HomeMy Public PortalAbout030_011_Copy of BMP Action Items.xlsxAI#
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Tybee Island Beach Management Plan
Action Item List
Action Item Short Title
Consolidate Beach Ordinances
Monitoring Shared Beach Responsibilities
Alleviate Limited Water Access for Human powered Craft
Identify Overall Parking Strategies
Ensure Public Accessibility of its Beaches
Consider Other Ideas for Crossovers
Maintain & Establish New Dune Paths
Maximize the Return of Post Storm Removed Sand to the Beach System
Purchase a Small Dredge
Increase the Height and Length of the South Tip Groin
Determine Legal Beach Ownership
Remove Derelict Structures Associated with Ft Screven
Obtain Approved Standard vertical Cross Section "Template" Sand Dunes
Establish a Dune Sprinkler System
Sand Fencing
Coordinate with the DNR Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) to protect the areas where birds are nesting
Enforce the Beach No-Dog Rule
Monitor Beach scarping prior to the Turtle Nesting Season
Perform Compaction Testing
Determine if the City Tree Canopy Inventory is Still Valid
Determine Requirement for a Real Estate Transfer Tax for Green Space Acquisition
Determine if Additional Beach Maintenance Access Sites are Needed
Determine if all Property Beachside of the 1938 North Beach Sea Wall is Owned by the City
Coordinated Traffic Movement Plan
Increase recycling and trash pickup, particularly on holidays and summer weekends
Conduct a one day workshop to discuss beach community needs
Description
This section should consolidate ordinances into one section of the City code. Included will be safety and enforcement, commercial vendors, fishing regulations, pier use, and other rules
and regulations and ordinances that should have the effect of law.
The Savannah District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps), monitored Tybee Island’s beaches for the first 5 years after the 2000 beach re-nourishment as required by the federal
project for Beach Erosion Control (Tybee Island, Georgia, Operations, Maintenance, Replacement, Repair, and Rehabilitation Manual, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, July
2009). After the fifth year, it became the responsibility of the City of Tybee Island to perform the required monitoring for the remainder of the life of the project. The City of Tybee
Island hired ARC Engineering Jacksonville, TN. Olsen and Associates evaluates the annual surveys. This has been done by aerial photography and on ground surveys by consultants for
the City of Tybee Island, with ongoing status reports of present beach conditions and the rate of sand loss. Some fluctuations to beach conditions are caused by wind, water, and storms,
and some to manmade impact, such as the shipping traffic and tourism. Of particular concern is the “hot spot” at the “Anchor” curve at 2nd Street and whether design changes have worked
to reduce erosion.
The Tybee Island City Council has an ecotourism committee. The mission of this committee is two-fold: to promote ecotourism on Tybee and to identify green space and seek ways to make
green space accessible to the general public.
The HDR study continues to discuss overall parking strategies due to the fact that parking spaces are inadequate during peak periods in the summer. Overall parking strategies recommended
by this study include enhanced beach access signage, satellite parking and shuttle system, and a toll at the entrance to the island (Tybee Island Traffic & Parking Study, HDR Engineering,
Inc., January 2005).
To remain eligible for federal beach re-nourishment funding through the latest Project Cooperation Agreement between the Department of the Army and the City of Tybee Island (available
at City Hall), Tybee Island needs to ensure public accessibility of its beaches. For more information on this subject, please refer to the Project Cooperation Agreement between the Department
of the Army and the City of Tybee Island, included as Appendix B of the Tybee Island, Georgia, Shore Protection Project Operation and Maintenance, Replacement, Repair and Rehabilitation
Manual, dated July 2009
It is the recommendation of the Beach Task Force to consider other ideas regarding crossovers, possibly similar to ones used on the Jersey Shore built after Super Storm Sandy. After
visiting the area, Mayor Buelterman considers these types of crossovers are worth evaluating.
DNR also has guidance on maintaining and establishing dune paths. The DNR, Coastal Resources Division may allow the use of a path through the state’s jurisdiction under the Shore Protection
Act. O.C.G.A. 12-5-230 et. seq. The purpose of a path is to provide pedestrian access through the vegetated dune area of the dry sand beach in areas of low traffic where public access
does not exist and the functionality of the dune system will not be degraded.
