ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – “We need your help”: That was the message from Summer Haven residents to the St. Johns County Commission on Tuesday regarding the breach that was created from last month’s nor’easter.
A few homes along old A1A are imminently threatened by the breach, but Summer Haven is a community that numbers 275 homes, most of them along the Summer Haven River, and residents feel the commission’s suggestion to look for a “managed retreat” from the area, including buyouts, is moving forward without their input.
Larry Monahan and Ken Manning represent the Summer Island and Barrataria Island homeowners. They pointed out that Summer Haven has a total property value of $160 million and pays $1.5 million in property taxes each year, and those residents say ignoring the breach is a major concern and the threat is growing as the breach changes the flow in the Summer Haven River.
Manning said the breach is causing “substantial erosion in the Matanzas Inlet,” and posing a growing risk to 200 properties and infrastructure, including to A1A, the only evacuation route in the area.
They want the commission to fill the breach as soon as possible.
The commission, though, is reluctant to spend $1 million on a project that could get washed away in the next storm. Commissioner Paul Waldron said that would be “disheartening.” He said that if homeowners need to apply for emergency permits from the state to protect their property, the commission would assist in the process.
Commissioner Henry Dean said “Mother Nature is just overwhelming” along that part of the shoreline. He wants to see the breach filled and said any buyouts in the area would be voluntary.
Manning said the homeowners might hire a coastal engineer to come up with a long-range plan.
Priscilla Galit lives along old A1A. She said she knew the risks when she bought her home back in 2019.
“Living here, you take a chance,” she said. “It’s a beautiful place. It’s one of the last natural places in Florida that I feel like they’ve left alone, but unfortunately, Mother Nature wants to come in and do her thing.”
A town hall meeting will be scheduled to discuss how to blunt the ongoing erosion — which might include dredging the Summer Haven River. Everyone seemingly agrees something has to be done sooner, not later.