Posted on March 12, 2025
Right now, there are still more than 160 easements needed between two separate projects.
WASHINGTON — Pinellas County officials hope a recent trip to Washington will move beach nourishment projects forward.
Commissioner Kathleen Peters called the meetings incredibly productive and said she’s optimistic but concerned that the easements are a big roadblock to getting beach nourishment projects done.
“Army Corps has never defined what public access and use means. So, many residents feel that they are required to give public access and use to their private property. That’s why people don’t want to sign these easements,” Peters said.
Right now, there are still more than 160 easements needed between two separate projects.
“I’ll go knock on their door and chat with them if you want me to because it seems like you can win them over with enough logic,” Joan Leak said.
Leak urges the county to start beach renourishment projects as soon as possible.
“Without any dunes, the water will come a lot quicker,” Leak said.
County Commissioner Kathleen Peters sent a letter to the Trump administration asking for help to get the ball rolling on this.
Peters wants to waive the property right requirement and to use the erosion control line to define what is public and private land.
“We need a waiver for those required easements. So that we can use the FCCEE emergency dollars that Congress approved in December. So, if we don’t get a waiver on those easements, they will say that we’re noncompliant, and they will use that money on a different project,” Leak said.
Getting neighbors to give the Army Corps of Engineers rights to their property has been an issue for years.
More than 10 easements are needed to do beach nourishment in the Sunset Beach area.
The deadline for the Army Corps to do these projects has already passed.
Commissioner Peters still urges residents to sign these easements. She said regardless of whether the Army Corps is on board, the county plans on putting sand on the beach.
