FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – Preparing to place 1.31 million cubic yards of sand on 2.6 miles of beach within the federal project area, it was an all out celebration on Monday, June 17 as the Coastal Storm Risk Management Beach Renourishment project got under way with a groundbreaking ceremony.
On hand to thank the diligent citizens of Flagler County for their refusal to give up and show appreciation for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who never pulled the plug on the project in spite of the many challenges that the delayed the project’s start, it truly was a momentous occasion, as noted by Flagler County Commission Chairman Andy Dance.
“I think the impacts are monumental. They protect our infrastructure, this will protect property values, environment habitat, our recreational opportunities that everybody in Flagler County enjoys so, it’s a great day,” said Commissioner Dance before taking the podium to emcee the ceremony.
Remarks from dignitaries including Florida Executive Director of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie, Florida Department of Transportation District Five Secretary John Tyler, Chief of Strategic Resources for the U.S Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Megan Carr, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. James Booth, and U.S. Congressman Michael Waltz highlighted the gravity of the project.
Waltz complimented the collaborative spirit that ensured the project will see the finish line no later than the spring of 2025.
“It’s a long time in coming and protecting our shoreline and everything from beachside A1A which is a national, historic scenic highway now, to our businesses, to our homes, this is, I mean, it’s critical,” said Congressman Waltz.
“I just can’t over emphasize what a team effort. Multiple federal bureaucracies, a half dozen state bureaucracies, the county, the city, and getting everybody to come together and get on the same page because all the funding is state, local and municipal as well. It was not easy but thrilled to see it get started.”
The overall project encompasses 3.6 miles of Flagler Beach to include work by the Florida Department of Transportation to ensure sustainability for the State Road A1A All-American Road according to FDOT Secretary Tyler.
“This is a day that we’ve all been waiting for, for a long time. These projects that we’re working on together up and down A1A, they’re all working in concert to make sure that this beautiful corridor is preserved for future generations as well as the people who live here and visit here today,” shared Secretary Tyler.
He noted the department’s consciousness of the community’s needs as they worked through the project’s timeline that will include the installation of secant sea walls.
“We’re all working together to make sure that we build these projects together with as little impact as possible to these local communities,” he said. “We understand how important it is for visitors as well as the people that live here to be able to use the beach and access the businesses along the corridor. So we’re going to make sure we do everything we can and that businesses stay open.”
The district’s immediate support when natural disasters impact the transportation route has created a number of fans in the area, something the department had noticed.
“It feels really good to work in a community that they like what we do. Unfortunately, when we’re coming out to do work it’s because the road has been impacted by storms, by the ocean, but we feel a lot of appreciation from this community, so we’re certainly thankful for that and we’re very happy to do it,” said Secretary Tyler.
“We feel part of this community. We’ve had offices here over the years. We’re putting one back up for the project we’re working on. We’re part of this community, our employees live in Flagler County so we’re looking forward to continuing our relationship together.”
FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie, who previously served as Flagler County’s Emergency Management Director, was pleased to see the vulnerabilities of the coastline and main travel artery being addressed in such a significant fashion.
“This has been an ongoing partnership and collaboration probably in earnest since Hurricane Matthew. To be able to what we’re doing here today and kick that off, I know there was a lot of I don’t want to say bureaucratic, little bit on the bureaucratic a little bit on the homeowner standout side of us actually getting to a point where we could get this project done. We’ve now culminated into kicking this project off and getting it done on the beach restoration, beach renourishment so it’s going to be very, very vital to the community especially now with Margaritaville moving in to get the economic engine up and running as well as investing in Flagler’s future, so I’m happy to be here to be a part of that,” said Guthrie.
“I was just telling Heidi Petito and Commissioner Hansen, I was like 10 years ago, the difference between being here 10 years ago as the public safety and emergency management director to now being here as the state director and seeing all of the construction and things that are going on here, it really is continuing to put Flagler County on the map,” he said with pride.
“it’s exciting to be a part of it. It’s exciting to see it grow. And some of the challenges we’re going to face because I know local politics is still what local politics is. People want, this is an investment and it’s an investment that’s going to have to be maintained. How Heidi gets creative with that on the commission of being able to maintain the beach renourishment that’s going to have to have an investment probably on an annual basis, that’s part of the growing pains but again it’s exciting to see,” he said.
“Jonathan’s been doing this longer in emergency management than I have so I think it’s reverse engineering where I take the lead from Jonathan on things. Obviously, he used to be the deputy director for the state division of emergency management, so we often share stories a lot and share ideas and he’s definitely been a great partner in my transition to the state. I hope that I’ve been able to give him something here at the Flagler County level that’s helped him be successful here in Flagler.”
Neither Ansley Wren Key, coastal engineer for Flagler County, or Col. Jamie Booth anticipated disruption of the summer season for visitors to the area, noting the project is being executed in sections from south to north, providing continued full access to the other areas of the beach in Flagler Beach.
“We see it with all our projects and this will be the 28th that we’ve constructed in the state of Florida. A lot of folks see it as this is a great place to go out on the beach and hang out, we see them as an engineered berm and an engineered dune. Ultimately, we build them to protect the infrastructure that’s behind it. Businesses, houses, critical hurricane evacuation routes like State Road A1A. Our projects are designed to protect that infrastructure,” said Booth.
“Our contractor will be taking sections, 3 miles of beach, that we’re going to get after and get sand on, 1,500 foot sections. The public will be able to get to the rest of the beach.”
Instrumental in securing the needed easements along State Road A1A to move the project forward, Flagler County attorney Al Hadeed was present for the ceremony, receiving a challenge coin for his service from U.S. Congressman Michael Waltz.
“This is probably the most important public works project that the county has ever engaged in,” said Hadeed. “It’s effect will be generational because it will preserve the very thing that’s the central core to what Flagler County is, and that is our beaches.”
For more information and to see the project map, click the link here.
https://www.flaglercounty.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9916/638410821624370000
PalmCoastNow.com contributed video to this report.
