East Beach Bluff Project Awaits DEC Approval: Progress Report
Our original plans called for the existing steel wall in place to continue and expand past the concrete ramp on the west side to run 400 linear feet along the bottom of the bluff which would bring it just past the tennis courts.
DEC came to meet us on site approximately three years ago and their first inclination was to deny the project altogether because being naturalists they want the material to return and to replenish the beach as it naturally erodes.
They were not concerned about the amenities of the club and told us we would have to move them (clubhouse included), obviously that was not acceptable for us.
After our meeting in July of 2019 the DEC agreed to allow us to protect the bluff, but reduced the linear footage of the wall to only 200 feet to bring the wall to the end of the country club structure itself only.
The steel wall will then have a splash wall built in front of it made of large boulders and rip rock netting – to break the wave action.
They are allowing us to place rock for the remaining 200 feet to protect the tennis court bluff where they removed the steel wall.
The balance of the plan talks about scaling the hill and re-vegetating it to stabilize it.
We don’t see this as a major project in terms of what we are asking for – but unfortunately the DEC feels it will set a precedent and create what we then have to manage as an “engineered Beach” – “man made”.
We believe firmly that the DEC wanted to see the jetty corrected first and have the dredging completed by the county as both these advancements will definitely help stabilize our beach and shoreline.
We believe we are getting VERY CLOSE to permits – our guess would be within 3 to 6 months.
Once we have permits in hand we will go out for BID to price out the project.
Once we have pricing we can then determine if we need to go to public referendum for bond or if we can do a resolution by the Board of Trustees for bonding or use perhaps some of the funding that we’re getting from the federal government for the pandemic and maybe FEMA funds will come through to put towards this very important project.
All those decisions still very much to be made depending on the pricing – the cost of steel alone has soared in the last several months
If all goes well – idealistically I would love to get this construction done this winter.
Watch Mayor Garant’s Description of the Status of the project
Watch Mayor Garant’s Description of the Status of the Project Below