I was out in the Pines this weekend to make a tour of the community, and I am pleased to report that the community looked great on a sunny winter day.

The Beach
We have an enormous beach, and I almost felt like I was walking in a desert! The public access walks over the new dunes are long; I counted over 250 feet from the base of the steps to the ocean. I saw no signs of erosion of the new beach and, in fact, I saw a build-up of new sand along the bottom of the steps. Previously, I was concerned that the two new disability ramps to the beach might stick out. Instead, they get lost in the size of the new beach, and are already partially buried in the sand.

This is the third beach replenishment project that I have been involved in during my time on the board. Although we completed two other projects, we did not get enough sand for either of them. In fact, I remember being in the community in February 2009 to monitor a project undertaken by FIPPOA and arguing with the contractor that we were not getting our full allotment of sand, but to no avail. This time we got enough, and it is going to last. Not only is the new beach visually beautiful, but I know you will also share my sense of psychological comfort just knowing it is there. The Pines has been extremely fortunate.

I am sure many of you saw the various articles that described the removal of the dredges from our waters to Florida. This transfer of equipment was permitted under the contract between the Army Corps and Weeks Marine, the contractor on this project. The contract permitted Weeks to move their equipment elsewhere as long as they completed the Fire Island project by mid-June. This is why we insisted to the Corps (and with good effect!) that they could not move the dredges until sand placement was completed in the Pines, and it was. Weeks has assured the Army Corps that they will be back in Fire Island to complete the two communities to the west of the Pines on schedule.

Elsewhere in the Pines
On other topics, the community looked very clean. All the walks, the marina, and our buildings appeared to be in good shape. We have benefited from having our community manager, Karen McCutcheon, in the Pines at least once or twice a week this winter to keep an eye on things. Her weekly monitoring during the winter has been very effective. Currently, FIPPOA is working on a plan to address Fire Island Boulevard issues including squatting, an excess of vehicles, and the condition of the roadway. I will have more information on this plan in the next newsletter.

Membership
As the summer season is imminent, now is the perfect time to renew your FIPPOA membership or join FIPPOA if you are not already a member. All property owners are eligible to join as regular members, and renters can join as associate members. Membership is just a click away! We appreciate your support.

A Personal Note
I have received many very nice notes following my announcement that I would not seek re-election and lots of questions, such as "how can you do this to us?". I deeply appreciate all of the notes and want to reassure you that I am not leaving you. I am aware that I have a large institutional memory from more than 20 years on the board, and it is important that this information gets passed along. I will remain a board Director through 2022 and continue to play an active role in FIPPOA.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone in the Pines this spring!