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1:27 p.m. • 5-22-13

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Published: 2008-07-25 16:38:00
Updated: 2008-07-25 20:42:25

Sandbag sites being evaluated on coast


Sandbag sites being evaluated on coast
Sandbag sites being evaluated on coast
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The Division of Coastal Management announced on Friday it is finalizing a list of high-priority sandbag sites.

The list also ranks sandbag sites that need to be cleaned up, which will have some coastal homeowners being notified to remove their protective sandbags.

Coastal Management field representative John Cece has been documenting thousands of sandbags protecting property on the coast.

“It’s challenging. … We have 110 sites,” Cece said.

Many sandbag sites are in Dare County, where years of hurricanes have pummeled the shore and homeowners have been using sandbags to try to keep the sea at bay.

Cece said the oldest sandbags he saw were from 1992. Sandbags were supposed to be temporary, lasting two to five years at most. The state now plans to send letters telling some homeowners to remove the bags.

“I don't think that they're going to be received well, and I think the end result is yet to be seen on that,” Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith said.

The state Division of Coastal Management has made a map and database and is determining the sandbag sites that need to be cleaned up first.

“We have a number of bags that have fallen off the authorized alignment. They're out here on the beach, tumbling on the beach; some of the bags are torn,” Cece said.

Smith said she doesn’t think anyone wants a “wall blocking our beaches,” but some reasonable measures need to exist to protect the shoreline.

“If the regulations authorized development, we're required to issue citizens the permit, so people can still legally obtain permits for sandbags,” Cece said.

Homeowners will have 30 days to comply. Once the initial notices are mailed out, the state will start sending notices to the rest of the homeowner who are in violation.


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oh i agree, the people that CHOSE to build there were taking a risk now its time to get the bags out-a-there.

The sand on those islands have been migrating for 150,000 years. We are not going to stop it. All the sand bags are doing is transferring the erosion further down the beach to someone else.

Retire science teacher comment.

The only flip side I see here, is development should not have been allowed in the first place.

I was about to say why is this my problem then I thought about it me and the rest of the average tax paying people will pay somehow. So just by that I'm mad about it and don't even know yet why.

The western point of emerald isle and northern point at topsail, if you remove the bags you might as well go ahead a bulldoze the houses while your at it.

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