Watch: Town Works to Reopen Sandy-Battered Beaches by Memorial Day

Babylon Town's beaches, campgrounds, spray parks and marinas will be ready for Memorial Day weekend on May 24 - if not, before - and will be fully open for the 2013 summer season.

That's the word from Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez. Patch took a tour of the work that's being done at the ocean and Great South Bay beach facilities led by Martinez and Frank Bachety, Babylon's commissioner of parks and recreation.

Martinez said as the damage from Hurricane Sandy has been repaired and work has been completed — like the boat launch at Venetian Shores — it's been important to open up facilities to residents.

For instance, Cedar Beach was open on Tuesday for beach-goers to enjoy the record-breaking, summer-like April temperatures. Many were also at Venetian and Tanner parks, as well.

Work is still being done at Cedar Beach Marina and Overlook Beach, but those will be open and ready for Memorial Day. In addition, town officials said Gilgo Beach will be open as well.

All told, town officials estimate Babylon sustained $18.4 million in damage to its waterfront facilities during the superstorm.

The town, Martinez said, is also being cost-conscious since it has to lay out and/or bond for the funding to pay for the repair work. To help keep costs low much of the work has been done in-house, while pursuing maximum FEMA reimbursement to offset expenditures, he said. 

Martinez said that the initial damage estimate of between $10.2 million to $10.3 million has either been awarded as bids for contractor work, identified as work done in-house by the town or anticipated to be completed.

That includes $2 million for the 50,000 cubic yards of sand Babylon will be allowed to purchase from the federal government following a federal dredging project in the fall.

Martinez said the sand cost will be put into FEMA — like all of the other associated storm costs — with the hope of full reimbursement. He also noted the town is lobbying the federal government in an effort to get additional sand to replace the almost 300,000 cubic yards of sand Sandy washed away.

In the meantime the town has redistributed sand where it could on the ocean beaches without taking from the dunes.

Gilgo took the worst hit, with Martinez called it a "sliver" and said it was still vulnerable to a large storm.

Thirteen separate projects have been underway since early February with the goal of having every park, beach and marina open for the normal summer schedule.