Letter: Beach delay not a good option

Several people have written to question the prudence of the decision for the Town of Hilton Head Island to proceed with beach re-nourishment into the tourist season. It seems from the letters that the main concern with regard to this is the loss of tourism dollars, and though it is a valid complaint, it pales in comparison to the concerns of the property owners whose property may be affected by continued erosion if this project were to be rescheduled.

Yes, it is unfortunate that the project did not start on time, but that is not the fault of the town, its planners or the town council. Weather is always a factor in scheduling this type of operation. The winter seas are tricky and unreliable. Early spring to early summer is the least likely timeframe for catastrophic weather events, which is probably why the project was slated for that time. Unfortunately, it seems that the dredging company had some issues with getting its equipment to this location due to weather issues experienced at the previous dredge site.

It may be that some tourists are inconvenienced because they need to drive to a different beach, but all the beaches on Hilton Head won’t be shut down, and maybe this will direct them to look at other areas of the island that they may not regularly visit.

At the same time, the operation will protect the property of residents/taxpayers, which is a longer-term goal than part of one tourist season.

This story was originally published April 4, 2016 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Letter: Beach delay not a good option."