Sands of time mark progress in bringing beach back

SHORE SHOT: The effects of Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge was felt by many businesses and homeowners in the Misquamicut section of Westerly. / PBN PHOTO/BRIAN MCDONALD
SHORE SHOT: The effects of Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge was felt by many businesses and homeowners in the Misquamicut section of Westerly. / PBN PHOTO/BRIAN MCDONALD

The 2,700 spaces of the Misquamicut State Beach parking lot now lie under a veritable mountain of sand, all of it removed from Atlantic Avenue and its businesses and residences in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
The piled-up sand is a visible symbol of the destructive power of the storm, but it also serves as a daily reminder of the difficult tasks ahead in rebuilding – and a warning sign of the potential future damage to the state’s tourism industry.
Misquamicut is the No. 1 revenue-generating state beach in Rhode Island, according to Caswell Cooke Jr., executive director of the Misquamicut Business Association. In 2011, it generated $1.17 million, more than one-third of the $3.3 million in total state beach revenue, according to Gail Mastrati, R.I. Department of Environmental Management spokeswoman.
In addition, of all the towns in South County, Cooke says, Westerly generates the most hotel tax revenue. “We represent more than 50 percent of the entire South County hotel taxes in just one town.”
Tim Brennan and Kevin Urbonas, co-owners of Two Little Fish restaurant at 300 Atlantic Ave., say they are committed to be ready to reopen by April 1.
“We opened up on June 1 this year here at our new location on the beach,” Brennan said. The two owners had been in business together for 15 years, then sold that location and moved to the Atlantic Avenue location because it was a “great business opportunity.”
“We were in business for three months, and then the hurricane hit,” Brennan continued. “It took us about a week to get access to the building. When we first came here, no kidding, the sand was about this deep,” he said, holding his hand up to his neck.”
To begin the cleanup, Brennan said they needed a small front-loader, a backhoe and a dump truck. “It’s $1,000 a day for the backhoe and a dump truck to get the sand out of [the front of the restaurant],” he said. The parking lot took three days. “What we’re working on now is crawling under our deck ourselves, taking out the sand by hand,” Brennan said. “Next we’re getting a water truck, and we’re going to blow the remaining sand out with a hose.” The economics of a beachside restaurant are seasonal, Brennan explained. Unfortunately, “we’ve already spent next year’s rent trying to mitigate the damages here.”
And there are no guarantees. “It’s great if we’re open by April 1, or May 1, but the real question, is the state beach going to be ready? If the state beach looks like that,” he said, pointing to the mountainous piles of sand, “we’re going to be in trouble.”
Like many of the other business and residences along Atlantic Avenue, Two Little Fish has applied for loans from numerous sources. It has registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, filed an application with the R.I. Economic Development Corporation, talked with and filed an application with the U.S. Small Business Administration, and plans to apply to the Westerly Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which has set up a special fund to help businesses recover.
In the first week of December, FEMA raised its projected cost of storm damages to Rhode Island to $14 million. The agency said that it had received 53 applications from municipalities and public-services agencies for funds. In addition, the agency said it was processing 349 applications for federal aid from homeowners and renters who suffered losses to uninsured property. Businesses not covered by FEMA have applied for 327 SBA low-interest loans, according to officials.
As a way to expedite evaluations, adjustors from the various agencies, including the state Department of Environmental Management, the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council and the Westerly Fire Department, began visiting sites together on Dec. 6, including the Windjammer Lounge, heavily damaged by the storm.
The joint meetings held at individual sites represent an innovative approach that Tatersall praised. “I know a lot of business owners that really like that,” he said. “It’s good that each property owner is going to be able to meet with all of the officials at one meeting, because each owner has a different situation.”
One of the biggest hurdles facing businesses and homeowners along Atlantic Avenue is how to replace damaged and destroyed septic systems, according to Cooke, pointing to the above-ground denitrification septic system built behind the Misquamicut Business Association’s tourism center. Such above-ground systems are required for buildings less than 200 feet from the water, according to Cooke. The difference in costs between the standard and above-ground septic systems is huge, Cooke continued. “If a place like the Andrea Hotel, which was severely damaged by the storm, had to put one of these [above-ground denitrification systems] in, it would take up a huge area and cost as much as a million dollars,” he said. And, “what’s going to happen the next time we get a storm surge like the one from Sandy? Do these businesses spend the money?”
Despite the extensive storm damage, there remains a strong community bond among businesses and residents to support the rebuilding along Atlantic Avenue – as well as an indigenous music scene that has served as a strong attraction for decades. A benefit concert, Bash for the Beach II, was held on Dec. 7 at the Knickerbocker in Westerly, once the regular venue for Roomful of Blues, an iconic Rhode Island band.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Westerly Chamber of Commerce’s Jump Start Small Business Recovery Fund, to assist those businesses hardest hit by the hurricane, according to Ron Webster, event spokesman, who plays bass in The Beach Band, along with the Misquamicut Business Association’s Cooke, who plays keyboard.
“I have a strong personal connection to the beach there,” explained Webster, who currently lives two hours away in Ellington, Conn.
That strong sense of purpose and community roots was shared by Mike Fusaro, a local contractor busy working on a residence along Atlantic Avenue.
“Everything was a mess. The way they all worked together and cleaned up so far is unbelievable. Really, hats off to them,” Fusaro said. “Compared to what it looked like a few days after the storm to what it looks like today, it’s unbelievable.
“I’d be willing to bet that 95 percent of the homes and businesses will be ready to go by the spring. … Come here Memorial Day weekend. … Everything will be up and running.” •

No posts to display