Work on refurbishing New Point Comfort Lighthouse is slated to begin sometime next spring, according to Mathews County Planning and Zoning Director Thomas Jenkins.

Jenkins said that he and representatives from the architectural and engineering firm McPherson Design Group of Norfolk visited the lighthouse in late July to examine the structure. McPherson has been selected to do the design work for the project. Representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation, which is funding the project through a transportation grant, also went along for the inspection, as well as some of McPherson’s subcontractors.

McPherson sent the price proposal for its professional engineering services last Wednesday, said Jenkins, but the price is still subject to negotiation. The budget for the design work is $150,000, said Jenkins, while the grant provides $1 million for the actual structural work.

A lot of metal work will be required at the top of the lighthouse, said Jenkins. There is al...