Town to Study Coastline

An analysis of East Hampton Town’s coastline and the potential impact of future storms, which is about to get under way, will “help determine the town’s response with regard to sea level rise, storms, and erosion,” Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc announced on Tuesday. The town’s Natural Resources Department is coordinating the work, and it will be paid for by two separate grants.

East Hampton was awarded $250,000 last year from the New York State Department of State to develop a coastal resiliency plan. Kim Shaw, the town’s natural resources director, said Tuesday that an advisory committee has been established to develop a request for proposals from consultants who will help gather and assess data for the coastal resiliency plan.

Another grant, of $185,000, was received from the state’s Energy Research and Development Authority, which will fund an inventory of the shoreline, including a tally of shorefront structures, along with maps showing storm surge and wave action. Other aspects of the study are the science of coastal processes, future erosion rates, and other risk factors.

Results will be incorporated into town planning projects such as the Montauk hamlet study, Councilman Van Scoyoc said.