From Matagorda County Emergency Operations Center
Matagorda County officials have been instructed to immediately close West Revetment Road by the United States Corp of Engineers.
This road is along the revetment wall and is west of FM 457, in Sargent.
An inspection of the road was recently completed because of Tropical Storm Alberto.
The storm has undermined the road and left huge holes all along the road.
The call came from Robert J. Buchalski Chief, Management and Disposal Branch Real Estate Division U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Galveston District.
He stressed the need to close the road to the public to prevent damage and injuries.
He asked the county to close the road out of an abundance of caution.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Mike Estlinbaum said he would follow the direction of the Corp of Engineers and hopes for a permanent repair or replacement of that road.
“It is clear to me that the road is the property of the Corp of Engineers, and it is illegal for the County to spend any time, money, or resources on the road unless we can get a long-term lease for the entire length of the property,” Estlinbaum said.
County Judge Bobby Seiferman, along with Estlinbaum, have worked for over a year to renew a 25-year lease for the property in question.
The judge said, “26 years ago, the county entered a long-term lease and has been maintaining the facilities and the road, but the lease ran out almost a year ago and my staff and Commissioner Estlinbaum have been working on a replacement lease.”
Seiferman agrees with Estlinbaum that the county cannot allocate any resources to the project until we secure a long-term lease.
The situation is complicated because the county is in the process of working with the General Land Office to place permanent structures in the Gulf to mitigate continued erosion.
The plan also calls for a significant beach renourishment project.
“The General Land Office knows how important this beach and access to it is to this community, and we are closely monitoring the situation, as well as communicating with our local partners,” said Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D.
“Our Agency is committed to getting the Breakwater Project completed, so those in our coastal communities will continue to enjoy beach access and a safeguarded shoreline for generations to come.”
Matagorda County Emergency Management coordinator Amanda Campos urges everyone to avoid using the road and to follow the instructions from the US Corp of Engineers.
“We understand the public’s desire to access the area during the holiday week, but per the Corp’s recommendation, it simply isn’t safe,” said Campos.
Emergency management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters.
Emergency management seeks to promote safer, less vulnerable communities with the capacity to cope with hazards and disasters.
For more information about this developing situation please contact Mitch Thames, Matagorda County PIO. mitchthames@visitbaycity.org
Cell number 832-595-4168