How to deal with severe beach erosion. A critical topic at the recent Ventnor City Commission meeting of January 9, 2020.
Beach erosion is a real problem now that large, wide dunes have been built. Especially along the south end of Ventnor.
Ventnor Commissioner Landgraf says we can fix those cliffs and make them safer. But we can’t recreate a beach or fill the beach. It may mean, not having beaches in that area at high tide. WATCH VIDEO:
Every day at low tide, you get gullies & tidal ponds. Commissioner Landgraf: Actually, that’s dangerous.
As predicted, overzealous dune building, dredging and sand pumping, now biting Ventnor in the ass.
Example: For those who use Buffalo Ave. area beaches: You may need to walk blocks away to find a a usable beach. Full moon, high tide. Surf reached toe of the dune.
City Engineer, Ed Stinson, plans to smooth out dune paths for safe access to beach.
A meeting is scheduled between Ventnor and the Army Corp of Engineers, and NJ DEP, for Jan 24.
Ventnor is prohibited from properly maintaining beach. ‘We don’t control beyond the dunes.’
Ventnor not expecting beach replenishment til Fall of 2021.
Landgraf: Ventnor may not have beaches in some areas this summer.
Ventnor is in a 3-year replenishment program. Funding still not yet in place.
Note: Ventnor Planning Board still not recording and posting their meetings, even though Ventnor recently installed a very good video system to record these important public meetings. NOTE: Ventnor School board also not recording meetings for public access.
The least expensive option for the long term is to move the dunes to the west side of the boardwalk.
There is a simple answer. Remove the dunes on the south beaches. They were not needed anyway.
The army core could come in at a astronomical low tide with bull dozers and move the sand back up on the beach from further out. This could be done and graded out in one or two tide cycles if they came in with a few prices of equipment. Thanks his would be a good temporary fix. At the next beach replacement cycle the city should lobby for a rock jetty at the south end of Ventnor. This would create a much
more permanent solution
How about reaching out to our representative in congress—heard he has the President’s ear. Marcia
That’s a good one !!!
I smell a political agenda in this article although the entire dune project while I believe is a necessity has been a huge cluster f*ck
What does this mean for Margate’s beaches?
Is this why we pay ridiculous taxes? Come on folks…get it together and fix the damn beaches!
I contacted the city of Ventnor at the beginning of last summer of 2019, when there was almost no beach at high tide around Buffalo. In fact, I suggested that the dunes were built on the wrong side of the boardwalk, especially when you consider the shape of the island as you go south from Buffalo. However the response back was that the dunes were protecting the boardwalk. So now after the October storms, we still have a protected boardwalk, fortunately that’s still standing, but no beach, and a dangerous one to even approach. Does our Ventnor Leadership feel the need to defend poor decisions, and refuse to learn and advance their thinking, or do they really have no idea on how to solve the problem? Get rid of the ugly dunes or move them to the west side of the boardwalk! All of you that are in elected offices in Ventnor should be ashamed and horrified that you took something beautiful and are now responsible for destroying it. Margate’s beaches are ugly with their pipes, and now Ventnor has washed away its beaches! If there is good leadership and common sense left in Ventnor’s elected leaders, please restore our beaches ASAP. After spending almost 40 years in Ventnor, it’s really so sad to watch was has happened to a beautiful and amazing natural resource. So, so sad!!!
Forget it
This is no longer a country that gets things done right and don’t know how to fix their own debacles
I’m sure to add insult to injury they will require you to have beach tags
Let’s figure out a way to put our taxes in escrow until they do the right thing
They are killing the goose that laid the golden egg!!!