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Residents press council on pier accessibility and Docks at the Bay’s shoreline work
Summary
Public commenters and council members raised concerns about pier accessibility for people with disabilities and possible site changes tied to Docks at the Bay work; staff said remediation was not part of any written trade and therefore not enforceable.
Urbanna — At its Oct. 10 meeting, the Urbanna Town Council heard public comments urging action on pier safety and questioned whether prior work by Docks at the Bay altered public property and worsened local flooding.
Spencer Winn, a longtime town resident and commercial crabber who lives on Howard Street, told the council the town pier and boat ramp are not accessible to people with disabilities and pose a safety risk. “It is far from being handicapped. It is not handicapped at all,” Winn said, adding he has seen people fall getting out of boats and climbing two steps onto the pier. He asked the council to inspect and fix the area before people are injured and said repairs do not require expensive engineering: “You need common sense people to just look at it and know what to do and fix it.”
Council members and residents also raised concerns about the Docks at the Bay company’s work near Virginia Street. One council member said the site appears lower than before Docks at the Bay used the property for staging and accused the firm of not performing remediation they had discussed; the member said flooding is now worse in that area. Town Administrator Ted Costin said the clearing that was part of prior work was the town’s trade-off and that remediation was not included in writing, making it unenforceable.
“If it’s not in writing... it’s not gonna be enforceable,” Costin said, describing the limits of what staff can require now that the prior agreement was not documented.
Why it matters Pier access is a public-safety and liability issue that affects residents, visitors and commercial boaters. If the town acknowledges a hazardous condition and fails to remedy it, the town could face liability claims. Separately, questions about prior private work on town-adjacent property and whether promised remediation occurred affect shoreline stability and flooding risks along Virginia Street.
What’s next Council members asked staff to continue coordinating with Docks at the Bay and to consider shoreline stabilization options (staff described vegetative coconut-log-style wraps, terracing and plantings) and potential future bulkhead/retaining-wall work tied to condominium phases; no enforcement action was announced during the meeting. Council did not vote on a specific remediation or pier-repair contract at this session.
Quotes Spencer Winn (town resident): “The pier is a plus for the town... if somebody hurts himself, the town is liable for it.”
Town Administrator (Ted Costin): “If it’s not in writing... it’s not gonna be enforceable.”
Ending The council proceeded to other agenda items after the public comments; staff noted they would follow up with Docks at the Bay and provide additional information to the council in future meetings.
