SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Finally some good news about the Surfside Beach pier, which has sat unrepaired from hurricane damages since 2016.
The town has received the reconstruction permit for a new pier from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Ocean & Coastal Management, according to administrator Dennis Pieper.
The next step is to find out if there are any outstanding items with FEMA, Pieper told News13 on Tuesday.
In the meantime, the town will prepare the bid specifications and bid documents for the project.
FEMA agreed last year to fund $10 million toward rebuilding a new pier, however, since Surfside plans to change the structure’s material from wood to concrete, FEMA is required to conduct an environmental impact study.
Mayor Bob Childs said while the change in materials adds additional time onto the project, the concrete pier will be worth the wait.
“We could rebuild that thing in wood today, and who knows, next week there could be a hurricane that could tear it back down,” said Childs.
Pieper said the town will provide an updated timeline once it receives a response from FEMA and the engineering consultants.
