- October 9, 2024
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Volusia County is fortifying its weakened coastline as much as possible — and as swiftly as possible — before hurricane season begins June 1.
Its efforts include a $5 million emergency sand placement for the most vulnerable properties and acquiring sand for a $37.6 million dune renourishment project, Volusia County Public Works Director Ben Bartlett reported during the Roundtable of Volusia County Elected Officials meeting on Monday, March 13.
The county will use sand-filled “TrapBags” as a temporary fix for the worst of the erosion caused by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.
TrapBags are 4-by-4-foot bags the county will fill with beach-compatible sand and place on the beach, where they will block further erosion during high waves, according to Bartlett.
“If the wave action comes up — if we get a storm or a nor’easter or even if a hurricane were to skirt the coast and generate a lot of waves — it provides a way for those waves to hit the TrapBags as opposed to the escarpment or even loose sand,” Bartlett said. “The concern was that if we just place loose sand out there, you get one storm, it washes away.”
The TrapBags, Bartlett added, should be able to withstand multiple storms, giving property owners time to reconstruct their seawalls. Once the seawalls are completed, the bags can be cut and the sand spilled out onto the beach.
The next big task for the county is acquiring easements from property owners so workers can place the TrapBags and remove debris. The county will hold two public meetings on this subject: one on March 20 in Daytona Beach Shores, and another on March 27 in New Smyrna Beach.
The sand that will be used for the first set of TrapBags is coming from Bethune Beach, Bartlett said. The county has also secured 180,000 cubic yards of beach-compatible sand from a Florida Inland Navigation District pit in Edgewater.
Sand sources for the beach renourishment project are still in the works, however. The County Council will review a contract for sand at its next meeting. Volusia is also working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a dredging project that will generate about 700,000 cubic yards of sand.
“We’ve seen a little bit of positive movement from the Corps on the possibility of getting a large chunk of that sand,” Bartlett said. “We’re going to continue to work with them on that, because that’s a lot of sand that we would have access to for a very little cost, and we don’t want to see them dump it out in 14 feet of water when we are in desperate need of beach-compatible sand.”
The county did receive approval for an Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant, which will come to the council for review at its March 21 meeting.
Sea turtle nesting season will begin on May 1, and could bar some property owners from repairing or rebuilding their seawalls.
County staff members have been speaking with representatives from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and FDEP, but so far, those agencies have indicated that property owners who do not get a permit and start their project before May 1 will not be allowed to work during the nesting season, which runs through Oct. 31.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
“It just seems irresponsible not to have citizens’ rights, property rights, above turtle rights,” New Smyrna Beach Mayor Fred Cleveland said.
Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower said there’s a lot at stake.
“I think there’s probably agreement here that, while we all appreciate protecting turtles, I think we can do both,” Brower said. “We can protect the turtles and we can protect homes, which are also the barrier for A1A.”
Daytona Beach Shores Mayor Nancy Miller pointed out that few permits have been issued despite a high number of applications. Slow communication between FDEP and the applicants regarding permitting issues has also played a role, she added.
“[Property owners are] in such a compromised position right now,” Miller said. “One high tide, one hurricane, God forbid, and there’s either going to be a loss of life or, certainly, buildings coming down in the condition they’re in.”
Bartlett said that FDEP has indicated that it would let the county continue its temporary armament and sand placement efforts, but he’s waiting for official confirmation.
U.S. Rep Michael Waltz, who joined the meeting by phone, said he would look into speeding up the permitting process.
“If people are having to wait two weeks just to find out what they don’t have, and then another two weeks to find out the next thing they don’t have — that’s unacceptable,” Waltz said.
All the while, the county is still working to reopen as many beach access points as possible before the busy beach season begins May 1.
“Our coastal staff is working around the clock to get these ramps open, these walkovers and these parks [open],” Bartlett said. “You’ve got to work through the FEMA process ... but that doesn’t mean our staff can’t work to provide temporary access and manage these locations.”
As of March 12, 87 of the county’s 141 walkovers are open, as are 14 parks. Frank Rendon Park, Edwin Peck Sr. Park and Dahlia Avenue Park in Daytona Beach Shores remain closed.
Of its 37 vehicular access ramps, 21 are open.
