A $35 million state- and federally funded beach renourishment project in Flagler County is facing delays as county leaders work through a series of obstacles, including missing property easements and questions about how to move the project forward.

Project Details

The need for the project is visible along parts of the county’s coastline. In Beverly Beach, a seawall collapsed during a nor’easter last fall. While the southern end of the county recently received new sand through a separate beach project, officials say erosion remains severe farther north.

Flagler County Vice Chair Kim Carney said, “The rest of the beach, all 17 miles of Flagler County are now critically eroded.” The next phase of the county’s beach management plan would restore dunes and add sand along a 5.5-mile stretch of shoreline from Varn Park to North 7th Street in Flagler Beach.

However, Carney said the project is behind schedule because the county is still trying to secure more than a dozen easements from property owners. Those easements are needed before crews can access certain privately owned properties.

County leaders are now considering several options. They could ask for more time to complete the project while continuing to seek the remaining easements, or move forward without them, leaving gaps in the dune system where sand could not be placed.

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.