Talking of Crazy Ideas..

After years of yelling at everyone to 'stay off the dunes', Tybee City are planning on bulldozing them flat.

The sand dunes in question run either side of the Fishing Pier about 300 yards or so and are approx 8-10ft high.

Apart from being the first line of defense from storm surge, the dunes...

1/Are an important habitat for a variety of flora and fauna.

2/Trap sand and debris from being blown into the streets.

3/ Provide aesthetic pleasure.

4/ Are a natural and never ending process that make the beach what it is.

Beneath the dunes, is the sea wall, built around Tybee in the 50's. This wall was still visible in the 90's and only disappeared after beach re-nourishment projects.

So why on earth the sudden change of priority and intervention?...well, the City says they need access for emergency vehicles. Arghh, the old "keep everybody safe and protected" clause. But there is already beach access at 18th St. The City also spent a heap of money on 4 wheelers for beach patrols which can be used for emergency procedures.

So what is the real reason ?.

The dunes in question are all in the business district area of Tybee.

The Ocean Plaza Hotel has been trying to get their dunes removed for the last 8 years to give ground floor rooms ocean views.

So, once again, maybe it all comes down to one thing...Commerce.

If that's the case, then SC&K is proposing this idea.....

An artificial off shore surfing reef.

Bulldoze the dunes flat.

Take all the sand and place it in huge nylon bags, some as big as cars.

Drop the bags off shore, approx 60-70 yards.

We now have an off shore reef system that..

1/ Provides a marine habitat.

2/ Provides a level of protection from heavy surf erosion.

3/ Will naturally help beach accretion.

4/ Most importantly... provides a great surfing environment that would attract tourist from all over the east coast as well as hosting 'Pro circuit' surfing events.

If it's commerce over common sense then be honest, do it right and stop monkeying around .