- November 18, 2024
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Flagler Beach is famous for its coquina sand, but is it too sticky? County officials think so.
"I've never liked how you can't shake it off," county official Robert LePone said, in an exclusive interview with the Palm Coast Observer.
And so, the county has voted to pay Cowabunga Construction Co. LLC to grind all the coquina sand down to a fine powder so that it will feel more like Daytona Beach sand. The cost: $1.3 million over two years.
“The cost might seem high to some people,” tourism official Christy Morrison said. “But, really, it’s bed tax dollars, so it’s not like any local people are footing the bill.”
Cowabunga will drive specially designed QuartzBilt tractors, which have diamond-spiked wheels, across the beach during the night to grind up the sand.
“We have strategically scheduled the grinding to occur only during non-turtle season, to avoid any entanglements,” Morrison said.
Some residents are not pleased.
“I like the coquina sand,” said one mother, Sandy Claiborne, at the beach. “Scraping these little shells off my children is part of the tradition. It makes them tough.” She added, "I also like it when I find them in my car the next day, to remind me of the beach."
The city of Flagler Beach will be preserving some of the original coquina sand. It will be sold in bottles for $5.95 at the historical museum, beginning in 2019.
For more April Fool’s Day news stories, see palmcoastobserver.com.
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