With one of the busiest weekends of the summer behind us, we thought we would take this opportunity to update the community on the Army Corps project. We met with the Army Corps and DEC at our regularly scheduled stakeholder meeting in late June. The project is moving ahead of schedule in Long Beach which bodes well for Phase 2. As you may recall, Phase 2 will entail the construction of the continuous dune as well as the construction of the new shoreline and permanent walkovers. The Army Corps is approximately 70% done with the final design of Phase 2 and recently met with government officials to discuss the plans. We looked briefly at the plans during the June meeting and there were no surprises- the plans looked very similar to what we have already conveyed to the community. Two permanent ADA compliant walkovers will be installed, one at Inwood and one at Garden City. The pavilion will be reconstructed further back above the high point of the dune allowing a sight line to the ocean, and the spirit of the Pavilion’s three triangles will be included in the final design (the material is still to be determined based on cost estimates).
As we stated earlier, the project is on-track and even slightly ahead of schedule. What this means is that the contractor will return to Point Lookout in late summer early fall to continue their work on the inlet jetty, so called groin 58. The piping plover restrictions are still in place and will limit the work if any that can be done prior to September 1st. Provided the Phase 1 remains on track, the expectation is for the Phase 2 contract to go out to bid in late fall for a December award. How the work is executed will be subject to the contractor’s discretion. We will not know a more definitive work schedule until the contract is awarded and the final details are worked out. Work during Phase 2 is scheduled to go on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year until the project is completed, but the plover season restrictions may once again come into play.
While the beach may seem small this year, it is our hope that we can look forward to future summer seasons with ample space and enhanced protection thanks to the Army Corps project. As always please contact us with any questions or concerns at info@pointlookoutcivic.org.
