Friday July 17 - The feds and the county made two things very clear at the July 16th renourishment meeting: The project needs easements on 90 percent of the property in it's path, and August is the deadline for hitting that number.
The bad news for supporters: Only between 42 and 50 percent of the property owners have signed easements, depending on whose numbers you believe.
With close to half of the land still needed and only a month to go, this 10 year-old plan is over some officials are saying privately.
It looks like it's the county that will have to admit to the troubled project's death. Town officials don't want to say so, at least publicly.
A representative with the Army Corp. of Engineers, which is putting up most of the money, said easements for at least 90 percent of the property was needed to do a credible job.
County officials said 85 to 95 percent is needed. Anything short of that, both agencies said, would mean a job islanders wouldn't want to have to look at and wouldn't be very effective.
Several folks who have refused to sign the easements, or who have rescinded earlier easement agreements, told Tidelines after the meeting that the county, state and federal officials failed to change their minds.


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