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Jetty cabins might be gone for good
Published January 4, 2009
SURFSIDE BEACH — A pair of cabins that opened to the public in May, survived Hurricane Ike then burned to the ground on Thanksgiving might not be rebuilt.
The county-owned, two-bedroom rentals were remodeled from a convenience store and stood in the 300 block of Park View Drive at Jetty Park. Authorities determined the cabins burned as a result of electrical problems about 4 a.m. Nov. 27, Brazoria County Fire Marshal Al Priselac has said.
The Brazoria County Parks Department board had one brief meeting in December, but has yet to decide the future of the property, Chairman Jack Taylor said.
“We’re considering a restroom facility where the cabins were and maybe some shaded picnic areas,” he said. “We’ll be taking a hard look at what we’ll do with the cabins and where we’ll put them, if at all. We haven’t made any arrangements yet.”
Any changes must go before Commissioner’s Court, and the parks board will seek input from Surfside officials before making any recommendations, Taylor said.
The county will listen to suggestions from the parks board before taking any action, Pct. 1 Commissioner Donald “Dude” Payne said. The parks board meets Jan. 12.
“It’s up to the commissioners, but normally we do what they recommend,” Payne said. “We haven’t decided what we’re going to do yet.”
Neither the parks board nor commissioners have come up with cost estimates to rebuild cabins versus restrooms and shaded areas, Taylor said. The cabins had been rented only about a month before Ike hit and Surfside Beach were basically closed for weeks after the storm.
Taylor said it cost “several thousand dollars” for the remodel. Costs aren’t more detailed since the county used in-house labor instead of a contractor. The cabins were to rent for $130 to $150 per night.
“We had just begun to rent them, but they weren’t being rented full time,” Taylor said. “We’ll know a whole lot more after we meet in two weeks.”
The decision on what to rebuild could be partially based on an insurance claim still being processed, Parks Director Richard Hurd said. The county expects an insurance settlement of between $100,000 and $130,000, Payne and Hurd said.
“Once we get back an amount, we can look further at our plans,” Hurd said. “At a minimum, we’re looking at going back with public restrooms with some sort of shade structure.”
There are four covered picnic tables overlooking the jetty and Gulf of Mexico, and new structures could be similar to those, he said. A deck around the now-destroyed cabins offered both shade and a viewing platform, so something similar could be constructed, Hurd said.
But it seems unlikely the two cabins will be rebuilt.
“At this point, I can’t commit to what the future holds,” he said. “There was a store there in the past, but that’s not what I’m looking at now. As far as cabins in that location, that’s yet to be determined.”
Surfside officials also are waiting to see what will happen with the property, but it’s not at the top of their to-do list, City Secretary and Building Official Lisa Bailey said. Village leaders still are working on infrastructure repairs after Hurricane Ike left one-third of all structures destroyed and another third seriously damaged.
“I’m sure the council will love the opportunity to have some input, but I don’t think they’ve given it a lot of thought yet,” Bailey said. “We still have a lot of road work to do and are just now in the beginning stages of replacing Stahlman Park. That’s a revenue-producer for us. The cabins are not.”
Stahlman Park is among Surfside Beach properties slated for demolition following Ike.
The county owns cabins at Quintana Beach, and although they suffered some hurricane damage, those are being rented again, Payne said.
The county also owned some portable cabins at San Luis Pass but moved those in the face of the storm.
They’ve not been returned since Bluewater Highway is not yet completely passable, Payne said. The county is working on a temporary road until Bluewater Highway is rebuilt.
John Lowman covers Brazoria County for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 849-8581.
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