Fire Island Residents Reassured About Beach Restoration Timeline

OCEAN BAY PARK, NY — News stories about the cessation of federal dredging and beach restoration on Fire Island created a buzz this week, as some insinuated political motivations were behind the relocation of equipment to near President Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. But the Army Corp of Engineers told the New York Post the relocation of the Palm Beach work was a coincidence, and that the work on the remaining two Fire Island towns, Ocean Bay Park and Point O'Woods, would be completed in time for summer.

Katie Vincentz, communications director for U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, told Patch: "The Army Corps of Engineers has reconfirmed to Congressman Zeldin that the Westhampton Beach project will be completed on or about March 9 and the Point O'Woods and Ocean Bay Park project will be completed on or about May 18, which is prior to the contracted completion date of June 19.

Additionally, the 100% federally funded project to bolster the barrier island west of Shinnecock Inlet is still expected to be completed before the end of March, weather permitting."

The original email from the Army Corps of Engineers about the schedule change stressed that Weeks Marine, the contractor on the project, can move equipment if the original contracted dates can still be fulfilled:

"It's important to note that the contractor is not prohibited from moving equipment offsite if they can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Government that they can complete the work by the contact completion date.”

Jay Pagano, president of the Island Pines Property Owners Association, said in a statement in a newsletter to the association Tuesday:

"This is the third beach replenishment project that I have been involved in during my time on the board. Although we completed two other projects, we did not get enough sand for either of them. This time we got enough, and it is going to last. Not only is the new beach visually beautiful, but I know you will also share my sense of psychological comfort just knowing it is there. The Pines has been extremely fortunate.

I am sure many of you saw the various articles that described the removal of the dredges from our waters to Florida. This transfer of equipment was permitted under the contract between the Army Corps and Weeks Marine, the contractor on this project. The contract permitted Weeks to move their equipment elsewhere as long as they completed the Fire Island project by mid-June. This is why we insisted to the Corps that they could not move the dredges until sand placement was completed in the Pines, and it was. Weeks has assured the Army Corps that they will be back in Fire Island to complete the two communities to the west of the Pines on schedule."