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The record remains open following a public hearing on a permit request by Robert Tunnell to build a 250 foot dock on Herring Creek.
Tunnell requested a permit to stabilize the shoreline of his Rehoboth Bay property to reduce erosion and replace old, failing bulkheading.
In addition, he wants to increase the length of his existing 80-foot dock to 250 feet. The length of the dock complies with state regulations, and Tunnell says the structure will have lighting.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) held a public hearing on the permit April 30.
At the hearing, Laura Herr, section manager for DNREC’s Wetlands and Subaqueous Land Section said, “Bulkheading was obviously a means of shoreline reinforcement used in the past, especially in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Around the ‘90s we got away from it because of its detrimental effects. We try, when bulkheads need to be reinforced or replaced, to move toward more environmentally friendly options.”
Reached after the hearing, Chris Bason, science and technical coordinator for the Center for the Inland Bays, said shoreline stabilization degrades the aquatic community. Of shoreline stabilization methods, bulkheading is the most detrimental, followed by rip rap on shore and rock sills offshore, Bason said.
Bason said bulkheading can lead to a significant decline in the abundance of aquatic life.
Others in the Angola area are against the pier extension plan because of safety concerns, said Dorothy Boucher.
Those with comments or concerns about the plan who did not speak at the hearing or submit written comments at that time can send comments to DNREC Secretary John Hughes at John.Hughes@state.de.us.
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