A “drastically behind schedule” Reach 2 beach renourishment project is the main reason for a joint meeting between the Flagler Board of County Commissioners and the Flagler Beach City Commission on July 22.
That was how Flagler County Vice Chair Kim Carney described the state of the project at the City Commission’s July 9 meeting, where she expressed concerns about the 17 outstanding easements still needed to move the project along.
She asked the City Commission, and the board agreed, to meet for an “informational” joint session to also discuss possible solutions to the obstacles facing Reach 2.
Reach 2 is the second phase of the county’s Beach Management Plan, adopted in October 2023 after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. Its goal is “to restore the dune and beach along 5.5 miles of critically eroded coastline to improve community resilience within the communities of Painter’s Hill, Beverly Beach and northern Flagler Beach city limits,” according to the county.
‘We’re in a pickle,’ Flagler vice chair says of Reach 2 project status
The county, Carney said, has until Aug. 6 to award Reach 2’s winning bidder, New Jersey-based company Weeks Marine, the $35 million contract. The money will come from a Florida Department of Environmental Protection recovery fund grant, as well as FEMA money.
However, due to the easement holdouts, “we are going to submit a request for them to extend the bid (response) another month,” she said.
“We’re in a pickle,” Carney told the Flagler Beach board, adding that cash-flow issues and the recent collapse of the Beverly Beach seawall could prove to be other obstacles in the future.
Commissioner Scott Spradley agreed, recalling the city’s own struggle with securing easements for other projects in the past.
“I welcome the opportunity for a workshop and for us to educate the community, because there are some challenges ahead, and I think working collaboratively will definitely help,” Spradley said.
— Brenno Carillo is a local government reporter covering Flagler County, including Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, for The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: County, Flagler Beach to discuss solutions to delayed beach project
Reporting by Brenno Carillo, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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By Brenno Carillo, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
