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Coastal
Erosion Mitigation at Home
Support
Shoreline Setbacks
The
intent of shoreline setbacks is to establish a coastal-hazard
buffer zone to protect beach-front development from coastal
erosion. Adequate setbacks allow the natural erosion and
accretion cycles to occur and help maintain lateral beach
access. Furthermore, setbacks provide open space for the
enjoyment of the natural shoreline environment.
A
40-foot shoreline setback has been often inadequate because
they are not determined by historical site-specific rates
of coastal erosion. Coastal-erosion hazard maps could
be used to establish rate-based building setbacks. Setbacks
would be site-specific in order to reflect the nature
of coastal erosion. These setbacks would also incorporate
the proposed style of development. Construction-style
considerations would include the size and expected lifetime
of the planned structure. Larger, immovable buildings
and those with lifetimes of more than 50 years would have
deeper setbacks than small, movable structures.
To
support increasing shoreline setbacks on Maui contact
the Maui
Planning Commission at (808) 270-7735.
Encourage
Beach Nourishment
Beach
nourishment is a technique used to restore an eroding
or lost beach or to create a new sandy shoreline It involves
the placement of sand fill with or without supporting
structures along the shoreline to widen the beach. It
is the only management tool that serves the dual purpose
of protecting coastal lands and preserving beach resources.
Some homeowners associations on Maui have implemented
small-scale, privately-funded successful beach nourishment
projects. Homeowners interested in learning more about
beach nourishment should contact the Department
of Land and Natural Resource, Coastal Lands Program
at (808) 587-0446 .
Beach
Nourishment at Sugar Cove, Spreckelsville, Maui. Before
and after small-scale beach nourishment project implemented
entirely with private funding. Above photo taken June
1996; below photo taken October 1997.
Develop
and Install Best Management Practices
When
coastal erosion threatens property, coastal landowners
are usually unaware of the different types of coastal
protection measures that are available and the applicable
environmental concerns and permitting requirements.
Conventional
coastal protection structures (i.e., seawalls and revetments)
cause beach narrowing and loss.
Instead (for example) the use of sand bags and large sand-filled
geotextile tubes ("sea bags") will temporarily control
coastal erosion. Another example may be concave or "V"
shaped structural hardening designs that may retain sand
better than linear structures.
In addition, developers and landowners should consult
with various experts and governmental agencies, such as
the Department
of Land and Natural Resources, Coastal Lands Program
at (808) 585-0446. These agencies are familiar with coastal
erosion in order to get appropriate recommendations on
project design.
Comply
with Building Codes and Land Use Regulations
During
the planning phase, the applicant should incorporate the
advice of the Planning
Department, comply with building codes and land use
regulations to decrease the risk of coastal hazards.
Developers
and landowners should also acknowledge developments along
the shoreline are subject to the risk of coastal erosion
and any request to protect structures and property with
shoreline armoring is currently discretionary.
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