Posted on June 27, 2019
Syt. Augustine, Florida – Many residents want to understand what actual plans have been agreed to after years of struggling with different proposals to save our North Beaches, driven by the efforts of the South Ponte Vedra-Vilano Beach Preservation Association and other community organizations. Total cost of the initial beach restoration project is about $26.5 million; over 50 years $144.7 million.
Extraordinary direction and action by District 5 County Commissioner Henry Dean and Public Works Director Neal Shinkre with Public Works Project Manager Damon Douglas working together with Jason Harrah, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and state agencies including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and FDOT, made the implementation of these projects happen.
The long-awaited signing of agreements ceremony took place on April 23. There are now two beach restoration projects that have been committed to – a 50-year U.S. Army Corps project south of Serenata and a one-time dune restoration project north of Serenata to replace sand lost in Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.
Our forward-thinking county representatives wanted to be certain that residents are kept informed and can provide input. On May 22 the Public Works Department, along with representatives from the Army Corps, held a public kickoff meeting at the GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center to discuss the upcoming beach restoration projects, provide details, answer questions and document feedback from residents. Requests for required easements from oceanfront property owners, municipal service taxing units (MSTU) information and proposed new beach parking projects to increase federal government percentage of project funding cost share was also discussed.
You can look at and copy the 42-page presentation of the May 22 meeting by going to the county website sjcfl.us and typing “Kickoff Meeting” and clicking on it. Some of that presentation and discussion follows. For more information: 904-209-0259, kmctaggart@sjcfl.us.
About 2 million cubic yards of sand will be provided to North Beaches. There is a combination of funding sources, including a new Tourist Development Tax category in addition to the MSTUs, federal, state and county funding.
The one-time Dune Restoration Project will have ~20 cubic yards of sand per linear foot. Fifty percent of funding is FDEP Hurricane Matthew sources. The MSTU is 4.0 mils for 10 years with the remainder from county funds. It goes from approximately 2539 South Ponte Vedra Boulevard to the northern boundary of Serenata, where it is designated by the FDEP as “critically eroded.” This project will require an erosion control line, permanent location of the seaward property line at the mean high water line. Estimated total project cost is $13.3 million. Presented were conceptual examples of fill, with and without seawalls. Permit level design is estimated to begin summer 2019 to winter 2019; fill and borrow permits and construction easements would go through winter 2020; and construction would begin winter 2020 to summer 2021. The borrow source is offshore.
The USACE Project is a 50-year beach restoration, with a 60-foot berm extension and dune restoration. There will be a federal cost share and it is eligible for FDEP funding. In addition, funding comes from a MSTU of 0.5 mils for 50 years with a county funds remainder. The project is called “Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Project – Vilano and South Ponte Vedra Beach.” Beach renourishment will be for about 3 miles of shoreline, from FDEP Monuments R-102 (Serenata border) to R-117.5 (opposite San Pelayo Court) including 1,000-foot tapers at the ends. The design berm will be 60 feet seaward of the berm and lower profile to restore it to a 2015 dune condition. Initial sand volume will be about 1.3 million cubic yards; renourishment volume about 900,000 cubic yards, with three renourishments over the 50-year life approximately every 12 years.
The borrow source is the St. Augustine Inlet flood shoal and the Intracoastal Waterway channel. Total cost of the initial construction is about $26.5 million; over 50 years $144.7 million. Staging locations for construction access are at Surfside Park, North Beach Park and Usina Beach at the Reef. There will be a sand source pipeline, which is submerged inside the inlet to access the borrow areas in the ICW North of the bridge, North Lobe Flood Shoal and Davis Shoal south of the bridge. The offshore ebb shoal source will be used only if needed.
Dunes will be planted. Completion of plans and specifications, water quality certification and permits, establishment of an erosion control line, and easements for about 155 parcels are estimated to be done by the end of December 2019. Weather-dependent construction timeline is estimated to begin June 2020 and completed by the end of December. Important to note that if there is a major storm event, the USACE will restore the beach back to 100 percent at no cost to the county.
Requests for easements have already been mailed. These are temporary easements for the dune project to allow access to property for access to the work area. Please return your easement compliance right away. The USACE project easements are perpetual for the 50-year period, along with temporary pipeline easements. If you do not sign an easement, in front of your property will not receive sand. A county real estate team was at the kickoff to take easements.
Sacha Martin is a correspondent for The St. Augustine Record.
Source: coastalnewstoday.com
