Cape Charles, Va. β Along the breezy shoreline of Bay Avenue, a growing nuisance is finding its way from the beach into living rooms, porches, and daily routines.
Residents say windblown sand has become more than an occasional inconvenienceβitβs now a persistent problem. Fine grains sweep off the beachfront and pile up on residential properties, coating decks, clogging entryways, and, in some cases, making their way inside homes.
βItβs not just a little sand anymore,β one resident told the Mirror. βYou wake up and itβs on your porch, in your door tracks, even inside the house.β
The issue appears to be tied to a combination of coastal winds and shifting dune conditions along the beachfront. Without sufficient natural or maintained barriers, sand, especially sand that is not ‘beach quality’, can move freely inland, especially during periods of strong onshore winds.
Town officials acknowledge the concern and say a broader solution is needed.
The next step, according to the Town Manager, is for Council to formally approve the Beachfront Master Planβa comprehensive strategy aimed at improving shoreline resilience and managing public access, erosion, and dune systems.
Supposedly, central to that plan is a dubious Dune Maintenance Plan, which would establish guidelines for stabilizing and maintaining dunes along Bay Avenue and other vulnerable stretches of shoreline. Over the years, our managed dunes have served as natural barriers, helping to trap sand and reduce inland drift while also protecting against storm surge.
Mirror Note: Didn’t the Dune and Wetlands Board, under the leadership of Anne Hayward Walker, already create a dense, comprehensive dune maintenance plan? Actually, if you want to read it, here it is: https://www.capecharles.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif16306/files/media/wetlands-coastal-dune-board/file/21/cape_charles_public_beach_and_dune_management_plan.pdf
So, the Town is saying that until (unless) the moronic, lazy, pathetic, stupid, and apropos of nothing Beach Master Plan is approved, the Town will not begin implementing targeted dune improvements designed to address exactly the kind of issues Bay Avenue residents are experiencing.
In the meantime, homeowners continue to contend with the daily cleanup. This is part of living by the waterβisn’t it? There’s usually sand. I hate to tell you, but there are over a thousand places that would kill for those dunes. The Dune and Wetlands Board’s document adopts a softer, more holistic approach to dune management β it seeks to strike a balance between property and a healthy dune system. However, like in baseball, where the tie goes to the runner, in this case, it goes to the dunes.
As Cape Charles continues to balance its obsession with the Golden Calf of tourism with small-town rural coastal living, the outcome of the Beachfront Master Plan could shape not just the look of the shoreline, but the quality of life for those who call it home.
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Wow!!! Who would have ever thought that they’d get sand in their house while live on the beach??
It’s THE BEACH! There’s going to be sand everywhere, all the time. Can’t those beach front residents afford to find remedies for this temporary problem themselves, versus expecting the Town to fix it? This town has MUCH MORE SERIOUS ISSUES to finance!
WOW!
Sand on walkways and porches. Who would have thought this could happen at a town that has a beach?
Solution. Move to the city!
But let’s blame this on the lack of the master beach plan being implemented. Or the fact, its a man-made BEACH!
Hey how about a 30ft high flood gate! Im sure there’s a grant for it.
Why not returning to a time when stupid people didn’t run the town for tourism?
People living on the beachfront should have thought about that before they bought their houses or allowed the town to build the dunes. Even before the dunes there was sand blowing into the yards. So what did you think was going to happen with this much more sand? Don’t like it? Sell your house and move. I’d be more worried about those damn sticker burrs than a little sand.
And yes Cherri the town does have much more serious issues to finance. Just not your petty issues. Go home and stop complaining.
This is my home you grumpy old sticker burr.
You barely even settled in and all you do is complain.
You really need to stop the name calling. You are actually older than Adam Hamilton’s mother. So maybe you need to re think before you speak.
For someone that’s against what I’m doing, you gave yourself away that you’ve READ IT ALL, only way you’d know how old I am lol You know what they say about internet haters? They secretly like you and envy you when they act like you’re acting toward me.
Nope. I know how old you are because of where you live. Everyone there says you are a blow hard winding who needs to be seen. Not sure if all that is true, but the two short interactions I have had with you didn’t impress me. I didn’t care for you. Simple as that!
Yes, Iβll be 60 this year, and Iβm actually looking forward to it.
If the Myrtle Landing rumor mill wants to keep track of my personal business based on where I live and what βeveryone says,β do you want to know how much I weigh too? Is that the next thing youβre going to pick on?
Whatβs more interesting to me is that while some people are busy trading gossip on social media and around the neighborhood, I am attending town meetings, speaking at town meetings, documenting issues, and writing letters to the people responsible for fixing these problems.
