In a Wednesday City Council meeting, Hampton Parks and Recreation presented a plan to fix the crumbling sea wall, deteriorating steps and address other improvement needs.
Beachgoer Patricia Medeiros prefers to avoid the crowds at Virginia Beach so she regularly drives two hours from Fredricksburg to lie out on Buckroe Beach.
“I love it. It’s quiet,” said Medeiros. “If you’re not looking for the Virginia Beach kind of traffic and cluster, it’s definitely a place to come to.”
Hampton Director of Parks, Recreation & Leisure Services David McCauley said the department wants to repair the existing boardwalk, raise the seawall, add additional disabled access ramps as well as other additions to improve the visitor experience.
“From benches to different garbage cans and different lighting on the beach,” said McCauley.
Beachgoer Leigh Pritt has visited Buckroe Beach for years and said the boardwalk needs some work.
“The cracking and the crumbling, the steps, the sidewalk, the roads,” said Pritt. “I mean it's all messed up.”
The repairs will occur in three phases. McCauley said the city wants public input, as no details are finalized. Public input should begin in October and he said the city hopes to begin construction in the fall of 2020.
“We would like to get different input and as we move forward, we will refine it before we go final,” said McCauley.