Bigger Beach Will Mean More Work for Lavallette Next Year

Beach replenishment in Ortley Beach, N.J., as of June 14, 2017. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Unintended consequences of beach replenishment projects have been under discussion for years at the Jersey Shore, but an obvious might be easy to forget: all of that new sand must be taken care of.

In Lavallette, the borough is preparing by introducing an ordinance funding, among some unrelated capital projects, the purchase of a second tractor and beach rake to manicure the sand ever morning before the crowds arrive.

Watching crews rake the beaches is a summer tradition for many residents and visitors, but for others, it has been a source of contention over the years, said Lavallette officials. A single rake, in past years, meant crews had to begin the process of raking the beach at 4 a.m. each morning, generating noise when some residents were trying to get some shut-eye.

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Combine the already-strapped crew with replenished beaches much wider than those currently at Lavallette’s shoreline, and not only would crews have to conceivably work through the night – overtime charges would become costly.

“We’re going to double the size of the beach, so it would be impossible to [rake] the beach every day,” LaCicero said. “We were already getting some complaints from the south end about it starting at 4 o’clock in the morning.”

Separately, the borough is planning to purchase a new piece of equipment that can sift rocks and other materials out of sand, so the sand can be either cleaned or removed. The sifter will be able to clean sand swept up by street sweeper trucks. Normally, all of the contents swept up have to be taken to the landfill where the weight produces a large per-pound bill. But if the sand is sifted, it can be disposed of at a different facility for a cheaper price.

The sifter also has the ability to cleanse beach sand, and could conceivably be used to remove some of the rocks from the sand at the bay beach.

The borough advertised for two capital bonding measures Monday night – for $122,500 and $427,500 – but that also includes future road projects for which the borough will be reimbursed. Lavallette officials will solicit bids for the equipment purchases and award a contract at a future time.