Massachusetts town grapples with sea rise after sand barrier fails
A $500,000 sand dune collapsed in days after being erected, and residents are looking for help to protect their homes
On the border with New Hampshire and Massachusetts – about 35 miles north of Boston – is Salisbury, a coastal town and popular summer destination for tourists. But for those who live in the town year round, especially those who live on the coastline, life’s not a beach.
Last month, after a series of storms battered the area, local citizens came together to take the necessary steps to protect their homes. Volunteer organization Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change raised more than $500,000 to erect a 15,000-ton sand dune – a formidable barrier that would hopefully protect at least 15 beach houses from destruction.
Or so they thought. The sand dune was completed after one month in early March, but just three days later, the dune – and nearly half a million dollars – was wiped away.
The tragic incident made the project a laughingstock to some and angered others.
The person/company who "designed" and/or built this fragile seawall should be on the hook for most, if not all, of that utterly wasted money
The property owners probably voted for it
Was the company that got $500k a licensed, bonded reputable corporation or was it a dude with a dumptruck and access to a shit-ton of sand? Did whoever it was come to the HOA center and give a presentation "Dropping Science" and make a case for whatever plan for the "seawall" they had? If the property owners legally signed off on the plan then they rolled the dice and it came up craps.