Town Plans Deal with South Port to Protect Inner Harbor

South Port boatel will back to Coast Guard Station.

South Port boatel will back to Coast Guard Station.

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

January 21, 2013

Town of Cape Charles staff have devised a plan to work with South Port Investors to install floating wave attenuators to protect the inner portion of the Town Harbor.

The floating plastic devices (see video at end of story) would be purchased in lieu of construction of additional stone breakwaters.

Town Council is holding a special meeting 6 p.m. Thursday, January 24, to approve the deal.

South Port is constructing a boat repair facility with floating docks and a boatel next to the Coast Guard Station, along with work space across the street where the former sewage treatment plant was located.

According to a memo to Town Council by Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek, South Port has “significant concerns” about when and where the Town will construct additional breakwaters to protect the harbor.

The Harbor Redevelopment Plan calls for five offshore breakwaters, two of which have been built.

Building three more breakwaters is estimated to cost at least $2 million, of which the Town has received approval for a $500,000 grant from the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).

Panek wrote that “the Town’s priority is the next breakwater to the south to protect the floating docks from southwesterly seas.” South Port’s priority, on the other hand, “is the next breakwater to the north for protection of their assets from northwesterly seas.”

According to Panek, however, South Port believes that the inner harbor could be better protected by installing floating wave attenuators on both north and south sides of the harbor, instead of breakwaters. [Read more…]

6 Comments