Exploring the History and Challenges of Coastal Development

Esperanza and Irwin discuss the sheer beauty of Gerard Drive in Springs.  Best seen on foot or on bike, Gerard Drive runs between Gardiners/Napeague Bay and Accabonac Harbor, and the vistas change depending on the direction you travel.  But Gerard Drive's history is equally compelling.  Daniel and Carolyn Gerard purchased the 250 lots for $125,000 in the 1930's from the Town, who constructed the road in exchange for 9 acres of parkland, named Carolyn Gerard Park.  But the narrow strip of land was always plagued by flooding, and the Town has spent countless sums building revetments and culverts.  But more importantly, Community Preservation Funds were used to purchase homes and remove them, returning Gerard Drive to its natural state.  Impressive, in a region plagued by overbuilding.  But it does lead one to ask, should Gerard Drive have been developed at all?