County-led project will include Sand Key, Treasure Island and Upham Beach

Pinellas County will undertake a one-time emergency beach nourishment project that will partially restore protection of coastal communities and infrastructure by replacing a significant amount of the sand lost to last year’s hurricanes, the County Commission decided Tuesday.

The $125.7 million project will be funded by hotel bed tax dollars and state grants. Previous projects benefitted from a 60 percent federal cost-share through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but without easements from all property owners, the County is no longer eligible for federal funding. The County and municipal partners have conducted extensive public outreach concerning the importance of acquiring easements to provide for a contiguous nourishment project, which would offer the greatest protection. The easements required for the current project allow for construction access seaward of the ECL and future maintenance.

County Public Works staff have worked tirelessly to earn approval for emergency construction permits from State and Federal environmental regulators since hurricanes devastated the beaches last year. This County-funded project will put sand on Sand Key (Clearwater Beach to Belleair Beach and Indian Rocks Beach to North Redington Beach), Treasure Island and Upham Beach starting later this year. A timeline and other details will be shared in upcoming public meetings and on pinellas.gov/public works.

“Our beaches are our most treasured asset, and we’re working with our beach communities to protect them,” Commission Chair Brian Scott said. “A healthy beach offers protection to property and infrastructure against storm surge, and it’s vital to tourism. But our residents should know we won’t be able to continue to do these projects without the full buy-in of our coastal communities.”

As a result of not securing easements from upland property owners, the project will leave gaps where sand will not be placed or will be placed only seaward of the Erosion Control Line (ECL), particularly on Sand Key, where property owners could not be located or chose not to sign construction easements. Easements are still being accepted, and additional properties may still be added to the project, depending on the stage of surveying. Interested parties contact the County through signforsand@pinellas.gov. If construction has already occurred past a property owner who has not signed, then it will be too late for that property owner to sign an easement to get sand for this upcoming project. Properties without easements will see a higher beach from the Erosion Control Line west into the gulf. In many instances, this will leave a lower elevation in the area for which easements were not provided.

Beach nourishment is expensive and is required at least every six years or more frequently due to storms, but it is necessary to protect coastal infrastructure. While the County was able to draw funding from the tourist development tax for this project, it will not be available to fund future projects. It’s critically important that residents who have not yet signed construction easements for their beachfront properties do so. County staff will continue to work with residents to find an agreeable solution.

Pinellas County will host three public meetings to share information on the upcoming projects as well as the future of beach nourishment in the county. Meetings will be held at the following locations:

  • July 9: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
    • Treasure Island City Hall 10451 Gulf Blvd.
  • July 16: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Aug. 6: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
    Belleair Beach, 444 Causeway Blvd.