East Hampton homeowners ask for zoning change to allow for erosion protection

Owners of properties on Gardiner’s Bay in East Hampton appeared before the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals to demand that it allow a sandbag barrier to remain for up to five years in order to protect them from rising tides and erosion, The East Hampton Star reported. The area is currently a coastal erosion hazard zone, which bars erosion structures. Homeowners argued that the zoning was put in place before the increasing threat was even known. In 2017, the Building Department issued an emergency permit for the sandbag wall, but it could only stay up for a maximum of nine months. Experts said revitalizing the beach would be a better long-term solution and homeowners want protection until such a project could be completed. [East Hampton Star]