SODUS, N.Y. — The shoreline at Beechwood Park is rapidly eroding. The most recent development involves a historic chimney that stood for more than 100 years collapsing onto the beach.
News10NBC’s Erin Mahon visited the park to see what remains of the structure and what the town is doing to save other buildings at risk. The chimney was still standing on May 29. By Monday, it had fallen to the bottom of the shore in a pile of rubble, along with several trees.
The shoreline has lost about 80 feet in total since park caretaker Sal Vittozzi started working there eight years ago. Vittozzi manages all 288 acres himself, and says erosion is heavily dependent on the amount of rainfall the area experiences.
“Because we had such a wet spring again, I mean, we’re already, you know, we’re another 20 to 25 feet of erosion just this spring,” Vittozzi said.
Vittozzi said trees swaying in the wind loosen the ground because the roots loosen the soil. If it’s windier and rainier, the shoreline erodes even faster. The edge used to extend out to a rock that now sits far from the cliff.
With the chimney gone, the latest threat is a pavilion that honors former town board member John Faulks. The pavilion now sits only eight feet from the edge.
“When we put in our new pavilion over here, we kind of planned on maybe having to move it 20 years from now. And then because of the speed of the erosion, now it’s only eight feet away from the edge,” Vittozzi said.
Lynda Faulks, John Faulks’ widow, said the pavilion’s dedication is an honor and remains a treasured site for her and her son. The town placed the pavilion in 2022, a year after Faulks passed in 2021.
“Sadly, he was in the role and was diagnosed with cancer. He battled cancer for, well, two years, and lost his life to cancer,” Faulks said.
She said visiting the pavilion is heartwarming.
“I really spent very little time at Camp Beachwood. Really knew little bit about it until John got involved. And we used to go there and walk in the wintertime and just really enjoyed being outside in nature,” Faulks said.
With only eight feet standing between the pavilion and the cliff, Vittozzi said the town supervisor Scott Johnson and a local contractor, Bill Stevens, are volunteering their time and services to move it back. Stevens will supply the labor and equipment, with Johnson making a private donation to fund the project. The plan is to move the pavilion back about 30 feet. Vittozzi said he doesn’t know how much longer that will give them at the rate the erosion is going, but it’s the only solution they have.
Last year, the town renewed its second 15-year contract with the state to take ownership of the park. This means the town has full control and full responsibility of preserving the park. The town does not receive funding from the state, thus any further costs associated with park improvements fall to the town.
Town of Sodus races to save Beechwood Park pavilion as cliff edge closes in to just 8 feet away WHEC.com.
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