Oyster Bay’s Department of Public Works is moving forward with a major sand replenishment project at TOBAY Beach in Massapequa.
Nearly 2 million cubic yards of sand along with some dunes have been washed away at TOBAY Beach in recent weeks, according to a town statement. The erosion has exposed the foundation of the beach pavilion and the retaining wall which protects Ocean Parkway.
While the town’s project is a short-term fix for the beach, officials are urging the federal and state governments to invest in a larger effort for the future.
“We know just how much TOBAY Beach means to our residents, which is why town crews will begin rebuilding TOBAY Beach by trucking in yards of clean sand just in time for summer,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in the statement. “Warm, sunny days are just around the corner, and we’ll have the beach open in time for you to soak up the sun, swim in the ocean and enjoy summer.”
The supervisor has requested emergency assistance from U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, along with Rep. Andrew Garbarino and Governor Kathy Hochul to pressure the Army Corps of Engineers to develop a long-term solution that hardens the shoreline with additional sand, shields nesting areas of the piping plover, defends the mainland and continues to provide the public access to the beach, according to the statement.
Though winter storms are partially responsible for the erosion, town engineers believe that dredged materials placed at the Town of Babylon’s West Gilgo Beach created a change in longshore currents that contributed to the damage. The town says it has spent millions of dollars rebuilding the beach and stabilizing dunes against erosion.
“I know the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the expertise to resolve this matter and I implore their immediate assistance,” Saladino said in the statement. “A long-term action plan must be implemented, along with the proper funding to achieve the goals of hardening the shoreline with additional sand, protecting the mainland and continuing to provide the public access our residents expect and deserve. The Town of Oyster Bay suffered enough during Superstorm Sandy and we must resolve this matter now.”