Posted on October 31, 2025
FLAGLER BEACH — Amid future funding uncertainty, the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday night, Oct. 23, unanimously approved an easement agreement with Flagler County for the ongoing beach restoration efforts.
The approximately mile-long stretch included in the agreement is part of the county’s “Reach II” phase of the overall Beach Management Plan, which began in 2023 and continues to draw a strategy to create and sustain beach renourishment efforts both in the short and long term.
Reach II extends from North Seventh Street to the Hammock Dunes area in unincorporated Flagler County — approximately 5.5 miles.
The easements agreed to Oct. 23 are similar to those provided as part of last year’s Reach I phase, which began in August 2024 along 2.6 miles of the city’s coastline.
The county’s Beach Management Plan, adopted in October 2023, “is focused on restoring and maintaining a healthy beach and dune system through periodic beach nourishment to benefit the community at-large,” according to the county’s website.
“The beaches and dunes in Flagler County have sustained severe damage from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole (in 2022), in addition to the constant long-term erosion processes that have been eroding the beaches and dunes year after year,” the site states.
While the price tag of over $100 million for the five planned “reaches” includes a mix of grants and local funds, the initiative also includes an estimated maintenance cost for each segment given the possibility of future storm-related erosion events.
How much will Flagler County’s Reach II beach restoration cost?
Reach II is estimated to cost $32 million, which will be funded by a Florida Department of Environmental Protection recovery fund grant (post-Hurricanes Ian and Nicole), as well as FEMA money.
Long-term maintenance for Reach II is projected to cost $4,506,800 per year at 50% FDEP funding and 50% from the county. Maintenance refers to the money required for beach renourishment every six years, according to Flagler County Coastal Engineering Administrator Ansley Wren-Key.
Flagler Beach’s exact contribution to the long-term funding is still uncertain, as the county continues to evaluate options to raise local funds with the help of its cities.
One option is the Municipal Service Benefit Unit (or MSBU) taxing district created in December 2024 for beach-management efforts. But the county has not yet levied that tax, as the amount to be assessed is yet to be determined “by an engineering study that is currently underway,” according to an August press release.