Post storm removal of sand efforts from the plat of Tybee Island should seek to maximize the return of such materials to the beach system. Depending upon the nature and location of
such deposits, screening of the sand for debris may be required prior to placement. FEMA can pay for such sand relocation measures. Consultants to the City can assist with the facilitation
of sand replacement.
At a public meeting on June 20, 2005, one private citizen suggested that Tybee Island purchase a small dredge that could move sand from flood tide deltas to eroding areas. These kinds
of creative solutions need to be researched and thoughtfully planned out by the citizens and public servants of Tybee Island in coordination with the State.
The height and length of the South Tip Groin was originally optimized in order to establish and maintain the main front beach, with just enough material flowing over and through the
rubble mound groin to help avoid starving the South Tip and Back River beaches. It may be possible, with coordination and approval of the Corps and other State of Georgia agencies,
to increase the height and length of the south tip groin in order to reduce the amount of littoral drift moving annually into Tybee Inlet. This item should be considered in the next
project authorization report.
The issue of who owns parts of the beach on Tybee Island is an important one to understand. Ownership issues are based on some records and the absence of other records. It is fairly
certain that the front beach area (between the north & south federal groins) is owned by the city to the mean high water mark. The city did condemnations of the beach in that area when
the first nourishment was planned in the 1970s. Land seaward of the mean high water line is owned by the state – the offshore also.
There is little indication of ownership of the land adjacent to the Savannah River (North Beach). Parts that were once part of the old Fort Screven might arguably belong to the City
of Tybee Island, but those parcels conveyed to private ownership could vary depending on deeds, accretion & easements.
On the Back River side, it has always been an understanding of most people that the beach was on “public property” but not necessarily defined as “city property.” When the Back River
project was done, easements were secured from all abutting owners to permit the project to permanently allow public use and access. Occasionally, an upland property owner facing the
Back River will claim title to a portion of the beach in this area. However, no such claim has ever been validated.
There are some “King’s Grants” to some properties on the island, particularly in the Lazaretto Creek area. Not all such grants say the same thing & depending on facts following the
American Revolution, the actual title ownership to some water adjacent properties can be impacted.
The resolution of a definitive demarcation line would be evaluated as a part of a long range action-item category. The issue is complicated by the impact of historical information on
erosion & accretion as land ownership ordinarily accretes to the upland adjoining landowner, at least when it occurs naturally.
A project was authorized and funded to remove the derelict structures that were associated with Ft Screven. Work commenced in late 1986, working from North to South. In the fall of
1986, a contract was awarded to raise the North End Groin and to place approximately 2,200,000 cy of sand from the North end southward to the area near 19th street. At the time of the
award of the renourishment contract, there still remained approximately 1,000 feet of Ft Screven Seawall and Groins that still needed to be removed. A decision was made to terminate
the DERP/FUDS project so as to not interfere with the renourishment contract, feeling that the safety issue would go away once new sand would cover the derelict groins and seawall.
The Corps of Engineers’ position is that the then Mayor Hosti concurred with this decision and thus the removal of the seawall and groins ceased.
There is no approved, standard vertical cross section “template” for sand dunes at Tybee Island. However, there are templates for the placement of the sand fencing, as attached. Basically,
the snow fencing should be placed perpendicular to the prevailing wind. For the north end of the island, the snow fencing should be placed in a northwest to southeast direction (configuration
1). For the southern end of the island, the snow fencing should be placed in a Northeast to Southwest direction (also configuration 1 but reversed). Where there is no prevailing wind
direction (middle beach), the snow fencing should be placed in a “W” as in configuration 2.
Vegetation on top of dunes: The recommended plantings for the top of the dunes are Sea Oats. Along with the plantings, it is recommended that a sprinkler system be established such
as was established as a part of the dune building program for the North Beach (in front of the North End parking lot.
Sand fencing: The City of Tybee should put together a very specific plan regarding placement and rational for locating sand fencing.
Beach-nesting birds are a high conservation priority for the Wildlife Resources Division of the DNR. The beach flats and dunes on the north end of Tybee occasionally attract sea birds
to nest. In 2005, a small flock of Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) nested on Tybee. The City of Tybee should coordinate with the DNR Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) to protect the
areas where birds are nesting, to achieve mutual conservation goals. State nongame biologists can assist in sign placement and rope barriers to keep the public away from beach nesting
birds.
