ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – What’s next for Summer Haven homes?
News4JAX went to find out what option St. Johns County commissioners favor from a study, listing several multi-million dollar preventative solutions, they released a year ago. The commissioners said it could still take more time to decide.
“Well, actually, the next move is underway now,” Henry Dean, the St. Johns County District 5 Commissioner, said. “And that is the economic study that is a subset of the big study because it’s one thing to come up with engineering solutions, but it’s another to come up with what will be the costs and benefits of those solutions.”
Last year when St. Johns County Commissioners released the findings from a study to combat erosion issues they revealed the best three options were to either build a seawall, continue to renousish the beaches or retreat, and buy the homes up. All of which would cost millions, the commissioners said.
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“I think that there is a probability in the next 10 years that some of those homes may be washed into the ocean,” Dean said.
Joe Giammanco, the St. Johns County Emergency Manager, said the decision would be based on economic sense.
“(We’re) Looking at a return on investment type of thing,” Giammanco said. “We’re not just looking at one particular spot in Summer Haven, you’re looking at a whole regional area, and how does that fit into what the funding could be like? And so that’s what this study is going to be doing.”
Angela Pate and Denise Cochran, who call themselves the Summer Haven Resiliency Coalition, said they don’t live on the beach, but they came up with an option and are working with the county commission.
“What we think it will take, as non-engineers, are the beach renourishment that is done to extend the beach out from the storm damage that was done and dune to protect that seawall,” the Summer Haven Resiliency Coalition said.
One individual, who declined to appear on camera, said they believe the county is hoping they won’t have to save the homes. Other concerned individuals believe action will not be taken soon enough to save them.
Dean told News4JAX that some homeowners need to reconsider selling.
“Well, we have $5 million available to start buying if anyone’s willing to sell,” Dean said. “And again, I’ll say it one more time. They’re pointing to the county, these homeowners, but I’m telling you, they need to talk to the EPA and the Corps and get a dose of reality, that that’s not there. There’s no perfect solution there. There’s not even an imperfect solution.”
Last year, St. Johns County Commissioners released the findings of a study done by a Texas-based company that suggested three main courses of action.
- Seawall: The 14-foot seawall with pilings 20 feet apart, stretching for 5,500 feet. The construction cost would be $47 million with $12 million for maintenance over 50 years, totaling $59 million
- Beach renourishment and dune restoration: This involved raising the beach and dunes to a height of 14 feet over a stretch of 9,000 feet. This project would cost $34 million and $87 million for maintenance over 50 years, making the total $121 million. However, 50% of the dunes would be washed away in five years, so the county would need to do renourishment every five years.
- Managed Retreat: This option would involve buying out 20 beachside properties at a cost of $3 million.