By Doug Miller
And Tepper's first question for the group - which included civil engineer Donald Cresitello, new project manager Cliff Jones and Roman Rakoczy of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation - was "Why?"
There was a moment of silence, then some titters and a few claps from the audience, which was several hundred strong but forbidden to participate.
It was a common question, since the project has undergone so many changes that confusion still exists as to what its goal truly is. Conservation or safety? Erosion protection or second-coming-of-Katrina protection?
And what will the project do to protect the city against flooding from Reynolds Channel?
According to the ACE's material, "While erosion is a problem, the most serious threat to the island is from high storm surges and waves. The present beach could be easily overtopped with direct damages to public and private property."
The plan is for the corps to pump about 6.6 million cubic yards of sand - which would be harvested from deep beneath the ocean floor - to raise the elevation of the beach about 10 feet. Further, a 15-foot wall of sand would be built under the boardwalk that would act as a seawall against a surge of waves. Because of the moisture this dune would create, the ACE would replace the wood beams on the boardwalk with synthetic ones.
According to the corps, the sand barrier would have a crest width and upper slope that would extend more than half the boardwalk's width and within a foot of its timber deck. The toe of the sand pile would extend 15 feet seaward of the boardwalk.
In addition, 18 city jetties, or groins, would be rehabilitated, and seven new ones would be built during the construction period, with an option for three more at a later date. Construction would go on 24 hours a day from October to April for three to four years.
The initial cost would be $98,535,000, plus about $12,509 every five years to replenish eroded sand. Long Beach's share of that would be about 10.5 percent. The state would advance Long Beach the money until the project was completed.
The project would not address flooding from the bay, but the engineers said that a remedy for that problem could be studied.
"The project's primary purpose is storm damage reduction," said Jones. There was, however, discussion of exactly what type of storm it would protect the city from. "The project will protect the city against a storm with waters in elevation of 12.1 feet," said Cresitello. "Storm surges of 12 to 15 feet can be associated with Category 2 hurricanes."
As before, the city has no obligation to participate in the project. The village of Atlantic Beach and the residents of East Atlantic Beach, to the city's west, have already opted out. And while the city's situation is hardly urgent, in Point Lookout the beaches are in dire need of fixing, and would benefit from the project.
An official public hearing on the project will be held March 28 at 7 p.m. in the sixth-floor meeting room of City Hall.
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
