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NORWALK, Conn. – Damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to Calf Pasture Beach in East Norwalk will cost millions of dollars to repair, Mayor Richard Moccia said Thursday.
Much of the pier has been washed away, the seawall has buckled in places and various structures have suffered damage due to the storm. As a result, the popular public beach will remain closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for an unknown amount of time.
There is also debris that needs to be cleared and repairs to the eroded beach itself.
“This will be expensive,” Moccia said during a City Hall press conference Thursday. “We’ll have to use city funds for repairs until we can get reimbursed.”
Moccia and city officials did not offer specific estimates on how much the repairs at the beach will cost, but said they will apply for federal and state funds to help defray those expenses. What the exact reimbursement rate will be is unknown.
According to Norwalk Finance Director Thomas Hamilton, the city can temporarily absorb the cost of repairs, which will begin before any reimbursements. If necessary, the city will make a special capital appropriation or issue bonds to pay for the repairs.
“We will make sure that we won’t have any cash flow problems as a result of the storm,” Hamilton said.
Comments (15)
A reminder that the city approved $650k Last year to fix the pier and sea wall and received $225k this summer from FEMA for the pier. To the best of my knowledge the pier was never fixed from Irene...there was still a saw horse in front of the entry to the pier last weekend. I hope the city still has them on hand Hope someone on the media asks about those funds
Apparently, my previous post about that was removed and I don't know why. The last I heard, the pier repairs had to be approved by both the State DEP and the Federal government. Neither group is known for moving swiftly. I know a study was commissioned, but I don't think the City received any approvals. Of course, now the entire situation has changed, there's more damage and the application process has to start all over again.
Excellent point !
Maybe mother nature intends to have a beach look like a beach instead of having all these man made objects installed again. Its not like the water table isn't rising, the strength of these storms isn't growing and that there won't be yet another storm on its way.
From what I remember from my courses in oceanography, limnology and hydrology, the piers and jettys act as breakers so that we actually have a beach. It gets complicated very quickly, but suffice it to say that the structures help reconfigure the currents and actually act as a buffer when these storms come along.
the city can temporarily absorb the cost of repairs,
which will begin before any reimbursements.
If necessary, the city will make a special capital appropriation or issue bonds to pay for the repairs
I am no fan of Moccia, but you do realize the article just quotes the mayor responding to a question about the beach, right? There is zero context here to make it seem like it was a statement of priority.
You people need to seriously control your tendencies to jump to conclusions; you're embarrassing yourselves.
What a shame! Help the citizens affected first! Comment on and fix the beach last, like next March!! ugghh...
millions.......someone building a new house,,,,,,,,
Make sure the pier isn't a safety hazard. THEN Help the people who have lost basic lodging, so they can get through the winter before you finance rebuilding a fishing pier by issuing a bond. Does the peir have any real uses?
Well said!
fema will pay for the repairs
No question fixing the beach is going to be a big job, but helping all those people forced out of washington village would seem to be a more immediate problem. The fishing pier was never fixed after the storm last year and now suddenly they are going to fix it and the beach ? Now that it has calmed down a little is anybody following up on the Island Belle and getting the debris from the City Dock out of the channel ? That is not going to cost millions, but the channel should be open for barges going up to Devine's.
Be nice if all the reporters in Norwalk sit up and take notice whats going on,this storm did a lot of damage and left some problems behind that need to be taken care of right away in Norwalk.This storm may be over for some Norwalk residents but for the most part has left a lot of people in tough shape that still need assistance from the city where can most of us send items or money for those who need help.From food to simple things lost in the storm like clothing and baby supplies.It was said the entire Washington Village was evacuated and flood waters destroyed a lot of things that had to be thrown out anyone have any idea if Norwalk has made a plea to help any of those taxpaying hard working residents with children?I may of missed that meeting at city hall anyone know anything?
Where has the media been?
Since the storm has left we all have been helping each other making sure no one been forgotten in our area of the city,each day new information has been uncovered on hardships for those who need help and we all kick in and help were we the only ones who had any problems from Sandy?
It was nice to see our state reps with the Gov on TV tonight but that was in Bridgport when do they plan on coming to Norwalk?
I'm sure where the pumping stations in Rowyaton failed,the need of equipment for both police and fire to carry out normal day to day operations and the mere fact 100s of taxpayers will need things well after the Norwalk dries out the beach is first on the list.
Highly contaminated areas of water st from both boat yards and brown fields have left Washington Village residents candidates to become ill all the Mayor has to talk about was our beach.
Shame Norwalk wasn't voting for a mayor next week as well.
Maybe a class action suit for the health of the children in the area of Water st and other places should be looked into obviously the fire dept and health board has lost the ability to smell fuel along the waters industrial areas of the city.
Must be the sight of our city officials are going also anyone can see a ton of speedy dry has been put down and the sheen on the Norwalk river is the largest ever seen so yes lets screw the shellfish beds and replace the dock at Calf Pasture beach.
So Dick why do we have to use city funds right away the winter isn't over yet where other storms may just bring the same kind of weather or have the bids already been made for the repairs and accepted?
Yes the fire dept has been on water st for complaints already but like Lajoies they probably didn't see the speedy dry that can be seen from the air and the smell can be noticed when they leave station five.
But lets get the beach taken care of right away Norwalk has no other problems that need attention right away.Where are the counsel members in all this or have they been given the rest of the year off due to bad weather.Not one counsel member has any concern other than the beach?
Must be nice to live in a world where the storm didn't hit home and effect your people.
But in all fairness the CG was called in and the DEEP must be all over the contamination seeping directly into the water all around the city.
Maybe the city should have a priority meeting to decide what is more important leaving this in the hands of those who have already spent money on needless items Norwalk doesn't need may be a mistake.