An escarpment that has lingered on the beach strand between Oceanic and Fayetteville streets since early October may be repaired within the next few days, according to public works director Mike Vukelich.
The escarpment, a drop-off in the sand that reaches 5 feet at several points, was created as a result of high lunar tides and an offshore nor’easter in October, and worsened through November into December due to more unusually high tides and a strong storm that hit just before Thanksgiving.
To ease out the escarpment, the town usually uses bulldozers, which requires a permit from CAMA. However, because the town is planning to use wet sand to repair the escarpment, the approval process has taken longer than usual, Vukelich said.
“CAMA solicited comments from the Army Corps of Engineers, both structural and environmental,” Vukelich explained. Earlier this week, Vukelich heard back from the Corps of Engineers: “They have no objections to what we’re going to use,” he said.
However, Vukelich added that the town’s repairs to the escarpment will be a little more complicated than the existing beach bulldozing permit, so the town will also apply for another permit from CAMA, called a minor permit. He said he expected to hear back from CAMA late Wednesday afternoon or sometime today, and public works staff will be out on the beach, making repairs, as soon as possible after that.
Because of the different process the town will be using, Vukelich said that front-end loaders that the town already owns will probably be used to ease out the escarpment. “We’ve never done this before so we’re kind of tip-toeing into the project,” he added.
The staging for the project will probably be either at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier or the Stone Street public access, Vukelich said, so that barricades at some of the other street ends closer to the escarpment won’t need to be disturbed.
The escarpment appeared to be easing itself out last week, Vukelich said, but added that Tuesday night the beach had sustained “severe wave action,” which might have made the escarpment worse.
Public works posted signs warning of the steep drop-off on Nov. 8. The signs are still in place between Oceanic and Fayetteville streets.
