What Were They Thinking...?
May 24, 2010 10:30:25 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 24, 2010 10:30:25 GMT
The Atlantic Ocean dunes have always been fragile,as most coastlines are. Growing up there, I remember the dunes as being much bigger,huge in fact, in comparison to what they now are. Coastal erosion has always been an eminent threat.Hurricanes and Nor'easters have always reeked havoc.
Along comes the wealthy,have to have an oceanfront home(almost all second homes,as most were/are from NYC) built smack on top of the dunes. This began occurring on a regular basis back in the late 1960's. More and more homes began to appear and over time,some have washed away to sea. It's inevitable,one can't stop the capricious forces of nature.
Native Americans,numerous tribes,founding fathers and mothers from Great Britain,Irish and Polish immigrants all owned ocean front property at one time, and it was common to see potato farms,fields and fields of potatoes and rye planted right up to the foot of the dunes. But,none of these people were foolish enough to build homes there,atop the dunes.
The average cost for an acre of oceanfront property in the Hamptons is 5-6 million dollars,this is just for the land alone. Add to that ,the cost of building a huge home,tack on another 6-8 million dollars.
Every year,several of these homes fall victim to the incoming tides and numerous storms.
Frantic to save their homes,several homeowners will expend umpteen more millions of dollars.
What were they thinking when they built these houses?
It never ceases to amaze me,the ignorance and stupidity of such people and the greed accompanying it.
Here are two such houses that I saw while on my visit there.The pictures illustrate how completely futile building homes there really is.
The ocean is at low tide in the pics. Imagine at high tide,let alone, during a storm,how close the water gets to the foot of these homes,or,in some cases,washes right over,under and around.
Freshly planted dune grass and new fencing
(and yes,I was trespassing when I took these pics,there was no one around anywhere...
)
Along comes the wealthy,have to have an oceanfront home(almost all second homes,as most were/are from NYC) built smack on top of the dunes. This began occurring on a regular basis back in the late 1960's. More and more homes began to appear and over time,some have washed away to sea. It's inevitable,one can't stop the capricious forces of nature.
Native Americans,numerous tribes,founding fathers and mothers from Great Britain,Irish and Polish immigrants all owned ocean front property at one time, and it was common to see potato farms,fields and fields of potatoes and rye planted right up to the foot of the dunes. But,none of these people were foolish enough to build homes there,atop the dunes.
The average cost for an acre of oceanfront property in the Hamptons is 5-6 million dollars,this is just for the land alone. Add to that ,the cost of building a huge home,tack on another 6-8 million dollars.
Every year,several of these homes fall victim to the incoming tides and numerous storms.
Frantic to save their homes,several homeowners will expend umpteen more millions of dollars.
What were they thinking when they built these houses?
It never ceases to amaze me,the ignorance and stupidity of such people and the greed accompanying it.
Here are two such houses that I saw while on my visit there.The pictures illustrate how completely futile building homes there really is.
The ocean is at low tide in the pics. Imagine at high tide,let alone, during a storm,how close the water gets to the foot of these homes,or,in some cases,washes right over,under and around.
Freshly planted dune grass and new fencing
(and yes,I was trespassing when I took these pics,there was no one around anywhere...
)
