By Mary Thurwachter
The dune restoration project scheduled to begin on Feb. 28 has been delayed until later this year. Lantana Town Manager Brian Raducci said in a news release that “there is insufficient dry beach width at Lantana’s Municipal Beach” to proceed with the project.
Palm Beach town consultants will monitor the shoreline, anticipating a return in November 2022, after sea turtle nesting season, according to the release. “If at that time the proper conditions exist, dune sand will be placed in both the towns of Lantana and South Palm Beach, as planned.”
The undertaking is the result of an agreement among Lantana, South Palm Beach and Palm Beach. Sand will be transported by trucks to Lantana’s beach (and South Palm Beach) from an existing stockpile at Phipps Ocean Park.
The Lantana Town Council approved the agreement during a special meeting Feb. 9.
Mike Jenkins, engineering consultant for Palm Beach, told Lantana officials during a workshop last December that if dune projects are done in concert over a larger area, they tend to perform better.
He said Lantana’s presence in a program with repetitive dune projects means those projects would be eligible for FEMA funds if there’s a declared disaster after a hurricane.
South Palm Beach will pay for the sand in exchange for ocean access from Lantana.
The Barefoot Mailman Family Beach Day, scheduled for March 5, will be held as planned at the beach park.
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