Beach & Dune Ad Hoc Committee

In 2018,  City Council established the Beach Access and Dune Protection Plan Review Committee. The mission of this committee is to review the City's Beach Access and Dune Protection Plan and to provide recommendations of possible amendments to the plan to the Planning Commission and City Council.

Council Resolutions

Resolution Date Action
18-016 March 22, 2018 Established Committee
18-024 May 24, 2018 Established criteria for membership
18-036 August 23, 2018 Added task to consider standards for beach cleaning
19-014 March 28, 2019 Extended committee sunset to July 25, 2019

Committee Members

John Dreiss (served May - August, 2018)
Rhonda Gregg-Hirsch
Carol Hollaway (Planning Commission representative)
Jerry Mohn (Chair)
Barbara Railey
Bruce Reinhart (Planning Commission representative)
Chula Ross-Sanchez (Vice-Chair)
Paul Sivon
Joanie Steinhaus
Reuben Trevino

Beach and Dune Ad Hoc Committee

(left to right) Paul Sivon, Barbara Railey, Bruce Reinhart, Reuben Trevino, Carol Hollaway, Rhonda Gregg-Hirsch, Jerry Mohn, Joanie Steinhaus.
(not pictured) John Dreiss, Chula Ross-Sanchez

Guiding Principles for the Beach Access Committee 

  • Free and unrestricted beach access should be available to the citizens of Texas, meeting or exceeding the Open Beaches Act
  • Promote diversity of uses in a safe and sustainable manner
  • Ensure the integrity and sustainability of the natural system and resources
  • Respect and recognize the rights of adjacent private property
  • Meet the GLO’s accessibility guidelines
  • Encourage beach patrons to utilize beach access points with amenities
  • Provide consistent, clear and adequate signage

Final report from the Beach Access and Dune Protection Plan Review Ad Hoc Committee

Click here to download the report (0.4GB, 452 pages), which was presented to City Council at their August 22, 2019 workshop. Watch the presentation here: http://galvestontx.swagit.com/play/08222019-580/#8

Committee Meeting Agendas and Documents

Click on the tab for the corresponding year (2019, 2018, etc.) to see meeting agendas, presentations, and other documents.

  1. 2019
  2. 2018

Resources

Texas Beach Accessibility Guide - a guide from the Texas General Land Office on vehicular beach access, pedestrian beach access, accessible parking, signage & beach amenities, and other beach access topics.

Coastal Dunes: Dune Protection and Improvement Manual for the Texas Gulf Coast - a guide from the Texas General Land Office on topics such as the Texas beaches and dunes, dune construction/improvement/repair, dune walkovers, beach access and drainage.

BEG Shoreline Change Map - an interactive map prepared by the Bureau of Economic Geology that illustrates trends in shoreline change along the Texas Gulf Coast, from the 1930's to 2012. A link to the full report of the study can be found here (link).

National Wetlands Inventory - an interactive map prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of wetland resources in the United States.