Delaware's Broadkill Beach is poised to see a major replenishment of sand to repair storm damage, but all 38 property owners in the area must sign off on it.
The News Journal reports that property owners must all sign easements to allow the work to take place and give the public access to the beach.
Broadkill Beach Preservation Association president Jim Baily told the News Journal “the protection and the beach we’re going to get from this is the best thing since sliced bread.”
If the project moves forward, residents would get a wide beach and a large dune along 15,000 feet of shoreline. Some 1.9 million cubic yards of sand is expected to be pumped in. And it wouldn't cost the state or residents anything.
But some homeowners are questioning the plan according to the News Journal, with concerns regarding the height of the sand dune interfering with air flow and possibly obstructing views from the homes.
Other concerns include maintenance. State shoreline and waterway manager Anthony Pratt told the News Journal that if the state cannot maintain the renovated beach, “this beach will return to its current state in a matter of years.”
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority would pay 35 percent of the cost, and the Army Corps of Engineers would pay the balance as part of the Delaware River and Bay deepening project.
