Town of East Hampton, NY Approves New Coastal Legislation

The Town Board of East Hampton, NY recently voted to approve new legislation to protect the Town's beaches and coastal resources. While creating a Coastal Erosion Hazard Overlay District, this new legislation has had the support of the Eastern Long Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation because it prohibits any new hard erosion control structures from being built on the Town's ocean beaches.

The Town of East Hampton's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program is an exceptionally comprehensive and forward-thinking document.  The key policies in this program that relate to coastal protection and shoreline armoring are shown below.  More details can be found in the linked document on pages V-119 through V-137.

POLICY 13: THE CONSTRUCTION OR RECONSTRUCTION OF EROSION PROTECTION STRUCTURES SHALL BE UNDERTAKEN ONLY IF THEY HAVE A REASONABLE PROBABILITY OF CONTROLLING EROSION FOR AT LEAST THIRTY YEARS AS DEMONSTRATED IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS AND/OR ASSURED MAINTENANCE OR REPLACEMENT PROGRAMS.

POLICY 13A: EROSION PROTECTION STRUCTURES MUST BE MAINTAINED BOTH WITH REGARD TO THE STRUCTURE AND TO ADJOINING NATURAL PROTECTIVE FEATURES. REQUIRED MAINTENANCE MAY INCLUDE BEACH NOURISHMENT AND MITIGATION OF EROSION TO NEARBY PROPERTY AND RESOURCES CAUSED BY CONSTRUCTION OR RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EROSION PROTECTION STRUCTURE.

POLICY 14: ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OR RECONSTRUCTION OF EROSION PROTECTION STRUCTURES, SHALL BE UNDERTAKEN SO THAT THERE WILL BE NO MEASURABLE INCREASE IN EROSION OR FLOODING AT THE SITE OF SUCH ACTIVITIES OR DEVELOPMENT, OR AT OTHER LOCATIONS.

POLICY 14A: MINIMIZE THE CONSTRUCTION OF EROSION PROTECTION STRUCTURES AND NEW DEVELOPMENT IN HAZARDOUS AREAS IN REACHES 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, AND PARTS OF REACHES 2, 3, AND 6.

POLICY 15: MINING, EXCAVATION OR DREDGING IN COASTAL WATERS SHALL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INTERFERE WITH THE NATURAL COASTAL PROCESSES WHICH SUPPLY BEACH MATERIALS TO LAND ADJACENT TO SUCH WATERS AND SHALL BE UNDERTAKEN IN A MANNER WHICH WILL NOT CAUSE AN INCREASE IN EROSION OF SUCH LAND.

POLICY 16: PUBLIC FUNDS SHALL ONLY BE USED FOR EROSION PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES WHERE NECESSARY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE, AND NEW DEVELOPMENT WHICH REQUIRES A LOCATION WITHIN OR
ADJACENT TO AN EROSION HAZARD AREA TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION, OR EXISTING DEVELOPMENT; AND ONLY WHERE THE PUBLIC BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE LONG TERM MONETARY AND OTHER COSTS INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASING EROSION AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ON NATURAL PROTECTIVE FEATURES.

POLICY 17: WHENEVER POSSIBLE, USE NON-STRUCTURAL MEASURES TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE TO NATURAL RESOURCES AND PROPERTY FROM FLOODING AND EROSION. SUCH MEASURES SHALL INCLUDE:
(I) THE SETBACK OF BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES;
(II) THE PLANTING OF VEGETATION AND THE INSTALLATION OF SAND FENCING AND DRAINING;
(III) THE RESHAPING OF BLUFFS; AND
(IV) THE FLOOD-PROOFING OF BUILDINGS OF THEIR ELEVATION ABOVE THE BASE FLOOD LEVEL.

POLICY 17A: ALONG SOUTH SHORE OCEAN FACING REACHES 8, 9, 10, AND 11, ONLY NON-STRUCTURAL MEASURES ARE PERMITTED TO MINIMIZE FLOODING AND EROSION