Committee member Rick Judge said, for the first time, he thinks the committee is getting somewhere.

“I think we’re moving in the right direction, finally,” he said. “I think it’s feasible and affordable and doable.”

Project engineers Duffield Associates attended the Friday, Oct. 16 meeting, along with a handful of Bayard Avenue residents and Dewey citizens.

Duffield presented its initial concept study to the roads committee last August and said the project would deal with 55 acres of land and could cost Dewey as much as $1 million.

Judge suggested narrowing the scope of the project from 55 acres to the four blocks between Saulsbury Street and Bellevue Street, where the flooding is the worst.

Cajun Cove resident Larry Killeen supported a tighter focus. Cajun Cove condominiums are situated at the intersection of Bayard Avenue and New Orleans Street, where tidal surges and heavy rainfall can produce standing water deep enough to damage cars.

The most resonant solution was a natural berm, pitched by Dewey Beach Patrol captain and Envirotech President Todd Fritchman. Using Filtrex – mesh tubes filled with compost and stacked like sandbags – Fritchman said the town could build a living wall along Bayard Avenue to keep Rehoboth Bay out of Dewey.

Judge said he preferred a living wall, which would flourish with vegetation within two weeks, to a bulkhead. Chairman Peter Lucas said a berm would be preferable to a wall.

“Down here, aesthetically, it’s going to be a lot better than a wall,” he said.

But Cajun Cove resident Mark Allan said any solution must begin and end with the drainage pipes.

“You’re not going to fix this with a flood wall,” Allan said. He said the existing drainage pipes were either filled with sediment or collapsed completely.

“It’s shot,” he said. “The system is just shot.”

Fritchman said the natural wall was a supplement, not a solution.

“We can’t do anything for Dewey Beach without working hand-in-hand with an engineering firm,” Fritchman said.

Building a berm will require a better idea of where the town’s land ends and Cajun Cove’s property begins. Commissioner Diane Hanson said the town should commission a new land survey to establish a definite line of ownership.

If necessary, Killeen said, Cajun Cove would consider granting a property easement to the town. He said he was amicable to the idea of a living wall running along Bayard Avenue.

“Whatever the town fathers think is best,” Killeen said. “I defer to the committee.”

While Killeen says he is optimistic that speedy progress will be made to develop a solution, Allan expressed frustration at the committee meeting.

“You don’t have to walk through three feet of water to get to work in the morning,” he told the committee. “The time for action is behind us. The time…never mind,” he said.

Judge said he expects Duffield to receive marching orders to conduct an engineering study at the upcoming Friday, Nov. 6 meeting.

“We need to give them a more precise direction to design something affordable,” Judge said.

Duffield responds to criticism

Planning and zoning commission Vice Chairman David King questioned the completeness of Duffield’s project study. In a written critique, King asked why Duffield didn’t include engineering drawings and a more detailed list of funding solutions.

“Based on the Duffield Associates August 2009 Draft Report,” King concluded, “there is no end in sight for this planning stage, which is a great disservice to the citizens of Dewey Beach.”

Project Manager Nick DiPasquale said the majority of King’s criticisms were based on a misunderstanding – Duffield was still in the conceptual stage, with engineering drawings being the next step.

However, he said, his firm will be more diligent in helping the town seek sources of funding for the Bayard Avenue project. DiPasquale said funds are generally available for green projects – rain gardens, bioswales and living walls – but harder to get for infrastructure projects like stormwater pipes.

“That’s probably going to be the most difficult part of the project to get funded,” he said.

If the town proceeds swiftly to secure funding and obtain the necessary permits, DiPasquale said a fix was still a year away.

“I would anticipate that we’re probably a year out,” he said, “given the best circumstances.”