Asharoken to hear next steps in storm damage reduction project

Federal and state officials are slated to attend Asharoken's next board meeting to update residents about the village's planned storm damage reduction project.

Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Conservation will speak at Tuesday's meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at the National Grid Northport Power Plant, 301 Waterside Rd., according to village Mayor Gregory Letica.

"I am very satisfied that they are coming out because I think the residents need to hear from them directly," Letica said.

The project, if approved by the federal government, would be paid for largely through money from superstorm Sandy disaster relief funds.

The remaining cost will be paid by the state and the village, the mayor wrote in a letter posted on the village's website. Asharoken's share will be about 11 percent, the letter said.

For years, officials have argued that the beach and shoreline restoration project is critical to make Asharoken Avenue -- the village's main access road -- safe for residents. Asharoken Avenue was shut down briefly during Sandy and it is the only access road to Eatons Neck.

Tuesday's presentation will include the history of the project's feasibility study, which began in 2001, the tentative plan and the current schedule for completing the study, the letter said. Residents can ask questions after the presentation.

The project can't proceed until the feasibility study is completed. After Sandy, the federal government allocated funds for the study -- saving Asharoken about $225,000, Letica said in the letter. He said the village still owes $300,000 for the earlier work on the study, but has the money in a reserve fund.

Letica said in the letter that the tentative plan calls for sand placement from a one-time dredging in Long Island Sound. The sand is to be placed from the power plant end of the beach to the last house west of the seawall.