As Beaches Erode, So Do Solutions

Over the last decade or more, federal and state funds to restore beach sand have become increasingly scarce, as government officials, taxpayers and environmentalists have argued against spending hundreds of millions of public dollars for projects that often wash away after a few strong storms.

This has left Atlantic and Gulf Coast communities to develop their own solutions, often imposing what are referred to as sand taxes. But the potential for assessments of thousands of dollars — particularly in towns filled with vacation homes — has created a divisive issue that many homeowners, voters and elected officials have yet to solve.

Over the last several weeks, a series of potent gales has swept huge quantities of sand from Southeastern beaches, leaving a critical situation for some homeowners. A drive from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Charleston, S.C., makes it evident that easy solutions have yet to emerge.

On North Topsail Beach, N.C., an 11-mile stretch of barrier island, condemned houses rise from the surf line at the island’s north end. Standing on the deck of a modest home surrounded by dilapidated properties, Rebecca Hodges said that she voted for a $34 million referendum in November 2006, even though she was not sure if she and her husband, Robert, could afford an annual assessment in excess of $3,000.

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