PN revetment plans up in the air
Published 10:28 am Tuesday, December 11, 2018
PORT NECHES — A coastal lease between the City of Port Neches and the Texas General Land Office is up in the air after city officials learned that some costly cleanup was added to the project without their knowledge.
The lease refers to the construction of a rock revetment wall as a form of erosion control. The city had previously received permission from the U.S. Corps of Engineers and was awaiting the lease from the GLO.
Port Neches City Manager Andre Wimer said the GLO board approved the permit at their meeting last month but neither the city staff or the city’s engineering firm saw the final wording of the permit prior to it going up for vote.
“However, on inspection there was the inclusion of certain stipulations not previously discussed or made aware of to city staff or the engineering firm,” Wimer said. “This involved the removal of derelict structures from the water as well as establishing a timeframe for completion of that work.”
Wimer said the city does not have what they believe to e the funds needed to perform this task nor would it be possible in the 90-day timeframe that the GLO incorporated into the stipulation.
The cost for the removal of the structures- mainly the old docks along the riverfront – comes in at approximately $500,000.
Wimer said the city is having an ongoing conversation with the GLO regarding the issue.
The removal of the remaining structures is something the city hoped to have happen in the long range as development sprung up.
Erosion and some background info
Port Neches loses about a foot of shoreline every year along the river and last year’s Tropical Storm Harvey made for a 6 to 8 foot loss of land.
The rock revetment/breakwater was set to be similar to that which is being used along a portion of Pleasure Island in Port Arthur and would be set about 30-feet off the existing shoreline.
The shoreline area in question is about 700 feet long and runs from Port Neches Riverfront Park to a canal/cut-in just before the Oak Bluff Cemetery property.
The city hired LJA Engineering Inc. to look at alternatives to control the erosion in late 2015. The city was given several choices and decided on the rock breakwater as the best fit to go with their riverfront development plans.
In 2015, the city learned they were recipients of a Coastal Management Program grant in the amount of $150,000 from the Texas General Land Office for the removal of dilapidated structures and debris from the Neches River. Under the agreement, LJA provided necessary engineering services associated with the project at the cost of $24,000.
The city’s portion of the grant came in at $65,000.
The old docks were removed in 2016.
Next step
The next step is a wait-and-see issue.
Wimer said he doesn’t know if staff is allowed to modify the document but the city is in contact with the GLO on the issue.
“At some point in time we will likely look at other alternatives for an erosion barrier structure,” he said.