Kerry also mentioned the need for the money to help fix the Plum Island erosion problem, a subject that he knows about from a recent visit from Mayor John Moak and Vincent Russo, the chairman of Newbury's Board of Selectmen.
So, Plum Island warranted a mention. That's a good sign. Now let's turn those words into actions.
2 comments:
I'm very torn on this issue. We can have our tax dollars pay for another band-aid to temprorarily prevent multi-million dollar homes from washing away, or we let Mother Nature do her thing. Either way, we all lose in the end. If the ocean sweeps away the homes, the government will declare it a disaster and help pay for the damages anyway. If the Army Corps of Engineers can fix the jetty, we at least slow down the threat.
However, that will entice more people to build big homes on Plum Island, thinking it safe, until another major Nor'Easter chips away at the dunes once again. It's a vicious cycle with no easy answer. I bet if the houses washed away, though, the debris would create an excellent man-made reef system for good surf breaks and fishing spots. Hmmmmmmmmm.
A couple of points:
1) From FEMA/DEP's perspective, a large home that's flood elevated on pilings is preferable to an existing smaller home on a solid foundation.
2) The largest home allowed on a standard PI lot(4900 sq ft lot) is 1225 sq ft. In the south end of Newburyport, you can build a 4410 sq ft home on that size lot.
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