Woods Hole Group to Review Palm Beach Coastal Protection Plan

Palm Beach’s Coastal Protection Program, developed by the Shore Protection Board, calls for long-term measures to protect coastal properties from storm damage. If adopted, the extensive plan could entail investing more than USD65M dollars in shore protection projects over a ten year span, including beach nourishment, dune restoration, seawall and groin rehabilitation, and other measures. The council is seeking an objective, independent recommendation from Woods Hole Group on the overall programme.

A team of scientists and engineers at Woods Hole Group will begin work this month and present a report to the Town Council in August of 2012. The phased scope of work includes review of documents dating back to 1999, stakeholder outreach, possible supplemental technical analyses, and development of a recommendations report. Palm Beach is familiar territory for Woods Hole Group, which reviewed the town’s long-term Comprehensive Coastal Management Plan in 1998, and was selected to the approved roster of Coastal Engineering consultants for the town in 2009. Woods Hole Group maintains an active Coastal Engineering practice, routinely involving beach nourishment, coastal structures, dredging, soft solutions and expert services for other communities. Long-term, regional planning is a hallmark approach of the company.