MONTAUK, N.Y. — Lawmakers have made an urgent appeal to New York State Governor Kathy Hotchul to match funds to help address severe erosion at Ditch Plains in Montauk. the beach was hit hard by recent storms, putting downtown Montauk at risk, they said.
New York State Rep. Fred Thiele and New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo responded to East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez's urgent appeal for matching funds to spearhead critical Ditch Beach restoration Plains, making a formal request to Hochul on behalf of the city.
The pressing need for financial support is a result of the recent storms that occurred on December 18, 2023, January 9 and 10, 2024, and January 12, 2024, “which caused severe damage to the beach,” the lawmakers said. “The current beach profile in Ditch Plain is non-existent and down to the hard pan. These funds will help combat climate change and increase coastal resilience in one of the city's most vulnerable areas.”
The primary goal is to protect the neighborhood from flooding and restore the beach and dunes for the 2024 summer season, everyone agrees.
In their letter to Hochul, Thiele and Palumbo highlighted the imminent threat to public safety and infrastructure posed by continued coastal erosion and storm impacts.
Members of the East Hampton Town Board continue to visit the area to assess the extent of the damage and the need for immediate restoration. By decision of the municipal council, they have enlisted the services of Dr. Henry Bokuniewicz, Distinguished Professor of Oceanography at Stony Brook University, and director of the Institute for Strategic Coastal Oceans, to consult on renewal plans. The city council also retained Robert H. Fox and Sea Level Mapping to survey the existing beach profile to determine the amount of sand needed to restore the beach, the supervisor said.
Burke-Gonzalez added, “The City Council is grateful for the response of Congressman Thiele and Senator Palumbo on behalf of the city, and we remain committed to working with our government partners, Ditch Plain residents and community organizations to achieve a quick and effective restoration of this beloved beach”.
In their letter, Thiele and Palumbo wrote, saying the storms “put these areas at serious risk of catastrophic damage from future storms. We are only halfway through the current winter season.”
They added that downtown Montauk is part of an upcoming federal project under the Fire Island to Montauk Point project, or FIMP.
“It is imperative that the necessary repairs required by the effects of the recent storms be incorporated into the currently approved work plan for this project,” they wrote. “The damage from these storms has been investigated and reviewed by the New York State DEC. The inclusion of these additions is imperative to ensure the ultimate success of this shoreline protection project.”
Second, they said the Ditch Plains area is not included as part of the pending federal project.
“Repeated requests to the US Army Corps of Engineers to include this area in the FIMP
have been rejected for not meeting federal criteria. Regardless, as shown in the attachment
photos, the Ditch Plains region is at immediate risk from any future coastal storm.”
Homes and infrastructure have been damaged, they said.
While the city evaluates its own Ditch Plains project to bolster federal efforts to protect the Montauk shoreline, the project symbolizes “an unexpected and
significant cost to the city,” Thiele and Palumbo said. “Therefore, we are asking for state financial participation in this project, similar to the state's efforts with the city of Babylon on Fire Island.”
Specifically, lawmakers called for the state to share the project with the city on a 50/50 basis, perhaps with funds available from the State Environmental Protection Fund or another state funding source.
“Due to the immediate danger this situation presents, we are asking for it immediately
attention of your administration in this matter,” they wrote.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers has begun a comprehensive all-sand beach nourishment project along the shoreline of downtown Montauk, beginning January 15th.
The beach and dune replenishment project is part of the FIMP project. About 450,000 cubic meters of sand will be added to reinforce the existing dunes and
coastal. The total estimated cost of the project is approximately $11,250,000 and will include beach fill, sand fencing, dune grass plantings and vehicle and pedestrian access point repairs. One hundred percent of the sand-only downtown Montauk beach restoration project will be paid for
for from state and federal funds, the city said.
Sand will be evacuated from an offshore borrow site with a 480-foot suction hopper dredger
boat named The Ellis Island.
