Proposed exception 3 exempts routes created solely as undeveloped public easements from complying with proposed 16.4.1.2. The committee recommended that if a beach access route already exists to the beach in close proximity, there would be no requirement to create another beach access route. The committee considered one half mile, to be a reasonable distance, so long as the existing beach route is served by the same beach. This is similar to the philosophy that all entrances into the same building do not have to be accessible. Proposed exception 5 distinguishes beach replenishment from alterations.
Nourishment is the process of replenishing a beach.
While it can occur naturally with the depositing of sand from wave action, it is more commonly accomplished artificially by mechanically depositing sand on the beach. A beach may completely erode before it is artificially nourished, or it may be nourished on a periodic schedule to maintain the desired amount of beach for use or to act as a barrier for adjoining buildings and facilities. Proposed exception 6 permits the process of beach nourishment without triggering alteration provision. The committee did not believe that such activities should trigger any obligations for a beach access route over the surface of the beach. In particular, the committee is concerned about those projects where there is a substantial increase in the volume of the beach area.