Sally
Beach Fanatic
New Seawalls. An Important Public Meeting on April 3rd.
On April 3rd, beginning at 5 PM, the Board of County Commissioners will hold a Special Meeting in the South Walton Courthouse Annex, 31 Coastal Centre Blvd, Santa Rosa Beach. This meeting is being held to discuss ?the legal opinion on armoring of the coastline (seawalls) and to consider a procedure for issuing letters to the Department of Environmental Protection for coastal armoring permitting application?. (County press release)
By way of additional information, the topic of this meeting concerns applications by gulf front property owners to build new seawalls. As I understand it, the meeting topic does not specifically relate to the seawalls previously approved by the county under the Emergency Permitting Order in connection with Hurricane Dennis.
The issue is how, in the future, the county will respond to a request from a gulf front property owner to build a seawall. Applications for seawalls must go through a state permitting process. State law allows seawalls provided (1) they are not prohibited by the county and (2) provided they meet specific requirements which dictate which structures are eligible to be protected by a wall, and which regulate site design, location and construction. The state will not process a request for a seawall until it has received a statement from the county that provides, in essence, that the intended structure does not contravene any county laws.
Policy L-1.5.1 (2) of the Comprehensive Plan provides that ?no activities shall be permitted which create erosion of dunes or the dune system?. There is considerable documentation from state and federal agencies as well as from private coastal engineers which indicates that coastal armoring can, under certain circumstances, contribute to increased beach erosion, particularly in the case of an eroding shoreline. (previous SWCC emails provide references to such documentation)
As new seawalls are now being requested, the county must decide whether they are permissible under Policy L-1.5.1 (2) and what requirements, if any, will be applicable. The county has hired an attorney for a legal assessment. The legal opinion will be presented at the meeting.
In addition to the legal issues, SWCC has repeatedly suggested that the decision of how to balance protection of upland structures with protecting the beach and dune system should be premised on the best science and expert opinion available. We applaud the county for retaining Professor Robert Dean, a renown coastal engineer to assist staff in developing a policy on armoring and the beaches. Professor Dean is a leading expert in wave action and coastal erosion issues. I have been told that Professor Dean is scheduled to be in attendance at the meeting on April 3rd.
I would urge everyone with an interest in the beach to attend the April 3rd meeting.
County Commission Decision from March 26, 2007 Meeting
Miramar Beach Area.- The Geronimo Street Beach Access.
At Monday night?s County Commission meeting, the Tourist Development Council (TDC) announced its intent to rebuild the Geronimo Street Beach Access. The TDC Director indicated, however, that some individuals are claiming the county has abandoned the access. They have also expressed a concern that rebuilding the access will overburden the access area. According to the TDC these individuals have threatened to sue the county if the access is rebuilt.
The acting county attorney says his investigation revealed no evidence of the county having abandoned its access.
The County commissioners unanimously voted to approve rebuilding the access.
Nature Walk Beach Club.
Seagrove Area. Some time ago, SWCC sent the county and the developer a rather lengthy document outlining our concerns with the project as proposed. Specifically, we felt certain requested variances and other aspects of the project violated the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code.
We have had several meetings during which the developer has been amendable to several of our concerns. The current status is that the developer is reviewing the remaining issues.
We will keep our Seagrove members updated on the status of this development proposal.
The South Walton Community Council, Inc.
Anita Page
SWCC Executive Director
On April 3rd, beginning at 5 PM, the Board of County Commissioners will hold a Special Meeting in the South Walton Courthouse Annex, 31 Coastal Centre Blvd, Santa Rosa Beach. This meeting is being held to discuss ?the legal opinion on armoring of the coastline (seawalls) and to consider a procedure for issuing letters to the Department of Environmental Protection for coastal armoring permitting application?. (County press release)
By way of additional information, the topic of this meeting concerns applications by gulf front property owners to build new seawalls. As I understand it, the meeting topic does not specifically relate to the seawalls previously approved by the county under the Emergency Permitting Order in connection with Hurricane Dennis.
The issue is how, in the future, the county will respond to a request from a gulf front property owner to build a seawall. Applications for seawalls must go through a state permitting process. State law allows seawalls provided (1) they are not prohibited by the county and (2) provided they meet specific requirements which dictate which structures are eligible to be protected by a wall, and which regulate site design, location and construction. The state will not process a request for a seawall until it has received a statement from the county that provides, in essence, that the intended structure does not contravene any county laws.
Policy L-1.5.1 (2) of the Comprehensive Plan provides that ?no activities shall be permitted which create erosion of dunes or the dune system?. There is considerable documentation from state and federal agencies as well as from private coastal engineers which indicates that coastal armoring can, under certain circumstances, contribute to increased beach erosion, particularly in the case of an eroding shoreline. (previous SWCC emails provide references to such documentation)
As new seawalls are now being requested, the county must decide whether they are permissible under Policy L-1.5.1 (2) and what requirements, if any, will be applicable. The county has hired an attorney for a legal assessment. The legal opinion will be presented at the meeting.
In addition to the legal issues, SWCC has repeatedly suggested that the decision of how to balance protection of upland structures with protecting the beach and dune system should be premised on the best science and expert opinion available. We applaud the county for retaining Professor Robert Dean, a renown coastal engineer to assist staff in developing a policy on armoring and the beaches. Professor Dean is a leading expert in wave action and coastal erosion issues. I have been told that Professor Dean is scheduled to be in attendance at the meeting on April 3rd.
I would urge everyone with an interest in the beach to attend the April 3rd meeting.
County Commission Decision from March 26, 2007 Meeting
Miramar Beach Area.- The Geronimo Street Beach Access.
At Monday night?s County Commission meeting, the Tourist Development Council (TDC) announced its intent to rebuild the Geronimo Street Beach Access. The TDC Director indicated, however, that some individuals are claiming the county has abandoned the access. They have also expressed a concern that rebuilding the access will overburden the access area. According to the TDC these individuals have threatened to sue the county if the access is rebuilt.
The acting county attorney says his investigation revealed no evidence of the county having abandoned its access.
The County commissioners unanimously voted to approve rebuilding the access.
Nature Walk Beach Club.
Seagrove Area. Some time ago, SWCC sent the county and the developer a rather lengthy document outlining our concerns with the project as proposed. Specifically, we felt certain requested variances and other aspects of the project violated the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code.
We have had several meetings during which the developer has been amendable to several of our concerns. The current status is that the developer is reviewing the remaining issues.
We will keep our Seagrove members updated on the status of this development proposal.
The South Walton Community Council, Inc.
Anita Page
SWCC Executive Director
