Posted on January 26, 2021
Neighbors who live in one section just north of Edgewater Boulevard are fighting each other over the whether to dredge their extensive network of canals.
Against the vocal objections of many, Charlotte County commissioners earlier this month voted unanimously to go ahead with a study of the bottom of the canals to decide whether and where dredging is needed.
These are Edgewater North canals that have not been dredged since they were first cut out of the landscape by General Development Corporation in the 1950s and 1960s, staff as well as Commissioner Ken Doherty said. The last bathymetric study was done in 2013 and recommended dredging. But a large number of residents objected then, so dredging was not done. Now, many residents in this neighborhood did not want to go ahead with even the survey, because they oppose dredging. The survey would not increase their taxes by $20 a year, but dredging would.
“I don’t think dredging is going to solve the problems,” said resident Jack Cronkwright. He and others pay to dredge the area in the canal at their own residence. They don’t want to incur additional expense in neighborhood property taxes for the project.
“We don’t need another expensive bathymetric survey” said Tom Vick. “The county keeps forcing dredging on us.”
Other recent residents said they fear their property values will drop as the canal fills in.
“We purchased a home on the waterway expecting it would be maintained,” said Keith Wolbert.
Those who oppose dredging tell their neighbors in favor that they should have realized when they bought that the canal might not be navigable, several on both sides said. They said people without boats should not have to pay for those who do.
At the commission meeting, many neighbors asked to disband the citizen advisory group, called a Municipal Service Benefit Unit. An apparent majority of MSBU members have opposed dredging, leading both sides to accuse the other of working against the interest of the community.
Commissioner Stephen R. Deutsch scolded the neighbors for treating each other with mistrust and failing to find a compromise.
“I’m a little taken aback by some of the behavior that I understand has existed at some of the MSBU meetings … The key to this is participate, show some respect, listen to each other.”
The county is a waterfront community, Deutsch said.
“We have to find a way to maintain the quality of our waterfront and our access to the Gulf,” he said.
Deutsch added that dredging the canals will improve the water quality.
Staff from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, which regulates dredging, said that is true if the dredging is done properly. The state requires contractors use controls that limit how much of the silt is stirred up and spread into the water. Following regulations also keeps the sediment from filling back in right away.
Too much sediment can lower water quality by reducing oxygen levels and by increasing the accumulation of road runoff pollutants, said Alexandra Kuchta, deputy press secretary.
“Removal of this enriched sediment may improve water depths, as well as improve water quality,” Kuchta said.
Source: yoursun
