The debate about what to do to protect vulnerable downtown Montauk from storm surges continues as East Hampton Town waits for a recommendation from the Army Corps of Engineers. The Eastern Long Island chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has come up with a solution: move the oceanfront motels. They say that east of South Emery Street, there is no primary natural dune, as there is to the west, which protected that area during Sandy. The dune to the east was lost when motels and condos were built there. Once the buildings are moved, the natural dune can be restored to protect the town.
Critics say this proposal, while well intentioned, is impractical to say the least. Carl Darenberg of Montauk Citizens Voice says, "It's never going to happen—it's crazy to even think about it. There are 2,000 rooms in Montauk and a lot of them are on the ocean. That's why people come to Montauk. If you put them back in farmland, it's not going to be the same."
· Surfrider Asks Town To Protect Montauk's Beaches, Even If It Means Moving Motels [27East]
· All Posts about Rebuilding Montauk Beaches [Curbed Hamptons]
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