The process of building and rebuilding on Dauphin Island continues but not without a good measure of debate and controversy.
Yesterday's Dauphin Island Property Owners' meeting was a good example of how uncertain things have become for Dauphin Island's west end. Here are some of the highlights:
West End Berm
Berm construction appears to be on track to begin in late December or early January. The deadline for completion has been extended to June 2007.
The berm will be build along the shoreline as it exists today. West end Dauphin Island vacation properties under water today will remain under water until or unless the beach is restored by some other process. The berm plans do not call for restoration of beach front properties. Where a vacation home sits partially in the water, the berm will be built immediately to the water side of the home's pilings.
West End Dauphin Island Public Beach
The debate between the grass roots organization Save our Shores and the Dauphin Island Property Owners' Association continued during yesterday's meeting. The matter in question is the interpretation of wording in the original deed to the west end Dauphin Island beach area. Save our Shores contends that the deed's wording prevents the Dauphin Island Property Owners' Association from turning over the west end Dauphin Island beach to the town for public use.
The Dauphin Island Property Owners' Association board has decided to submit the document for legal review because much of the property covered by the deed is currently under water, which they believe affects what they can do with the property.
In the meantime west end Dauphin Island vacation home reconstruction continues. Although there are fewer lots today on which some of these homes can be rebuilt, those that are rebuilding are doing so with updated construction codes. They're building higher and stronger than before.
Mobile Area paddler Rob Nykvist has been out and around Dauphin Island in his kayak again recently.
Remember late last year when Sand Island, also known as Pelican Island, had grown to intersect the Dauphin Island Fishing Pier? We enjoyed the idea of building stairs from the end of the pier to the sand below. Well that no longer looks like it was such a good idea. Rob's photos clearly shows that Sand Island is now no easy walk from the Dauphin Island Fishing Pier.
One of the photos on Rob's site also offers a good view from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico of the Holiday Isle condo development in progress. The Dauphin Island Beach Club and The Inn at Dauphin Island are the condo buildings immediately to the left, or west, of the Holiday Isle construction site.
At long last the assessment of the Sand Island lighthouse has begun. As we reported back in April, engineers will be looking over the lighthouse to assess it for structural integrity and to determine what it will take to refurbish the structure.
The Sand Island Lighthouse stands on a small islet built of rocks and sand out in the Gulf of Mexico. It can be seen from Dauphin Island on the horizon to the south and east.
Engineers study 135-year-old lighthouse near Dauphin Island
A worker rappelled down the side of Sand Island Lighthouse Tuesday as part of a study to preserve the 135-year-old lighthouse and possibly turn it into a tourist attraction.
A nice bit of outbound marketing going on here by the local tourism bureau. This little snippet has been popping up in the travel sections of newspapers all around the US since yesterday morning. Just in case you missed it, we thought we'd oblige the Alabama Department of Tourism and publish it here as well.
Ferry Service Expands for Dauphin Island
Alabama's Dauphin Island, recovering from damage by Hurricane Katrina, is open, and ferry service to the eight-mile-long barrier island on Mobile Bay has expanded.
An important birding site, Dauphin has counted 345 species, resident or migrating. The largest public observation area is Audubon Bird Sanctuary. Fall migration begins as early as this month.
The island also offers an aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, historic Fort Gaines, fishing, hotels, camping and beaches.
The Mobile Bay Ferry now operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., linking the island and Fort Morgan, near Gulf Shores. Cost is $14 per auto, truck or van with one passenger (plus $4 for additional passengers). Contact: 251-861-3000; www.mobilebayferry.com.
Dauphin Island is listed in the "100 Outdoor Adventures in Alabama" brochure. For a free copy and an Alabama Vacation Guide, call 1-800-252-2262 or access www.800alabama.com.
For the second year in a row Dauphin Island has won the competition for America's Birdiest Small Coastal City.
Dauphin Island birders identified a total of 170 species of birds in a 24 hour period within the 48 hour competition.
Each year the competition has been hosted by the San Diego Audubon Society. Beginning next year the competition will be hosted by a Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary committee.
Congratulations Dauphin Island Birders.
More Info on the 2006 competition here