Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flood Resilience topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves $58,696 change order for Lake Bethany bulkhead; Army Corps cleared deed restriction for proposed dam
Summary
Council approved a $58,696 Mertech change order to install longer vinyl sheet piles at the Lake Bethany bulkhead and heard that the U.S. Army Corps cleared deed-restriction concerns, allowing the town to pursue permits for a proposed mechanical dam project.
The Town Council on Feb. 20 approved a $58,696 change order for the Lake Bethany bulkhead project to add 16-foot vinyl sheet piles and longer sheeting after contractor Mertech and the town's engineers concluded the originally specified 10-foot panels risked scour beneath the panels.
Cliff Gravier, town manager, said Mertech recommended longer, vinyl sheet piles for enhanced life span and improved aesthetics; McCormack & Taylor, the town's engineer of record, reviewed the recommendation and concurred. The change order exceeded the staff approval threshold and was brought to council for formal approval.
Gravier also updated the council on the town's proposed mechanical-dam project at the loop canal. He said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided a letter on Feb. 6 clearing deed-restriction issues that had been a major impediment. With that issue addressed, the town is proceeding with permit reviews and continued coordination with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). Engineering work and permit sequencing are ongoing; staff said bids are out for related ramp work and additional retaining-wall elements.
Residents who reviewed project photos during the meeting expressed satisfaction with progress at Lake Bethany. Council approved the Mertech change order and moved the bulkhead work forward; the town said living-shoreline plantings and landscaping will continue in spring and that a minor overage of approximately $8,000 had been discussed for related shoreline work.
Next steps include permitting for the dam with DNREC and continued construction and planting schedules for the Lake Bethany bulkhead and living shoreline.
