts of undeveloped beachfront on North Carolina’s barrier islands.

Coastal Land Trust announced this week that it had signed a contract to purchase The Point and place it into permanent conservation. The $8 million will come from a combination of grants, loans and private donations.

“[The Point’s] protection hinges on community support,” Coastal Land Trust executive director Harrison Marks said.

The parcel has 1.6 miles of shoreline that dips out into the Atlantic Ocean, New Topsail Inlet and Banks Channel, and it is a popular spot for walking and wildlife watching.

In 2022, Todd Olson, CEO of Raleigh software company Pendo, proposed a change from conservation zoning for part of the parcel to build a family compound.

After months of community protests, petitions and meetings among those used to access to the tranquil refuge, Olson rescinded that request. His family and the other current owners agreed to sell to Coastal Land Trust.