Town seeks to bid adieu to erosion

Now that the town has state permits for all three beach projects that total more than $17 million, Town Manager Dave Bullock has a directive for Public Works Director Juan Florensa: 

“I’ve been directed to put the projects out to bid with the understanding we won’t do the work yet until we get final approval,” Florensa said.

On July 15, the town learned that it received a state permit for its $10,983,192 mid-Key sand truck haul beach project.

But federal permits for that project and two pass dredging projects that will bring sand to the north and south ends are still being processed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. To speed up the process, Bullock and Florensa hope to have bids and contractors in place when federal permits arrive. The permits could arrive anytime this summer.

“We want to be ready to go,” Florensa said. “I think the truck haul permit will come first.”

The project will bring approximately 250,000 cubic yards of sand from a Central Florida source to the middle part of the Key as far south as the Islander Club groins area.

Florensa will start the mid-Key project as soon as he gets a permit and halt work during season to avoid traffic issues with dump trucks. The work and dump-truck trips could resume mid-April, after season ends and traffic eases.

The town, meanwhile, is working to obtain easements from Gulf-side property owners that will allow dump trucks to access the beach. Although the shuttered Colony Beach & Tennis Resort is an ideal easement for the trucks, it’s too far south from mid-Key areas that need sand.

The other two projects include a $3.5 million Longboat Pass dredging project that will bring 239,000 cubic yards of sand from Gulfside Road north to the North Shore Road beach access. The project also places 3,000 cubic yards of sand in front of the Coquina building at Longbeach condominiums, which has no protection from a seawall that protects the rest of the property from erosion.

To the south, Florensa is hopeful that a $3 million New Pass dredging project could begin in late summer if a federal permit is received. The project takes 315,000 cubic yards of sand from New Pass to restore a recreational beach on the south end.

Florensa said these two projects can start as soon as federal permits are received because the dredge won’t impact motorist traffic in season and only a small portion of the beach will be impacted to place sand on the Key.

The town will save hundreds of thousands of dollars in mobilization costs if one dredge stays in the vicinity to handle both pass projects.

"I’ve been directed to put the projects out to bid with the understanding we won’t do the work yet until we get final approval."

— Public Works Director Juan Florensa

But if permits don’t come at the same time, Bullock has given Florensa the go-ahead to proceed with whatever project receives a permit first.

The town has done everything it can to expedite federal beach permits for the projects, even getting U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, to press officials for an expedited federal permit.