PLUM ISLAND — Newburyport's attempt to build up its portion of Plum Island beach between 53rd and 57th streets appears to have been unsuccessful.
Planning Director Andrew Port said that much of the 2,500 cubic yards of sand that the city purchased with a state grant was washed away by the rainstorm that began Nov. 7.
Deployment of the sand started Nov. 2 and took about a week, said Ward 1 City Councilor Allison Heartquist, whose district includes Newburyport's section of the island.
But it was washed away nearly immediately by the stubborn storm that stayed in the area for several days.
"Mother Nature dealt us a really bad hand," Heartquist said.
Plum Island Taxpayers and Associates President Ron Barrett said the sand that was spread by the city's contractor, SumCo Eco-contracting of Salem, was incompatible with the local beach, but Heartquist disputed that contention.
"Ron questioned the color of the sand," she said. "Compatibility was never a factor with the city or the contractor. DEP (the state Department of Environmental Protection) said it was fine, the Conservation Commission said it was fine."
The sand that Newburyport purchased was paid for by a $50,000 grant awarded to the city in March by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and $25,000 in matching local funds.
Barrett also said the contractor continued to put sand on the beach during the storm, an assertion Heartquist also dismissed.
"They should have let the storm go by," Barrett said. "I can't believe they didn't stop putting sand on the beach. I don't care what type of sand it is, but wait until the storm is over."
"The contractors didn't work during the storm because they couldn't get to the beach," Heartquist said. "They worked when it was raining, but rain makes the sand easier to work with."
Port said homeowners closest to the eroded section of the beach — Timothy Tracy at 28 53rd St. and Sadru Hemani at 30 55th St. — have received emergency certifications from the Conservation Commission to install giant cylindrical hay bales in front of their properties.
Hay bales as a buffer against erosion were installed along the length of Annapolis Way in Newbury last spring after a March storm gouged out several feet of the beach in that section of the island.
The 4-foot diameter bales weigh approximately 800 pounds, which increases to about 1,800-2,000 pounds when they are soaked with water. They were wrapped in snow fencing before being partially buried in front of the dune on the seaward side of homes on Annapolis Way and nearby Fordham Way.
The director of a nonprofit advocacy organization called the Plum Island Foundation, Robert Connors, devised the hay bale system in Newbury and is working with the Newburyport homeowners as well.
He said Pearson Construction of Byfield will likely begin work later this week and he anticipated being able to find a sufficient number of bales to get the job done. He said as many as 75 may be needed.
Father Accused of Using Leash on 11 Year Old
Obama Helps Break Ground on Black History Museum
Raw Video: Dozens Dead in Argentina Train Crash
Megaupload's Kim Dotcom Released on Bail
Two Western Journalists Killed in Syria
Wounded Vets Regain Some Camaraderie in Kitchen
Man Accused of Repeatedly Running Over Lover
Ga. Authorities Say 5 Dead in Spa Shooting
Raw Video: Obama Belts Out Blues
FDA: New Suppliers to Ease 2 Drug Shortages
Doctor Details Cancer Drug Needs and Shortage
Raw Video: New Orleans Revels in Mardi Gras
'Super PACs' Overtaking Campaigns' Fundraising
Raw Video: Mardi Gras Underway in New Orleans
Mild Weather Could Affect Syrup Production
Ex-IMF's Strauss-Kahn Questioned on Prostitution
Raw Video: Iran Sailors Saved From Burning Ship
Firm Suing Apple in China Open to Talks
