Seawalls

[DuneLaker]

It is a line that should not be built in front of if you want to be a good steward of our coastline.

 

[BeachSiO2]

FYI, post-hurricanes in 04-05, that line is being re-evaluated by FDEP for all panhandle counties but Bay. It will likely be moving northward in the next year or two.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Did you know that the DEP can fine the owner of the seawall which they ordered to be removed, $10,000 per day, until it is removed? The County is pursuing the issue to have the DEP take action to other than just ordering the seawall to be removed. It seems the owner of the property has filed an appeal.

 

[TooFarTampa]

FYI, post-hurricanes in 04-05, that line is being re-evaluated by FDEP for all panhandle counties but Bay. It will likely be moving northward in the next year or two.

Thanks. I've been wondering about this forever. Surely the current CCCL does not reflect the spirit of what was meant with the original line. It will be interesting to see how it is redrawn.

 

[BeachSiO2]

Since this is the thread that was last used to discuss armoring, I thought some might be interested in this story. It is about a geotube project in Inlet Beach.

http://www.waltonsun.com/news/watson_2180___article.html/geotubes_feet.html

Also, here is a photo album of shots taken after Gustav.

http://sowal.com/bb/album.php?albumid=294

The subject geotube is shown in the two photos labeled Winston Ln E and Winston Ln E2. I am pretty sure it is the only armoring structure that interacted with waves during the storm.

 

[buckjones]

Shocker

From The Walton Sun



DEP orders homeowners to remove seawall

April 26, 2007
Gabriel Tynes
gtynes@link.freedom.com At least one South Walton County seawall will have to be pulled from the sand after the Department of Environmental Protection denied its state permit request.
The wall, located at 59 Pelican Circle in Seacrest Beach, has been under particular scrutiny since it was determined to be unauthorized in May 2006. The homeowners, Dr. James and Michelle Spires of Mobile, Ala., never obtained county permission for the wall.
Subsequently, Terry Anderson, a Walton County engineer, attempted to acquire an after-the-fact state permit on behalf of the homeowners. As a part of that process, former county commissioner Rosier Cuchens issued a letter of approval in the county?s name, bypassing normal planning department procedures, something he was not authorized to do.
In a letter dated April 17, Michael Barnett, chief of the DEP Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems, concluded that the structures on the property were never eligible for shoreline protection. Even if it was, the letter said, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission guidelines would recommend its denial based on ?significant adverse impacts? to turtle nesting sites.
?Based on the forgoing facts and law, the DEP denies the request for a permit for the construction of a seawall and orders its removal after Oct. 31, 2007, and before May 1, 2008,? the letter states.
In a confusing bit of language, the letter does provide a manner for prolonging the seawall?s existence ?since [it] is presently covered with sand fill and native dune vegetation.?
On April 24, the wall did not appear to have changed since November 2006. There is as much as four feet of vertical exposure and it is barren of any vegetation, native or otherwise.
?We came to that conclusion upon our last inspection of the site,? said DEP Press Secretary Sarah Williams. ?Our inspector noted sand coverage and native vegetation.?
Williams said she did not know if the absence of either the sand fill or the vegetation would affect the special stipulation, which would allow the wall to stay until it is exposed or undermined.
?Everything we have on the case is current with that letter,? she said.
The homeowners were given 15 days from the receipt the letter to ask for the seawall to remain temporarily. They have 21 days from the receipt of the letter to file for an administrative hearing to dispute the denial.

I'm sure you are all shocked, but the powers that be have ruled that.....the wall on Pelican Circle can stay after all. Never mind about all that permitting stuff we mentioned earlier.

The lesson for those keeping up with this and many other cases:
1.Do what you want.
2.Do NOT under any circumstances, if in your wildest dreams think there may be a problem, ask permission from Walton County or DEP.
3.When possible, have county official perform your work
4. Plead ignorance and apologize profusely if/when caught.

 

[Matt J]

I'm sure you are all shocked, but the powers that be have ruled that.....the wall on Pelican Circle can stay after all. Never mind about all that permitting stuff we mentioned earlier.

The lesson for those keeping up with this and many other cases:
1.Do what you want.
2.Do NOT under any circumstances, if in your wildest dreams think there may be a problem, ask permission from Walton County or DEP.
3.When possible, have county official perform your work
4. Plead ignorance and apologize profusely if/when caught.

The developers creed.

 

[Bobby J]

The developers creed.

Lets go take it down!

 

[rapunzel]

With so many people distracted by latest crisis threatening our beaches, the Wonder Twins of Bad Governmental Representation -- Rep. Marti Coley and Sen. Don Gaetz managed to slip a provision to protect those who took advantage of the fear and chaos of '05 to put in illegal beach armoring. Gov. Charlie Crist quietly signed the bill on May 28th.

HB 5003, Section 67.
In order to implement Specific Appropriation 1765 of the 2010-2011 General Appropriations Act, the Department of Environmental Protection shall take no final agency action to deny any permit application related to rigid coastal armoring structures authorized under s. 161.085 (3), Florida Statutes, and constructed between July 1, 2005, and April 30, 2006, as a result of the impacts of Hurricane Dennis in Walton County. The 90-day time period for agency action pursuant to s. 120.60 (1), Florida Statutes, shall be tolled for these applications. At the written request of a property owner to process his or her application, the department shall issue or deny the application within 90 days or in accordance with the time periods provided in chapter 120, Florida Statutes, whichever is greater. Inaddition, during Fiscal Year 2010-2011, the department shall not take enforcement action against a property owner for failure to apply for a permit to allow such structures to remain permanently. A property owner who has previously filed an application with the department is not required to reapply or request reinstatement of his or her application. This section expires July 1, 2011.

This provision was placed in HB 5003 by Marti Coley, R. She also voted to allow near shore oil drilling within 10 miles of our beaches. Be sure to thank her November 2.

 

[GoodWitch58]

I was so hoping that somehow this would get vetoed...not even sure it could have been given the way Representative Coley slipped it into the Approp. bill-- talk about legislating for your cronies...this is as bad for Walton County as some of the oil drilling legislation has been IMO, not only for the specifics addressed in this bill; but, more importantly, for the precedent it sets...