Posted on June 5, 2018
By Gray Hughes, delmarva now
Another delay will push beach replenishment back into August for some southern Delaware beaches.
The project is slated to begin June 1 — half a month later than the original scheduled start date of May 15, according to the Army Corps of Engineer’s website.
The postponement has been caused by the dredging company — Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company — facing delays with the project on which they are working currently, Voigt said, which means the project is not expected to be completed in its last area — Fenwick Island — until early August, said Ed Voigt, chief of public and legislative affairs for the Army Corps of Engineers in Philadelphia.
“One thing to know about the dredging, there are relatively few dredging companies to accomplish many jobs,” he said.
On Tuesday, much of the equipment for the beach replenishment project was already on the beach. Despite the cloudy weather, sunbathers were strewn around it, acting like it was just another day at the beach.
“It doesn’t bother me,” said Richard Plant, of Reading, Pennsylvania.
But other beach visitors were not too thrilled.
Karen Bragg, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, said her family planned their Memorial Day getaway to Bethany Beach before they knew nourishment would be happening.
“So I’m a little miffed I’m dealing with it right in the middle of the season,” she said.
Some Bethany Beach businesses, too, are wary.
Amanda Zirn-Hudson, manager at Bethany Beach Books, said the project extending further into the summer could force customers go to different beaches.
“But we are glad we’re doing it to keep our beaches safe,” she added. “I see positives to it because we want vacationers to chose Bethany over other places, and we want people to come to Bethany, but we need to do what is right for the environment, and I’m not sure what that may be.”
According to the chart on the Army Corp of Engineer’s website, beach replenishment in Bethany Beach will be finished by “late June,” where it will then move to South Bethany, where it should be finished by “mid to late July.”
The project will then turn to Fenwick Island, where it is expected to be completed by “early August,” according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
In a statement on the Bethany Beach website, the town said there are questions surrounding when the project is being done.
“Unfortunately, neither the State of Delaware, nor the affected communities have the ability to schedule these projects as they would like,” the statement read. “Likewise, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers does not have the luxury of scheduling projects when it is best for the intended recipients.”
Scheduling is driven by several factors, including timing of funding — obtaining necessary permitting, survey and plan development, and the availability of the dredging companies — that dictate when the project can be done.
In the $17.2 million contract awarded in October of 2017, it is stipulated that work can only be done during certain months.
In total, the project is expected to cost $19.2 million.
Because of this, Voigt said, work has to be done as soon as possible, meaning the idea of having the replenishment done after the summer months is unrealistic.
“The more term and conditions, the higher the price,” Voigt said. “In the contract, there still is a date by which they have to finish, but even there, the contractors accept the penalty. It is part of the cost of doing business.”
Jack Gordon, Bethany Beach mayor, said no one is happy with the timing of the project, however, they are happy to have the project be done.
It is bittersweet in a way because of this, he said.
“The merchants in town are of the thinking that it is best for the town and it will repair the dunes,” he said. “All in all, it is a positive, but it is a shame it has been delayed.”
South Bethany Beach Mayor Pat Voveris lost in her re-election campaign to Tim Saxton, who will take over as mayor beginning June 2.
But Voveris lent her voice in support of the beach replenishment efforts recently.
“We are so grateful to have it,” she said. “We anticipated delays, but it is hitting us in the middle of the season. It is just one of those things where outside factors have influenced it and we have nothing we can do. We don’t want to delay it, and there are only a handful of people to do it.
“We have to grin and bear it, and this will square us well with a good beach to offer to people.”
Gene Langan, mayor of Fenwick Island, echoed Voveris’ sentiments.
He expects it to possible slip later, however, he said he is just “happy to have it done” and make it a good experience for visitors and locals alike.
“And there have been no real grumblings about it in the community, either,” he said.
At any given point, the contractor will close down 1,000 feet of beach, which equates to “a couple of blocks,” Voigt said.
That is what they will be doing in the southern Delaware beaches project, he added, with work being done three to four days at a specific location and then moving down.
“Kids that are future engineers and construction folks and stuff like that, they love it,” he added. “They get to watch all the bulldozers. We realize, though, that that is not everyone’s opinion.”
Source: delmarva now
