Sand hassle: Hillsboro sues Deerfield over erosion
A spat over sand in adjacent cities finally landed in court this week, and it already has cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Hillsboro Beach claims Deerfield Beach has been robbing its beaches of sand formore than 50 years, leaving the beach eroded and putting waterfront home sat risk of damage.
In the suit filed Monday in Broward County Circuit Court, Hillsboro wants Deerfield to address the damage. The town contends it has lost sand because of 56 manmade rock-like structures installed by Deerfield in the 1960s. The structures, known as groins, catch sand.
Hillsboro says it has been paying for sand to keep its beach intact and prevent damage to nearby homes.
Some Hillsboro residents, who’ve complained about the erosion worsening, applauded the town’s decision to sue. “It’s a bad scene and it needs curing,” said John Carlson, whohas lived in the town for nearly 20years.
The 2-year-old legal dispute already has cost taxpayers in both cities.
Hillsboro’s legal fees have already reached about $309,000. The firm of Deerfield’s lead attorney, Bill Scherer, has charged the city
$317,860, along with $33,000 in legal costs fromits city attorney’s firm, records show.
Deerfield city officials declined to comment about the latest legal filing. In public meetings, they have refused tomake changes to the sand traps, pointing out that the Deerfield beach is open to the public, unlike the majority of Hillsboro’s.
Hillsboro is still paying off a $6 million renourishment done in 2011. The sand has long disappeared, a result of storms and the lack of natural sand drifting from the north, townofficials say.
It is relatively rare for a case between two cities to wind up in court, said Glen Torcivia, a West Palm Beach attorney who represents six cities in Palm Beach County.
Municipalities usually work out their differences because several legal steps are required before one can sue another, he said.