Brevard County commissioners on July 7 unanimously approved a measure to create a Barrier Island Area of Critical State Concern Land Authority to manage development in the area between south Melbourne Beach to Sebastian Inlet.
The potential authority would handle land-use planning, property acquisition, grant administration and bond issuance for the area. A five-member appointed advisory board would guide the commission on the authority’s decisions.
District 3 Commissioner Kim Adkinson said the intention behind creating the advisory board was to institute a greater degree of local control over development in the South Brevard barrier islands.
“It’s really important to me that the people who live there are the ones making the suggestions to this board,” she said. “The idea is to make sure that they have control as much as possible of their area. The way I feel is that the state is slowly taking that away.”
The authority would be funded through new surcharges at Sebastian Inlet State Park — 50 cents on day passes, $5 on annual passes and $2.50 per night for camping. Tuesday’s vote authorizes drafting and advertising the ordinance, and final adoption will require a separate hearing.
Florida lawmakers designated Brevard County’s barrier island as an Area of Critical State Concern in 2023, citing its fragile coastal ecosystem and status as the world’s largest nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles.
Mark Francis, executive Barrier Island Protection and Preservation Association, said he has concerns about a new governing authority. His group was formed in 1990 to keep an eye on development on the barrier islands and the impact on sea turtles.
He said he’s concerned about a new authority that could take on government debts on behalf of Melbourne Beach residents that could take years to pay off, despite the promises that any debts would be subject to oversight and public scrutiny before being taken on. “The inlet is not going to be a good funding mechanism,” Francis said, adding that the community is too small to tax and create a proper land management authority.
“I just don’t know what the negatives are. I don’t know what the tentacles look like,” he added.
Tyler Vazquez is the Growth and Development Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. X: @tyler_vazquez.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard County plans new barrier island oversight citizen advisory board
Reporting by Tyler Vazquez, Florida Today / Florida Today
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By Tyler Vazquez, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