Dogs can disrupt and harass birds on the beach. Tybee's no-dog rule needs to be enforced for the entire island.
Beach Profile-The constructed beach profile should be gradually sloping rather than an elevated flat terrace to reduce scarping. The beach should be monitored for scarping prior to the
nesting season. Escarpments in excess of 18” extending more than 100 ft should be mechanically leveled to natural beach contour prior to May 1.
Compaction-Sand compaction should be measured at a maximum of 500 ft. intervals along the fill area. Compaction will be measured at 3 stations along three transects corresponding to
the landward, middle and seaward portion of the fill berm. At each measurement station, a cone penetrometer shall be pushed to depths of 6, 12, and 18 inches three times (3 replicates)
and the compaction readings will be averaged to produce a final reading at each depth for each station. If the average value for any depth exceeds 500 cone penetrometer units (cpu) for
any 2 or more adjacent stations, then that area will be cross-tilled from the high tide wave rush to the seaward toe of the dune prior to May 1. If a dune feature is constructed as part
of the project, the dune feature should be tested for compaction prior to the planting of vegetation or sand fence construction. If compaction readings are greater than 500 cpu at any
of the test depths (6”, 12” 18”) for 2 consecutive stations, the dune feature should be tilled prior to May 1. The DNR is responsible for performing the compaction testing and informing
the city if and where there is a need for tilling on the beach for turtle habitat.
Tree Canopy-The city has conducted an inventory with geo-location tools of all trees of 2” diameter at breast-height or greater on city rights of ways, parks and other property. One
purpose of this project is to qualify for Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) reimbursement if the city were to lose any of these trees due a FEMA declared emergency. Funding for the
project was in combination with city funds and a grand from the Coastal Resource Division of the DNR. This inventory also allows city staff to analyze the mixture of tree species currently
on the island to some degree.
Some discussion has ensued regarding a real estate transfer tax for green space acquisition that would require state action for Tybee Island to collect a small percentage of a transfer
tax when real estate changes hands. In 2004, the City of Tybee Island received a grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission to inventory and map remaining undeveloped forested and green
space areas. The goal of this project was to develop, from this inventory and map, a series of walking and biking trails and linear parks (personal communication, Bob Thomson, July 2005).
There are several ordinances in place, such as the prohibition of any fill of marsh and freshwater wetlands that exceed the State’s minimum requirements (City Code 8-3-240, Wetlands
Protection). A map of green space on Tybee Island is located in Appendix M.
O.C.G.A. 12-5-248 (a) (1) provides that governmental vehicles may be utilized for beach maintenance without a permit as long as those vehicles operate across existing crossovers, paths,
or drives. The letter goes on to state that pursuant to Board of Natural Resources Rule 391-2-2, Appendix A, Tybee Island’s three such existing access sites are the north, middle, and
south access drives. Other access points would need to be approved by the Shore Protection Committee.
Furthermore, the statute mandates that proper vehicular activity must be conducted so as to provide protection to sea turtles and birds.
The City of Tybee owns a portion of this beach and adjacent land for parking. On the north end it is necessary to clarify ownerships as described in the previous beach community section
(Savannah River Beach). It is thought that to the south of the public beach, ownership to the beach side of the 1938 sea wall has been quitclaimed legally to the City. The Tybee Island
Task Force recommends that the City of Tybee Island seek to clarify this issue.
Sunny summer weekends and holidays bring heavy traffic to Highway 80 and Butler Avenue. The dead-end numbered streets tend to fill up quickly by beach goers hunting parking spots.
There is directional signage, but a coordinated plan to move traffic and inform the public of available parking is needed.
Due to the high human usage, recycling and trash pickup, particularly on holidays and summer weekends, should be increased.
It is recommended that citizens of the six beach communities be chosen to work with the Tybee Island BTF and City staff from Public Works, Planning & Zoning, and others as identified,
to hold a one day workshop to further discuss these beach community sections.
Responsible Agency
Tybee Island City Council
Beach Task Force
Tybee Island City Council
Tybee Island City Council
Tybee Island City Council
Tybee Island City Council
Tybee Island City Council
BTF / FEMA
Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council / DNR
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
DNR
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council
BTF / Tybee Island City Council / Shore Protection Committee
Tybee Island City Council
Tybee Island City Council
Tybee Island City Council
BTF, City, Public Works, Planning & Zoning
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