NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Erosion on Volusia’s beaches continue to be a concern today after a storm pounded waves into the county’s fragile dunes early this week. Most of the coast is still healing from last year’s hurricanes, with homes teetering on the edge of dunes.
Many property owners are racing against a May 1 deadline to get work started before turtle nesting season. They have to get a permit and show work is started to continue through the season. Many are trying to rebuild seawalls and are running into issues getting engineers and materials or with the state denying their applications. Other property owners have found solutions they said could work in time, but are now struggling to get the state to look at it.
“There’s a shortage of materials and there’s a shortage of contractors and engineers,” Teri Corbett said.
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Corbett found an engineer who was willing to help her and eight other property owners next to her in New Smyrna Beach residence build a rock revetment behind their homes instead of a seawall.
“We found and located an engineer with a good design that’s been approved in Daytona Beach Shores for the rock revetment style. We found the source for the rock,” she said.
She said she has a team ready to start the work before May 1, but the state said no.
“We were verbally denied by Florida Wildlife Commission because they don’t like the footprint of it for sea turtle conservation,” she said.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection approves permits, but FWC has final say on materials and set the May 1 rule. If property owners don’t get the permit or work started by then, they’ll have to wait until November to start and that puts them in the middle of hurricane season.
“We’re not asking to build any further out, we want to put it right where my trap bags are located, right against where it’s been scoured and the earth is left,” Corbett said.
She said the beach in front of her has had many turtles in years past and believes a rock revetment wouldn’t interfere.
“Last year we had a leatherback, the most endangered sea turtle on earth nest here. It didn’t even come close to where our dune was or coquina rock behind our house,” she said.
News 6 reached out to both the DEP and FWC about their response to these homeowners’ struggles but has not received a response.
Volusia County officials said there are still dozens of properties without permits just two weeks before the deadline
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