So let me ask you something, Nioaka Marshall β what have you done to try to improve things around here?
One thing Iβve learned over the years is that the more comfortable you become with yourself, the more it seems to bother certain people. Confidence gets labeled as being stuck up or a blowhard. In reality, that usually says more about the person making the accusation than the person theyβre aiming it at.
If you think elementary-school style bullying on social media is going to derail my work, youβre mistaken. It doesnβt intimidate me, and it certainly doesnβt stop the process.
In the end, the work being done is about resident safety β that includes you β infrastructure, and environmental concerns that affect everyone living here, while others are openly mocking and bullying me online. Readers can see for themselves who is taking the more mature approach.
And for anyone who thinks comments like this are going to shake me: my only child, my son Christopher, was murdered in 2003. When you survive something like that and still choose to find love, joy, and purpose in life, this kind of petty behavior doesnβt carry much weight.
I have done more than you have without making a nuisance of myself. And I also go to town meetings. I speak when there is something that affects me and mine. I at one point in time also ran for town council more than once. So when did you put yourself out there and run for anything? That’s right. NEVER.
Keep watching Nioaka Marshall, you just might learn something!
Oh yeah, wear your sunglasses!
oh and those who know me, know that I’m never one to SEEK attention, as a natural redhead, it just happens whether I like it or not. And I’ve been dealing with jealous people over that for 60 years lol SMH
Dated a RedHead a few years ago. Dumb as a brick but boy could she TapDance…
Thank Goddess they didn’t vote you in!
p.s. you don’t live with me, you’re not my friend so stop claiming you know me, or how I spend my time.
Everyone has a hometown that they come from. If you leave your hometown and move to someone else’s hometown it does not magically become yours.
No one forced you to buy your house! You live on the beach youβre gonna get sand!
The people who live on Bay and I , who live on Harbor, should stop their whining . The dunes are not for them, they are for the summer people. The sooner the permanent resides get that into their brain, the better. This place sole purpose is a machine, and if your are not contributing, then leave town tow so we can have one more rental
And how old are those of you acting like middle school bullies? I tell it like it is. You obviously can’t handle this heat. I’m right and yall effing know it! I’m just one of the few that don’t care what people think of me when I speak the truth. You’ve got to matter to me to care what you think. Keep showing yourselves, and I’ll keep don’t what I’m doing. NONE OF YOU scare me, intimidate me and yall can not stand it! I think that’s hilarious and it’s enough validation for me lol
Based on what we have read, no one has, attempted to scare you or intimidate you. All of us are happy you feel validated and are glad you tell it like it is. Can we be honest with you Cherri? You have called multiple people names and you seem to have a very high opinion of yourself. Perhaps you are the one trying to scare and intimidate people. WWJD?
Have a blessed day.
lol yall Crack me up that are too afraid to use your real names. Have you nothing better to do? Do you care about anything that really matters? or do you just like to create division among people and feed your own GREED? Jesus doesn’t approve. If you’re not passing inspections that shouldn’t be passed, there’s nothing you should be afraid of.
No, you take yourself way too seriously. Go get yourself some crayons, coloring books, some play-dough and find yourself a safe space from reality. The truth of the matter is that no one cares much about you or anyone else. Their cell phone addiction has created self-absorbed zombies. I am willing to bet you keep your in your hand 45 minutes out of every hour and most likely sleep with it.
Think what you want Mr. Little
I always do.
You are correct on several things here. 1. I DO have a high opinion of myself and I’ve worked very hard to achieve that. Non of you with your protecting will ever change that.
The fact that my high level of self esteem is bothering you, is telling if how you lack it in yourself. I’ve been there, and can we be honest here? It’s not a life sentence, it is learned helplessness. You can change it or you can keep on keeping on the sad way you are.
2. I know my worth and it has 0 to do with my bank account OR what I own materially. Obviously we disagree on all of this.
I stand behind my words, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. When I’m wrong, I’ll admit it. Can you? We shall see, because I’m not going anywhere, yet. And where I’m going, you’ll watch me because I REFUSE TO BE SILENCED. Yall should know this by now lol Bullying is not as glamorous as social media makes it out to be but apparently it’s your only means of getting attention. How sad for you.
All of you seem to be a bit immature regardless of your education level. A simple complaint about sand quickly turned into name calling and bullying any first grader would be proud off! …….grow up people!!!!
A reply to my fan club here is too long so I wrote a whole article about it.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EAG1UL7h4/
Please go back to Baltimore City.
Awe now you’re asking nicely, I think you’re secretly crushing on me and it’s messing with your head big time. You’re not my type!