Trying to cover a dry well grate

A few years ago, along with a street drainage project, the town put a dry well (3 actually, but I'm especially concerned with one) in my side yard.

They're really unsightly, covered by a 30" wide metal grate. I'd previously covered it with some plastic mesh and river stones, but I'd like to do something better.

I've seen plans for fake wells, planters, and other things like that that would go over it, but there are some significant issues:

1) I live near a saltwater bay, and a few times a year get coastal flooding. That means that whatever I put in can't float away, so I can't just make something out of wood that sits on the ground. I'm not even sure if putting a 4x4s into the ground to anchor it will be enough when there's a foot or more of water (if it's a hurricane or major nor'easter it's just a matter of prayer no matter what it's made of).

2) water still has to get to the dry well. So if I make something out of stone (e.g., something that looks like a water well), even un-mortared, there would have to be multiple channels through the wall to let water get to the grate at a good volume

3) if I do a faux-well concept, I'd have to minimize the size of the "roof," because of high winds.

I was looking into some sort of fake wood like Trex, because I *think* that doesn't float, but I'd have to confirm, and I'm not sure that kind of product would be usable, anyway.

Any thoughts?

 

All right...

So, I went with retaining wall bricks.

Ten stones, each with a gap between them for drainage, set on top of gravel. Then 11 stones sitting on top, then another 11, and so on. The gaps between levels 1 and 2 didn't work at first: because the first level had the gaps (and a different number of bricks) there was a "creep" in the offset between the two levels. That is, if I set the first brick of level 2 right on top of the two below it, so that its ends were right in the middle of each, as I put down each additional brick, it would come short of the middle of the next because of the greater brick+gap length below it, so 180 degrees around the circumference a level 2 brick was sitting right on top of the one below it.

I fixed that by breaking one of the level 1 bricks in half and spacing them on either side of several full bricks, giving me back the staggered lines.

So, the next stage is a "roof." I'm debating the design. By necessity, the posts will have to be outside of the well. I'm trying to avoid a solid roof: we get some really strong winds here and I don't want a parachute effect, so it'll need sort of vent holes. I'm also debating whether to make the support posts out of 4x4s or 2x4s--I'm debating which'll look better, and I don't know if I'll need the added strength of the 4x4.

 

this actually looks nice the way it is.... maybe put a heavy planter with flower ??
Or pickup some really heavy, concrete garden decorative piece....like one of them sculptures....

 

And the city didnt come by and tell you "you cant do that?"