New Beach Management Plan Introduced

AVALON – At the meeting of Borough Council May 28, Joseph Lomax, the borough’s environmental consultant, briefed council members on proposed revisions to the beach management plan.
The current beach management plan was developed and approved in 2009. With Coastal Area Facilities Review Act (CAFRA) permits about to expire in August, there has been a push to get plan revisions done soon. Draft revisions of the plan were submitted to the Avalon Environmental Commission at its April meeting and a resolution recommending the new plan was approved at the May meeting.
The major change in the plan, which has not been made public in its draft form, appears from the discussion to focus on reclaiming for “human use” currently protected beaches that do not have protected plants and wildlife. At this point in the discussion, the issue of the borough’s sensitivity to concerns of bird habitat, which had been at the heart of the recent controversy surrounding Armacost Park, again claimed some measure of attention.
In his presentation, Lomax referred to migratory birds that may use protected beach areas for nesting habitat as “guests in the community.” Since the phrase was used in the context of the larger argument for reclaiming portions of the beach, Lomax’s intent may not have been the habitat would necessarily be hostile to birds, but it was seen by Martha Wright as a mark of a “telling attitude” concerning the borough’s sensitivity to the environment best suited for its aviary residents. “We are guests in nature’s community,” Wright said during public comment. She added, “We are constantly encroaching on habitat.”
Council had an even more basic concern with the revised plan. Council President Charles Covington called it a “tough document to read.” At the conclusion of the presentation, Covington remarked,” I just don’t have a warm, comfortable feeling.” In the end, council directed Lomax to revise the plan yet again and make it a more accessible and readable document.
Wright pointed out that the process of approval makes it very difficult for concerned members of the public to offer intelligent comment. “By the time we see it, there is not time to make thoughtful comments,” she said. She asked council to make documents of this type available to the public earlier in the process instead of allowing them to be withheld until the point of final approval.
Council also asked Lomax to provide a guide to the changes in the 2015 document so that members could easily see the areas of change with the 2009 plan. The plan will again be discussed at the June 10 meeting.
Lomax’s presentation argued for alteration in the approach to protected beaches, saying they should be “smaller in size but much more restrictive.” The reduction in size would, of course, allow for the reclaiming of beach area for human use. The CAFRA deadline is related to Lomax’s concern that the state DEP has increased its authority over larger sections of Avalon’s beaches.
Lomax puts that number at 36 percent of total beach area. The implied hope apparently is that a new plan, with reduced area for protected beaches would begin to return more control to the borough.
Lomax reminded council that “time is of the essence” given the CAFRA dates. That makes the June 10 council meeting an important point for acceptance of any new Beach Management Plan.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.