The 1,500-foot headache: Board hears St. Gabe's bulkhead report

Councilman Ed Brown was angry.

So angry he said he felt like he’d been “kicked in the teeth.”

At Tuesday’s Town Board work session, a visibly upset Mr. Brown sat through a detailed report by Town Engineer John Cronin on the severely damaged and deteriorating St. Gabriel’s Retreat Center bulkhead.

Mr. Brown has been negotiating with Matt Sherman of Sherman Engineering and Consulting who has been hired to repair or replace the 1,500-foot bulkhead fronting on Coecles Harbor by the owners, the Passionist Fathers of Rye Brook, New York.

Mr. Brown felt he’d been sandbagged by the engineer’s report while he and Mr. Sherman were working to solve the problem.

The issue is expense, and whether to repair or replace the bulkhead, which is, at a minimum, a disaster. Mr. Cronin estimated that completely replacing the bulkhead would cost about $1 million, while repairing and patching the infrastructure would run anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000.

At the August 29 Town Board meeting, John Needham, chairman of the Waterways Management Advisory Council, told the board that “the property owners are reluctant to spend what it would cost to replace” the bulkhead.

The Passionist’s received an application to subdivide 25 acres of property into eight residential lots, five of which are on Coecles Harbor at the end of Burns Road. In accordance with subdivision regulations, the property allows for 21 residential lots with access to them through the creation of a road.

The Passionist’s have filed an application to work on the bulkhead, which is now wrecked by age and the battering of storms over the years, including Hurricane Sandy late last year. There are gaping holes in more than 20 places along the bulkhead and concrete walkways in some spots behind the structure have caved in, threatening the foundations of nearby buildings.

The town has the power and responsibility of granting the application, since bulkheads have to be judged on whether they will obstruct channels; interfere with navigation; hinder the use of town waters; affect shelf fishing; affect the quality of shorelines; or adversely affect the rights of adjacent residents.

In addition, at Tuesday’s work session, Mr. Cronin cited the New York State Property Maintenance Code, that owners “must safeguard public safety, health and general welfare insofar as they are affected by the occupancy and maintenance of structures and premises.”
The Town Engineer’s report Tuesday, coming at the request of Supervisor Jim Dougherty, criticized Mr. Sherman’s evaluation of the project in several respects.

Mr. Cronin noted that patching the structure will last a maximum of five years, but not if another severe storm hits. Replacing the bulkhead guarantees a secured harbor-front structure for about 20 years.

One of his conclusions was “the repair plan designed by the owner’s consultant can be implemented with some adjustments and with the recognition that such an effort is not to be considered anything more than a short term repair.”

Mr. Cronin’s presentation was “premature when you’re in the middle of negotiations,” Mr. Brown said. He was upset that there was a “mitigation” effort under way, and Mr. Cronin’s report to the board lasted 45 minutes when it could have been much briefer. He added that not only did he feel he’d been kicked in the teeth, but it was an insult to the contractor as well.

“And I’m not the only one who feels that way,” Mr. Brown said.

At last week’s work session, Mr. Brown had told his colleagues he was working with Mr. Sherman on a plan. Further, at the Water Management Advisory Council meeting last week, Mr. Brown said he and the contractor were trying to clarify what St. Gabe’s can afford to do and how to best approach the project.

Because of the serious deterioration, there was an attempt last month to fast forward some repair work, but the WMAC balked, claiming the plans were too sketchy.

Mr. Brown asked the WMAC for more time to continue his efforts to get a solid plan in place, noting that a compromise can be achieved that won’t cost the Passionist Fathers an exorbitant amount of money while providing protection for the area.

Near the conclusion of the discussion, Mr. Dougherty suggested bringing in Mr. Sherman to report to the board.