Town of Babylon unveils effort to replenish eroded coastline on Overlook Beach for summer 2025

ByEyewitness News

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Town of Babylon unveils aggressive plan to restore eroded coastline at Overlook Beach

Stacey Sager has the latest on the Town of Babylon's efforts to restore the eroding coastline.

BABYLON, Long Island (WABC) -- The Town of Babylon on Wednesday unveiled its latest effort to replenish the eroded coastline on Overlook Beach.

Overlook Beach, among several others on the South Shore, were severely destroyed by storms earlier in the year, which led to the erosion and coastal flooding.

The damage to Overlook Beach left only 50 feet of shoreline, town officials say.

But now, the work is underway so it will be ready for thousands of people to enjoy next summer.

"We didn't know if this was going to happen or not, and we didn't know if we were going to have to wait another couple of years," said Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer.

A fleet of bulldozers will bring in a staggering amount of sand to replenish the shoreline, to what will amount to six football fields.

Overlook Beach has faced decades of erosion, and was also impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

"A lot of us are still reeling from Sandy," added Babylon Town Parks Commissioner Eva Gregurski. "And it was such a dramatic loss of beachfront."

The revitalization of the coastline is also a navigational necessity. The dredge known as the Delaware - which is pumping sand from Fire Island Inlet round the clock now -- is funded by the state and federal government to clear the buildup of sand under water from a host of rough Nor'easters over the years.

"Eventually just like you have to repair pot holes on the expressway, they have to dredge it out, so the water's deep enough for the boats to go through," said project manager Brian Zitani.

There is still concern for public safety in flooding, mainly from any beach along the Ocean Parkway.

The parkway was shut down for 45 days after Sandy.