THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9603310047
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
City officials are giving seven Oceanfront homeowners at Sandbridge another chance to repair their failed bulkheads before city crews pull them out, leaving the homes vulnerable to the surf.
The city was poised to begin removing the bulkheads Monday, and property owners were to be billed for the costs. The homeowners now have until May 1 to begin removal or replacement and until June 15 to complete the job.
The storm-damaged bulkheads were declared a public risk to beach users because of their jagged edges and rusted bolts.
``In the spirit of cooperation, we're trying to work with these individuals,'' said Phillip J. Roehrs, city coastal engineer. ``This is one more attempt to allow them to act on their own behalf.''
Six homeowners who have not eliminated the damaged bulkheads are awaiting a Virginia Supreme Court decision on their legal claim against the bulkhead builder.
The builder, Waterfront Marine Construction, appealed an earlier judgment to the Supreme Court. The earlier judgment ordered the company to pay a number of homeowners, including the six, more than $400,000 because the bulkheads were not properly constructed.
The court ruling is expected in mid-April. The property owners say they can't afford to make the repairs until they get money under a settlement with the bulkhead builder.
To qualify for the May 1 extension, homeowners must certify that the work will be done.
``That should be enough time to have in hand the Supreme Court decision so the homeowners will know whether they have some money or not,'' said John S. Norris Jr., an attorney representing the six residents in the suit.
The owner of a seventh failed bulkhead, who is not involved in the lawsuit, also must comply with the new city deadlines. City officials earlier had thought the homeowner had made plans to comply but later found that he had not.
This is the third time the homeowners were granted reprieves from city bulldozers.
City officials were hoping to avoid safety risks by having bulkheads repaired before the beaches attract sunbathers and swimmers.
The homeowners do not agree that the bulkheads are unsafe. They contend that their properties would pose a greater public hazard if the bulkheads were removed and their homes were left exposed to the tides. Several Sandbridge homes without bulkheads have tumbled into the ocean in recent years.
These seven damaged bulkheads are among 44 at Sandbridge that have been toppled in storms since 1991.
The city began sending letters to the owners last summer, stating that the bulkheads pose a public hazard and must be removed or repaired. The city said that if no action was taken, it would contract to remove the bulkheads, then bill the homeowners or place liens on their properties to recoup the costs.
All but the seven homeowners have made the repairs or documented to the city that the work would be done. by CNB