THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 3, 1994 TAG: 9406030948
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940603 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH
It appears that the City Council might reverse its position and widen the Sandbridge beach with massive amounts of sand over the next 50 years. Two councilmen who swung the 6-5 vote against sand replenishment last year said they now are leaning toward supporting it.
{REST} The council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the question.
``It's been tedious, it's been disappointing and it's been lengthy,'' said Thomas E. Fraim of the Sandbridge Coalition, a group of residents dedicated to saving the beach. ``But it looks like finally, after many years, all the parties may have come together on this.''
Economics apparently have made the difference. Through a combination of state money from the sale of land at Camp Pendleton and money that would be generated through additional taxes in Sandbridge, the city's share of the costs could be covered.
In June 1993, the council voted against joining the Army Corps of Engineers in rebuilding the Sandbridge beach. The 4 1/2-mile beach replenishment project would be funded 65 percent by the federal government and 35 percent by the city. Virginia Beach's share would be about $3 million initially and about $1.8 million every two to three years thereafter.
``The main thing for me was having a reliable funding source, and this provides as good a one as we can get,'' said Councilman Louis R. Jones, who voted against the proposal last year but now sees a ``feasible program.''
Councilman John A. Baum said he also is considering changing his vote. ``I thought the numbers were really shaky before,'' Baum said. ``But if the numbers show it can pay for itself, I'd feel more likely to go for it this time.
``Even though I think Sandbridge shouldn't have been built the way it is, it was built,'' Baum said. ``And once you get enough property values there, we're obligated to preserve it if the costs are reasonable.''
But some council members still don't believe in fighting nature and think dumping sand on the beach is tantamount to dumping money in the ocean.
``We need to stop asking the public to bail out bad decisions made by private investors,'' said Councilman John D. Moss, who so strongly opposes the plan that he canceled an out-of-town trip to make certain he could attend Tuesday's meeting.
If the measure is approved by council Tuesday, Moss said, he will put it on the agenda in July when three new members are seated on the council.
Money to pay for the city's share of sand would come from two sources.
First, the General Assembly agreed in March to refund $2.8 million of the $4.7 million the city is paying the state for 550 acres surrounding Camp Pendleton, if the money is used for Sandbridge sand. And second, the General Assembly paved the way two years ago for a special tax district in Sandbridge that allows increased real estate and lodging taxes, which could generate about $550,000 a year.
But determining if the increased taxes would cover the costs of funding the replenishment over 50 years or only the first 10 to 15 years depends on several variables: how often the beach is replenished, every two years or every three years; how high the Sandbridge tax surcharges are set; and how much the city is willing to pay out of general coffers to help cover the 20 percent of beach (including Little Island Park) that the city now owns.
Council members must decide those details. That could be settled as early as Tuesday, or the council could endorse a replenishment plan next week and work out the numbers later. by CNB