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Galveston holds public hearing on proposed erosion-response structure for Bermuda Beach Drive
Summary
The Planning Commission held a required public hearing on a proposed erosion-response structure — articulated concrete mats and a bulkhead — along Bermuda Beach Drive; no action was required from the commission and public comment was recorded for the Texas General Land Office submittal.
The City of Galveston Planning Commission on April 8 held a public hearing required by the Texas Administrative Code on a proposed erosion-response structure for Bermuda Beach Drive, where staff described plans to install articulated concrete mats and a seaward bulkhead to protect the roadway and access for residents.
City coastal resources staff Kyle said the materials and engineering are being gathered so the city can include public comments in a beachfront construction certificate package to the Texas General Land Office (GLO). Kyle said the work would be limited to the city right of way in front of the Bermuda Beach subdivision and that “any future extension of the road or anything like that would have to go through the appropriate processes.”
The staff presentation included Bureau of Economic Geology maps showing local shoreline change; staff said BEG estimates erosion in the area at about 5 to 6 feet per year. Staff also showed a cross-section and preliminary engineering drawings indicating the relationship of the articulated mats and bulkhead to existing houses on Bermuda Beach Drive.
Residents who spoke at the hearing urged the city to proceed. Roland Carlson, a long-time property owner in the area, described recent historic shoreline change and asked that the design avoid creating a spillover or “spillway effect” across his property if the bulkhead is raised. Another resident, Ronald Coker of 13114 Bermuda Beach Drive, asked which outside agencies would need to sign off and whether funding is available; staff said the city will package the hearing record and the engineering with the GLO submittal and that funding has not yet been secured.
Staff emphasized this is an early step: the city must hold the public hearing to comply with the Texas Administrative Code; further steps include completing engineering, permitting, and then seeking funding. Kyle noted that while beach nourishment (adding sand) can be eligible for FEMA reimbursement in some circumstances, the concrete mats/bulkhead themselves are not, though they “could possibly meet some mitigation requirements for FEMA” subject to benefit-cost analysis.
No formal action by the Planning Commission was required or taken at the hearing; staff will include the public comments in the beachfront construction certificate submittal to the GLO for their review.
