Sand Dune’s first replenishment since reopening
Sand Dune Park will be replenished on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the first time since the dune was reopened in August 2010, said City Engineer Steve Finton.
About 80 truckloads of sand will be mobilized from the bottom of the dune to the top through 32nd Street. The cost to replenish the dune is $3,900, Finton said. Residents of 32nd Street were notified last Friday, as during the replenishment, the street will be closed down.
The dune was shut down from the end of 2009 until August 2010 after the public complained about overuse of the dune – residents complained about heavy traffic, noise and litter. During the summer of 2009, about 9,000 people visited the dune in one month, according to the city. The dune was projected to need to be replenished seven times each year, if it hadn’t been shut down, Finton said.
In 2008, the dune was replenished five times, costing the city $20,000, Finton said. “Every five to six weeks we were having to close the streets down for an entire day,” Finton said, adding that the city is “not suited for that kind of traffic.”
The dune was reopened in August of last year with a reservation system – individuals over 13 are required to make a reservation in advance for a one-hour slot at the dune. Six time slots are available on weekdays, three on Saturdays. On Sundays, the park is only open to children under 12, who are not required to make a reservation. “The use (of the dune) has dramatically diminished with reservation system,” Finton said.