Prime Hook Beach dune crossing should be removed

A Prime Hook Beach property owner has submitted an application to the state for retroactive approval of a 10-foot-wide, 118-foot-long concrete dune crossing.

Reasons given for why it should be approved include that the old wooden dune crossing didn’t last; it will be easier to launch personal watercraft and bring down beach supplies; and it provides easy access to the beach and Delaware Bay in the case of an emergency. The applicant rents out the property and says the concrete crossing will protect the dunes from the thoughtlessness of tenants. The applicant says the dune crossing is well-constructed, and every effort will be made to maintain it.

All of that may be true, but the application should still be denied, and the property owner, at their own cost, should be required to remove the concrete crossing and restore the dune to its original state.

Retroactive approval of the structure will have negative consequences beyond this specific swath of dune and bayside community. It will inevitably lead to other property owners with direct access to the state’s beaches asking for the same approval.

No matter how well it’s constructed, the dune crossing will be damaged; that is also inevitable. But now, instead of a few slats of wood, there will be chunks of concrete and cinder blocks littering the beach.

It’s reasonable to say emergency personnel and state agencies should have easy access to the beach and bay waters. However, it probably shouldn’t be off a poorly maintained road leading to a handful of private residences and offering limited maneuverability.

Most importantly, the dune crossing isn’t in character with Prime Hook Beach. A pamphlet available at an information kiosk upon entering the community provides a brief history and lays out some rules. One of the rules touches on the community’s dunes and their importance.

“Prime Hook Beach’s greatest resource, protecting the community from rising bay waters and storm surges, are the dunes. The best way to protect the dunes is to plant and maintain healthy, native beach grasses and minimize disturbances to the dunes and grasses."

This concrete dune crossing is not a minimal disturbance.