You thought dunes in Margate were a sure thing? Nope. Another lawsuit has been filed by a group of Margate homeowners. They fear dunes will create health hazards and stinky puddles.
Many in Margate want to stop the project due to possible drainage issues man-made sand mountains could create. Margate is already quite comfortable with it’s beachfront bulkhead system already in place. It’s the back-bays that Margate…and Ventnor are most fearful of.
$60 million has been made available to vacuum up sand from either the inlet, bay, or oceanfront sea floor to create/beef up dunes in Longport, Margate and Ventnor. The dune project was to start FALL 2016….. in order to be finished by SUMMER 2017.
Five Margate homeowners were not happy by the so-called NJ State cram-down. Margate Mayor; Mike Becker, says it’s all about drainage. He says a dune system wculd allow water to pool at street ends. A possible compromise could have the state install pipes under the dunes to promote drainage. The Army Corps sees that as a cost-prohibitive addition.
The Army Corps of Engineers manages all dune construction. Dunes are paid for 100%…. by the federal government.
Paying for future beach replenishment is a split: 65% comes from federal government, 26% from the state and 9% from local governments.