Bay Head homeowners can build seawall

BAY HEAD, N.J. (AP) — State environmental officials are allowing homeowners to build a stone seawall in front of 15 oceanfront properties in a Jersey Shore community ravaged by Superstorm Sandy.

The Asbury Park Press reports the Bay Head homeowners plan to build a 1,300-foot-long revetment, which is like a seawall. It would be aligned with an existing wall to the north and have a dune on top, and sand fencing may also be installed.

The Department of Environmental Protection granted emergency approval for the project on Feb. 20. The decision was not publicly disclosed at the time, but there is no requirement that such an announcement be made.

Bay Head Mayor William Curtis tells the newspaper that the homeowners will pay for the seawall. Curtis says it’s expected to cost about $2.2 million.