When we last met at my beach erosion town hall meeting, I promised to update you on the City of Hollywood's efforts to renourish its beaches. As you know, they are eroding at an ever-alarming rate.
The City has already made application to the State for matching funds for a truck haul project. As you may know, we are getting closer to Broward County beginning its much anticipated sand bypass program. The sand bypass project is, essentially, designed to help re-establish the ocean's natural flow of sand southward, which is being blocked by the jetties at Port Everglades. It is a great project that over time can help increase the volume of sand on our beaches. Below, please find a Fact Sheet regarding the sand bypass project for your information.
Unfortunately, not everybody sees it that way. In early January, I went to Fort Lauderdale City Hall, and addressed the Fort Lauderdale Mayor and Commissioners at a public forum. I was given an opportunity to speak, and tried to convey to them how important the sand bypass was to our residents and our way of life.
Notwithstanding, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission voted to OPPOSE the sand bypass project, and are urging the Broward County Commission to NOT move forward. In short, our Fort Lauderdale elected official counterparts are getting an earful from their residents who believe that we are trying to "take" their sand, so we simply have more. Truth be told, OUR sand is not getting to OUR beaches, because Port Everglades is blocking the natural flow of sand southward. Period.
I am emailing you because we need to re-double our efforts to protect the sand bypass project. I'd like to tell you that the forces who oppose this valuable project are a fringe group, but they are not. Two Broward County Commissioners who represent Fort Lauderdale beach residents, and are listening to those folks, may try to block the project.
I believe that a majority of the Broward County Commission will listen to reason, listen to the scientists who support the project and listen to objective facts about why the sand bypass project must move full steam ahead. But, it wouldn't hurt to have one thousand beach residents write the Broward County Commission about why the sand bypass project is so important.
As mayor, I will do everything in my power to prioritize beach renourishment, including spending City funds in a strategic way, to get the desired result we all wish to see. I hope you will write (as opposed to e-mail, which might be less effective) your Broward County Commissioners at the following address:
Broward County Commission Offices
954-357-7000
www.broward.org/countygov
115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 421
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Mayor Ritter
sritter@broward.org
Vice Mayor Keechl
kkeechl@broward.org
Commissioner Gunzburger
sgunzburger@broward.org
Commissioner Wexler
lwexler@broward.org
Commissioner Rodstrom
jrodstrom@broward.org
Commissioner Wasserman-Rubin
dwassermanrubin@broward.org
Commissioner Lieberman
ilieberman@broward.org
Commissioner Jacobs
kjacobs@broward.org
Commissioner Eggelletion
jeggelletion@broward.org
Tell your Broward County Commissioners that we have been waiting decades for the beach renourishment project to begin. I NEED YOU TO FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO EVERY HOLLYWOOD, HALLANDALE BEACH AND DANIA BEACH RESIDENT YOU KNOW. There are hundreds of people, right now, trying to kill the sand bypass project, and we must speak up. If we don't, who will?
Thank you for your time,
Peter Bober
Mayor
CITY OF HOLLYWOOD
954.921.3321 Tel
954.921.3386 Fax
pbober@hollywoodfl.org
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FACT SHEET: Broward County Sand By-Pass Project
• Sand by-passing is the process of artificially transferring near shore sand around a beach barrier (Port Everglades).
• 85% of beach erosion in Florida is caused by inlets that interrupt the movement of sand.
• The proposed project will build a sand trap, modify the North Jetty at Port Everglades, modify the rubble shoal, create a rubble barrier, and provide up to 80,000 cubic yards of sand on the adjacent beach.
• Sand will be collected from the excavated deposition basin adjacent to the north jetty of the Port, anticipated to be approximately 50,000 cy/year.
• Basin will be dredged every three years and transported south and deposited on the beach at John U. Lloyd State Park.
• Expect to see a benefit to Hollywood's beaches over the coming years, as the sand slowly drifts southward.
• Permits are anticipated to be issued by the summer of 2009.
• Broward County anticipates Port Everglades Sand Bypassing project to commence in 2010.
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The Cynthia Barnett article that ran in Florida Trend magazine October 1, 2008
FLORIDA'S BEACHES
Fixing Florida's Beach Erosion Is Expensive
Sand Trap: Another storm, another round of beach erosion, another round of questions about renourishment.
http://www.floridatrend.com/article.asp?aID=49227486.4529268.647114.9201924.5324948.079&aID2=49769
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Last February 15th's CBS-4's report, Millions Wasted Trying To Stop Beach Erosion
http://cbs4.com/iteam/beach.
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Fort Lauderdale Stadium, 1301 N.W. 55th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309