New Beach Batle Brewing?

(The proposed hi-rise would be about three times higher than the one in the picture and even closer to the water.)

New Beach Battle Brewing? A proposed project to build a 36 story hi-rise has been tabled by the Nueces County Commisioners Court. This development would feature a raised walkway and a bar and restaurant less than 200 feet from the beach.

The project's structures would be around 360 feet high and encompass 500 condos. The commissioners were set to vote on the proposal until the county's beach management advisory committee chairman raised questions concerning placing the walkways, restaurant and restrooms close to the water. Some commissioners wanted answers from the Navy about the possibility the buildings' heights would be a hazard to flight training. Committee chariman Fred McCutchon was quoted in the Caller/Times on Thursday, November 30, 2006, saying "You have to question whether this bar and restaurant will have an impact on dunes and vegetation that is not acceptable," He added "If this is approved, we're going to see a break in the dike of development. We're going to see bars and restaurants up and down the dunes." Commisioner Betty Jean Longoria made a very pertinent observation. "My question to myself is, 'Who draws the line if we let one or two developers in? Do we let the future ones know they can't have similar features?" According to the Caller/Times story all of the existing condo structures on Mustang Island alongside Hiway 361 are 350 feet or more from the water. The story further states, quoting MCutchon, the "... proposed resort would feature the tallest buildings along the Texas coast south of Houston." Really? Is this how we want our beaches utilized?

Read between the lines and it is obvious that Naismith Engineering and the developers thought they already had a done deal. The city had already signed off on this. What a surprise! When did this happen? Was there any public discussion concerening such a potentially ecologically disastrous development? Such construction could severely impact the formation and maintenace of sand dunes and, becuase of the natural cycle of sand migration along the coast and between dunes, sand bars and beaches, threaten the existence of the adjacent beach and its sand dunes.

And, once again, the spectre of future hurricanes seems to hold no terrors for the un-limited, un-regulated beach development advocates.

From the article by Evia Aguilar and David Kassabian:

A proposed 10-foot wide dune walkover that would allow golf carts to transfer residents from condos to the beach also could set a precedent and compromise the dunes, McCutchon told the commissioners. Without enough space between the walkway and dunes, earth under the structure could erode, creating a flooding risk during storm surges, he said. The city already signed off on the development proposal without questioning the walkway and sent its recommendation to the General Land Office. The city is responsible for sending all construction recommendations near the water to the land office for approval. The county is responsible for making sure the dunes are protected and also must send its recommendation to the land office for comment. The land office on Tuesday requested the city provide information about how the walkway and other structures near the water do not hurt the dunes or dune vegetation, said land office spokesman Jim Suydam. "Dune vegetation is important because that's what holds dunes together and creates a natural seawall," Suydam said. "We just want to know more details." City officials involved in the project did not return calls Wednesday afternoon. Commissioners also said they wanted to hear from the Navy before making a decision because they had heard the three condo towers might interfere with flight training. Bob Torres, a public affairs officer for Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, said the proposed structure would be in the flight path training pilots use, but it would not be a deal-breaker for Navy training. "Anytime we get a structure that high, it is of concern to us, but it is not an actual problem," Torres said. "The flight paths could be modified and something could be worked out." David Underbrink, project engineering manager for Naismith Engineering, said Pat Walters, the developer, approached him with plans for the Mustang Island resort about a year ago. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2007 and should be completed by summer 2009, Underbrink said. He did not know how the delay would impact the developer and said he was disappointed with comments made during Wednesday's meeting. "When we brought this before the committee four weeks ago, there was no indication of concerns and I was under the impression there were no issues that had to be addressed," Underbrink said. "I was caught by surprise by the meeting today and I am not really sure what will happen now." Walters has 23 acres under contract for purchase, Underbrink said, and the sale was to be finalized Dec. 16. He is unsure whether that will happen now. Jack Ponton, a real estate agent in Port Aransas and member of the county's beach management advisory committee, said he was surprised by the decision to table the item, but believes the development will go through. "I don't think the tabling means this project is denied, it just means they want more information on what will happen if it is approved," Ponton said. Naismith and Walters have met with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas Department of Transportation and the city of Corpus Christi. The last major step of the permit process for the condominium complex was getting a dune permit from Nueces County. The dune permitting process usually starts with the Nueces County Department of Public Works and is followed by a meeting with the County Beach Management Advisory Committee. The committee makes a recommendation to the Commissioners Court, which then sends its own recommendation to the General Land Office. The Commissioners Court decides whether to grant the permit after weighing the land office's comments.