THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996 TAG: 9604120001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Sandbridge residents got a double dose of bad news last week when they learned that not only would property taxes across Virginia Beach go up but estimates for replenishing the private beaches along the southern strip of the city had risen by as much as 58 percent - from $24.2 million to $38.4 million.
The Army Corps of Engineers will pick up most of the tab for fresh sand - 65 percent - and the city has to find the remainder.
In the past four years beach erosion has been dramatic near the small Sandbridge community, and much more sand is needed than originally estimated. Original erosion estimates were based on sand loss over the past 100 years. But the past several years have seen an acceleration of erosion.
While the city manager has proposed a 3.2 cent hike in the property taxes, Sandbridge residents are inevitably headed toward even sharper increases.
Wisely, City Council has refused so far to pay for the sand replacement out of city funds. Instead, Sandbridge residents have agreed to live in a special tax district where they pay a surcharge in order to cover the costs of beach maintenance.
This is only fair. Sandbridge homeowners have chosen to live in a beautiful, but highly vulnerable, oceanfront community. While they get to enjoy the lifestyle afforded to those who live in Sandbridge, they must also assume the risks.
Some say dumping sand onto a rapidly eroding beach is futile, but without this effort, unprotected houses will surely wash away in storms.
If the cost of replacing the Sandbridge beach rises even higher than current estimates, Sandbridge residents will see their bank accounts eroding faster than their beaches. At that time, perhaps the city will have to allow nature to take its course. by CNB