Seawall Question

[J.A.S.O.N.]

With the recent passing of the transportation bill, and some of its ridiculous items, I got to thinking about the expansion of the seawall. If you guys make it out to the island in the near future, I'd recommend taking a trip out to the west end. Residential projects are going up everywhere out there. Which leads me to my question; why does it seems as though Galveston is not making it a priority to protect its growing tax base on the west end?

There is virtually nothing in between these residential projects and the gulf. Plus, not all of them are beachfront. Some are planned neighborhoods that just sit behind marshes, kinda in the middle of it all. If I'm not mistaken, Galveston's big ticket item on this bill was the transit terminal for downtown.

I'll admit that I am ignorant to the intricacies of the transportation bill, but could someone enlighten me as to if seawall expansion could have been a possible project proposed, or does the state handle such matters?

Edited November 28, 2005 by J.A.S.O.N.

[MidtownCoog]

To expand the seawall, you'd have to demolish all the existing structures.

So maybe we they are waiting for the next Big One to justify it.

We have a house in Jamica Beach. I often wonder how they were able to build the canals in the first place. We are really built on nothing if you think about it.

[J.A.S.O.N.]

To expand the seawall, you'd have to demolish all the existing structures.

So maybe we they are waiting for the next Big One to justify it.

We have a house in Jamica Beach. I often wonder how they were able to build the canals in the first place. We are really built on nothing if you think about it.

Doesn't Seawall Blvd. turn into FM something or other? Why not just raise the level of that existing road that is virtually Seawall Blvd anyway? There is nothing, (to my knowledge) to demolish. Just about everything out that way is on stilts, or the ground level has been raised.

MidtownCoog, I'm not directing this at you directly, but I don't understand why (just as New Orleans and its levees) the inevitable has to be justified? The "Big One" IS going to happen. I can't wrap my mind around that type of thinking.

Edited November 28, 2005 by J.A.S.O.N.

[MidtownCoog]

FM 2003.

I think you must be missing something. Take a drive to the end of the Seawall and look southwest down the beach.

That's where you will see the buidlings that must be demolished.

[RedScare]

Coog, I think you meant FM 3005. At any rate, I believe that there is a two-fold reason for doing nothing on the West End. One, it would be incredibly expensive to extend the seawall and fill in behind it, as Galveston did. Secondly, there would be huge protests about where to build it, who pays, etc.

It would be interesting to raise FM 3005 as a buffer to protect the bayside homes from a Gulf storm surge. However, the surge would come in the backside as well, so the only solution is to raise everything, which has been done by requiring new construction to have a first floor above high surge levels, 15-17 feet above sea level, I believe. The only thing not raised is old construction and the dirt itself.

[MidtownCoog]

For the most part, it's all week-enders anyway.

Jamacia Beach has a hand full of full-timers, but not very many.

But it really is too late to extend the Seawall IMHO.

[Lowbrow]

The natural dynamic of the barrier island is to breach anyways. By stopping that you are hurting someone down current of you. Namely San Louis Pass and beyond.

[TJones]

The natural dynamic of the barrier island is to breach anyways. By stopping that you are hurting someone down current of you. Namely San Louis Pass and beyond.

I think the powers that be think in terms of whose got the more dense population, and I don't mean that by I.Q. wise. I mean in terms of numbers of residents, and part time residents. Galveston generates tourism and businesses, which have lobbyists to go to bat for them all the time to insure they get the money first, and worry about the small coastal towns that don't produce any kind of resources, later. Gotta love those politics.

Edited November 29, 2005 by TJones

[J.A.S.O.N.]

For the most part, it's all week-enders anyway.

Jamacia Beach has a hand full of full-timers, but not very many.

But it really is too late to extend the Seawall IMHO.

I just don't understand how so many homes that contribute a significant amount to the city's tax base are not being protected, much less talked about. I'm not just refering to the beach houses, I mean the full fledged communities. I don't mean to be cruel, but an extended seawall could just protect Galveston proper, and slope off just before Jamaica Beach.

I read somewhere that the seawall has already been extended a couple of times in its history. Also MidtownCoog, there are "full time"communities popping up out there as of recent (albeit retirement communites more than likely, but full time non the less) why anyone would want to put their home in that type of danger is beyond me

I also can't believe that its too late or impossible this day in age, for a city in America anyhow.

Edited November 29, 2005 by J.A.S.O.N.

[MidtownCoog]

so many homes that contribute a significant amount to the city's tax

#1 - I think you may be over estimating the tax ba$e. Cost benefit analysis and all that good stuff.

#2 - Extend the seawall to J.B., and you just wiped out Galveston Island State Park. A natural ecosystem.

#3 - J.B. is its own city.

#4 - You live on the coast for a price. Otherwise, they would build a seawall all around Florida.

[RedScare]

You really need to consider who the seawall would protect, and whether they would want it. The beachfront home owners do not want it. They would fight it. If the people to be protected fight your offer of protection, where is the incentive to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on it.

On the other hand, I have always wanted to develop a retirement community on that grazing land between 3005 and Stewart. One of the amenities would be to raise the land several feet, so that the home would not be on stilts, in effect, being an inland seawall. This would allow wheelchair access, which is important in a retirement community.

Anyone with a few extra mil, PM me and I'll explain more.

[J.A.S.O.N.]

A good bit of tax revenue does come from these areas, the Campeche Cove's and various other subdivisions out that way. Also when considering cost benefit analysis, we have to account for prospective growth. It looks pretty healthy too! The seawall could even be extended to about to 13 mile Rd, just before Jamica Beach, that's what I meant before about sloping off, and allowing J.B. come up with its own solutions.

The statement about Florida isn't a fair comparison to Galveston's situation, because we are talking about an existing seawall that covers seven miles, a large portion of the city, and extending it roughly another four or five, and that's it.

Yeah, Redscare I wasn't mentioning those with beach houses. Its obvious they would be against something like this. As far as I'm concerned, those houses could back right up against my proposed seawall with the next storm and have to be demolished (not really). That was kinda harsh, but I have issues with those folks and beach access.

Who knows, maybe its not feasible after all. Just wishful rambling on my part...

Edited November 29, 2005 by J.A.S.O.N.

[The New Juniper]

On the other hand, I have always wanted to develop a retirement community on that grazing land between 3005 and Stewart. One of the amenities would be to raise the land several feet, so that the home would not be on stilts, in effect, being an inland seawall. This would allow wheelchair access, which is important in a retirement community.

I think that is a good idea. However, raising land several feet is much more expensive than one would probably think. I do believe, however, that building a community, such as a Seaside, is a good idea and sorely needed. There is very little sense of community in Galveston. It is a patchwork of nice homes, multi-family projects in various states of utility, surf shops, convenience stores, and Fertitta restaurants.

There is no common tie to all of it.

Galveston wants to be a tourist town with a quaint atmosphere and reputation. However, currently it has neither.

Much help is needed.

Given all of the above doom and gloom, I'm still bullish on Galveston and more development will soon be announced....