SACO — The city is inching closer toward an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers for an erosion mitigation project.

Erosion along the coast of Saco has long been a problem, with the culprit being the Saco River jetty. The jetty extends about 6,600 feet into the Atlantic Ocean from the mouth of the Saco River and was created in the late 1800s by the Army Corps of Engineers to create a smooth shipping channel in the river. By displacing the natural flow of sand, the jetty has caused significant erosion along the seashore, and over the time the loss of more than 30 coastal homes.

The federal government allocated about $27 million in 2007 for an Army Corps project to mitigate erosion caused by the jetty, but a plan has never been finalized. In recent years, the Army Corps has expressed its preference for a proposed project, which would construct a 750- foot arm extending perpendicular off the side of the jetty, as well as reinforcements to sections of the main jetty and the delivery of 225,000 cubic yards of sand to reinforce the beach.

Earlier this year, the Army Corps responded to an inquiry by Senator Susan Collins’ office regarding the city’s share of a mitigation project, should the city and the Army Corps sign an agreement. The Army Corps determined that the city’s share of the suggested project would be about 2.4 percent. Given current cost estimates, the city would have to pay $660,000.

The City Council on Monday night unanimously, with Councilor Marshall Archer absent, voted to sign a letter to the Army Corps agreeing that the city’s share of a proposed project be $660,000, and expressing a desire to enter into a Project Partnership Agreement. A Project Partnership Agreement is a legally binding document between the federal government and a non-federal sponsor -in this case, the city of Saco- for construction of a project.

Saco Shoreline Commission Chairman Rick Millard said over the years, there had been many “fits and starts” regarding progress on a project to mitigate erosion caused by the jetty. He said the Council had an opportunity to “take a giant step forward and actually get something that we may be able to implement,” and he urged City Councilors to agree to sign the letter.

City Councilor Michael Burman said signing the letter was a “historic moment” for the city.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.