Posted in the North Shore News “Real Estate Trends” by Richard D. Sterman (R) | October 10, 2024
Another home near Sunset Beach started to fall into the ocean and the rest of the house has now been bulldozed and hauled away.
Other homes along that same beach are in jeopardy of the same fate, therefore, both government and community groups are looking at this area and searching for solutions! State House Bill #2248 dealing with this issue has passed and Governor Green signed it into law on July 6th. It appropriates $1 million to study that area’s sand erosion problem and is looking for actual “Solutions”.
This will be the first step in, hopefully, finding ways to save our beaches and preserve our shorelines (including our houses, backyards, trees, etc.).
One U.H. geologist, Chip Fletcher, says there won’t be any beaches left within a hundred years…therefore he recommends “Managed Retreat”. Many others say, there are solutions… including Sand Replenishment (as they do in Waikiki) and Random Rock Revetments (as they are now doing to save the highways on the Windward side).
I am strongly in favor of solutions that preserve our shorelines using methods that help in maintaining our sandy beaches and protecting our dunes and shoreline homes.
If our sand dunes are allowed to go – all our houses go as well all the way to the highway! At that point we know what the State will do… they will protect the highway with Random Rock Revetments which are known to be the best solution.
Why not let the owners install and pay for these protective solutions… and do it NOW … instead of waiting till the ocean is lapping at our only way of getting in and out of the North Shore?
Many of us are concerned and we created a Non-Profit Group called “Shoreline Preservation Coalition.” We helped in formulating that State Bill and we have our own engineers that will be involved and giving input into this study. We plan to find ‘solutions’ to this obvious and dangerous erosion problem!
If you would like to join this group, contribute or just stay informed, please email me directly: Richard@Sterman.com
Richard Sterman has been serving North Shore’s real estate needs for over 45 years. He is the owner and Principal Broker of Sterman Realty, the largest full-service real estate office on this side of Oahu. You can contact Richard by emailing Richard@Sterman.com, going to www.Sterman.com or by calling (808) 638-8600.