Brigantine leaders limit public access to Cove Beach due to dangerous shore erosion
BRIGANTINE, N.J. (CBS) - For the past year, Jim Ottinger said he has watched the beach behind his home in Brigantine disappear, and as we inch closer to the height of hurricane season, both he and his neighbors are growing concerned.
"See where the waves are, that's where the beach used to be," said Ottinger, as he pointed out at the water. "Now, with the high tides actually, it comes up above the rocks and comes into near our backyard, and if you live up that way it actually goes in your backyard."
At Cove Beach, caution signs were posted at the beginning of the summer warning beachgoers that submerged and hazardous conditions may exist. Now, orange fencing was put into the ground Thursday, and beach access has been closed off from Bay Court to Renaissance Cove.
Mayor Vince Sera posted on Facebook that ongoing erosion and changing tides have uncovered chunks of concrete, asphalt and sharp pieces of rebar.
"It's really not safe, there's rebar wire, there's all kinds of cable and other paraphernalia that's left there. It's not safe for people or kids in particular," Ottinger said.
"In my 30 years of being here, I've never seen it like this," said Jim Tye, who lives near the beach.
According to Sera, some kind of large structure was demolished and dumped in the water nearly a century ago. The south end of the island used to be an old dump site, and the city said it could be anything from parts of an old hotel to the demolition debris from the old Brigantine Bridge. But right now it does not know what's buried under the sand.
Sera fears more hazardous material could be exposed with each passing tide, so the beach has been closed completely. Now, neighbors want to be assured their homes will be protected and their beach cleaned up.
"Pumping more sand is probably not going to work, but at least protect the houses, that's what we're asking for," Ottinger said.
The city said the area will be closed until it can fully assess the situation and develop a plan to remediate the situation.
The cove's 4x4 vehicle access beach nearby remains open.
