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Wednesday, Jul. 15, 1998
Berry's island project application turned down
Ingleside-on-the-Bay residents say their fight isn't over yet
BY JEFFREY TOMICH
Staff WriterThe Army Corps of Engineers has rejected a Corpus Christi businessman's controversial request to build a ship basin on an island near Ingleside-on-the-Bay, but left him the option to try again.
For that reason, nearby residents who oppose the project are far from proclaiming victory.
Terri Stinnett, project manager for the Corps of Engineers, said developer Kenneth Berry's application to build a ship basin was disapproved because he proposed to dump dredge material at a site he planned to dredge. The two actions were proposed separately and appeared to be at cross purposes, Stinnett said.
Berry's filing was rejected without prejudice, meaning he can resubmit the plans once he addresses those concerns, Stinnett said.
Ingleside-on-the-Bay residents, some of whom live within a few hundred yards of Berry's island, are outraged by Berry's plans and say they fear that an industrial development will threaten the dolphins, brown pelicans and other wildlife found in the area.
About 130 area residents have formed the Ingleside Point Conservation Coalition to fight the island's development. Area residents also have expressed their discontent in Letters to the Editor of the Caller-Times. Eight letters critical of Berry's plan were published in 24 days, with no letters in support of the plan.
The Ingleside Point group said it's not letting up in anticipation Berry will try again.
``That's just a little snag time-wise,'' said coalition member and Ingleside-on-the-Bay resident and coalition member Cynthia Pearl.
``I don't think it will have any bearing on his proposed activities or any bearing on us fighting his plans. As long as it's in his ownership and these are his intentions, then there's nothing that would cause us to slow down.''
The Corps of Engineers notified Berry in a letter dated July 7 that his plans had been rejected. A copy of that letter was also sent to the Port of Corpus Christi Authority and read at the port commission's meeting Tuesday.
Berry, who was recently appointed to the port commission, doesn't begin his term until January and didn't attend Tuesday's meeting. He couldn't be reached for comment.
In a report to commissioners at the meeting, John LaRue, the port's executive director, made a point to distance the port from Berry's proposed project.
``This is a federal government permit,'' LaRue said. ``We are not the issuing agency. We are not party to the application.''
According to the Corps of Engineers, Berry filed three separate project applications, two of which contained conflicting plans.
The first project request involved dredging a 1,700-foot-long entrance channel between La Quinta Ship Channel and the small island. The island is a former dredge material placement site that Berry sought to turn into a commercial ship basin.
In a subsequent filing, Berry asked for permission to place 50,000 cubic yards of fill in the same area that he planned to dredge for the channel, according to the Corps of Engineers.
A third application filed by Berry sought approval to build a bulkhead to protect shoreline erosion. The Corps of Engineers says a portion of that project, too, falls within the proposed area to be dredged under Berry's initial application.
Stinnett said Berry also must make clear what he plans to do with the basin.
Berry stated several purposes in his filings. Those purposes included building large vessels and platforms, and receiving and delivering petroleum and chemical products.
At a June 26 meeting with Ingleside-on-the-Bay residents, Berry said his application was deliberately vague so that if the permit was granted, the basin's uses wouldn't be limited.
Stinnett said the Corps of Engineers will require Berry to state a single purpose for the basin in any future applications.
While they wait to see if Berry refiles, members of the Ingleside Point Conservation Coalition will continue collecting information and urging support for their cause, said coalition chairwoman Marci Counter.
``We're not against progress and we're not against industry in general, but we are here because the island is so small,'' she said. ``We'll wish him well if he'll take it someplace else.''
The coalition has already won support from the Ingleside-on-the-Bay City Council, which last week passed a resolution opposing Berry's plans, she said.
``We certainly are still working to preserve the nature of the place and the wildlife that exists here,'' she said. ``That's not to say we're not concerned about our own backyard and property values, but the environment is our foremost concern.''
Counter said the group's goal is to eventually have the island made a protected wildlife area. Long-range, the coalition also hopes to inspire federal legislation that would prevent development of spoil islands.
Staff writer Jeffrey Tomich can be reached at 886-4316 or by e-mail at tomichj@scripps.com.Post your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web