Residents of Hashamomuck Cove were joined by local officials and Congressman Lee Zeldin today to celebrate a big step forward in their work to conserve the small beach community, which has been increasingly threatened by erosion and is at risk of major flooding during storms.
The Army Corps of Engineers recently released a plan to build berms along a 8,500-foot length of L.I. Sound coastline in Southold to manage coastal storm risk at Hashamomuck Cove. The beach nourishment project will cost $17.8. Sixty-five percent of that cost will be paid by the federal government, with the remaining 35 percent ($6.9 million) coming from a “non-federal partner.”
See prior story for details of the plan.
Zeldin said that the money could come from a combination of sources on the state, county and town level.
For Lynn Laskos, a resident and spokesman of Hashamomuck Cove, the announcement has been a long time coming. Laskos has been advocating on behalf of the Hashamomuck Cove residents for twelve years, and her family has been “part of the cove” since the 1960s.
“[When my family first moved here] we had more than 150 feet of beach front in front of the house,” Laskos said. “Today we have about 38 feet at high tide… [sometimes going as low as] 11 feet.”
Laskos says that the homeowners are not only concerned for their residences, but for County Route 48, which runs adjacent to Hashamomuck Cove.
“Our homes have been the buffer to County Route 48, and without them the road probably would have been washed out by now,” she said. “Not if, but when the road washes out due to a storm, it will paralyze transportation. This isn’t just about our homes, this is a road everyone uses.”
Zeldin asked the public to consider the long-term consequences should County Route 48 become unusable and urged them to come to a public hearing on Sept. 19 at Southold Town Hall (time to be announced).
“This is an opportunity for the Army Corps to hear everything you want to see in this plan, and it’s important not just for residents to participate,” Zeldin said, pointing to the traffic passing by on County Route 48, adjacent to the press conference. “This road is a lifeline. If you value County Route 48, we need to be sure… the Army Corps doesn’t sense any complacency.”
Zeldin repeatedly mentioned that “failure is not an option” with this project. “This has to get done, and it has to get done on schedule. We don’t want to be coming back to look at this in 2024.”
Laskos laughed, turning to her house behind her. “If it’s 2024, we won’t be here.”
