The city of Norfolk will soon spend thousands of dollars to move sand in Willoughby Spit.
The plan is to build dunes that were severely eroded after the November Noreaster. The November Noreaster sent waves up to 10 feet from the Chesapeake Bay crashing into Willoughby spit and eroding miles of beach.
It left many of the homes along the beach exposed and unprotected.
Most of the sand ended up at the end of the spit, in what used to be Helen Kidwell's waterfront property.
"This is a lot of sand, a lot of sand, haha," Kidwell said.
Just a few years ago Helen remembers the water surrounding her pier and her boats. Now, both her boats are in a dry dock situation because of the sand.
"This was all water. Boats would come up here and we would tie them up here, oh yeah this was all water," Helen said.
The city of Norfolk noticed this problem right after the November Noreaster and has been working to get the issue fixed.
"Our plan is to come in and take sand from these green areas right at the end of Willoughby Spit and right off Lee View Ave. and recycle the sand and repair the dune system," said Lee Rosenberg of the Norfolk Department of Planning.
The plan is to take 37,000 cubic yards of sand to build dunes in the eroded sections of the beach. That's about 11.5 olympic sized swimming pools full of sand, most of it coming from Helen's property.
"The city's goal is to protect homes like this from being hit by large waves - the goal is to build eight foot sand dunes here in an area where you can see has very little sand," Rosenberg said.
"Willoughby is always more vulnerable, it is a spit - you never can get the tall, wide sand dunes that we can get else where."
The city plans on using money from its $2.1 million erosion control budget to pay for this critical project that will not only help property owners, but will also stop Helen from swimming in sand.
"I'm just hoping and praying that they will come and get their sand and put it back on the beach and everyone will live happily ever after," said Kidwell.
The city of Norfolk hopes to have contractors start this project on April 22 and complete it within 30 days before hurricane season begins.
The plan is to build dunes that were severely eroded after the November Noreaster. The November Noreaster sent waves up to 10 feet from the Chesapeake Bay crashing into Willoughby spit and eroding miles of beach.
It left many of the homes along the beach exposed and unprotected.
Most of the sand ended up at the end of the spit, in what used to be Helen Kidwell's waterfront property.
"This is a lot of sand, a lot of sand, haha," Kidwell said.
Just a few years ago Helen remembers the water surrounding her pier and her boats. Now, both her boats are in a dry dock situation because of the sand.
"This was all water. Boats would come up here and we would tie them up here, oh yeah this was all water," Helen said.
The city of Norfolk noticed this problem right after the November Noreaster and has been working to get the issue fixed.
"Our plan is to come in and take sand from these green areas right at the end of Willoughby Spit and right off Lee View Ave. and recycle the sand and repair the dune system," said Lee Rosenberg of the Norfolk Department of Planning.
The plan is to take 37,000 cubic yards of sand to build dunes in the eroded sections of the beach. That's about 11.5 olympic sized swimming pools full of sand, most of it coming from Helen's property.
"The city's goal is to protect homes like this from being hit by large waves - the goal is to build eight foot sand dunes here in an area where you can see has very little sand," Rosenberg said.
"Willoughby is always more vulnerable, it is a spit - you never can get the tall, wide sand dunes that we can get else where."
The city plans on using money from its $2.1 million erosion control budget to pay for this critical project that will not only help property owners, but will also stop Helen from swimming in sand.
"I'm just hoping and praying that they will come and get their sand and put it back on the beach and everyone will live happily ever after," said Kidwell.
The city of Norfolk hopes to have contractors start this project on April 22 and complete it within 30 days before hurricane season begins.
