How much coastal armoring has been constructed?
Since April of 2006, 27 property owners have constructed bulkheads (i.e., coastal armoring) within the crtitically eroded area of South Ponte Vedra Blvd. Several more, both along South Ponte Vedra Blvd and Coastal Highway are in the permit application process. Following the most recent erosion event in April 2008, four of the affected five property owners along Coastal Highway, whose homes do not qualify for armoring because they were built post-1985, are in the process of applying to the Florida DEP for a variance to permit armoring. We are hopeful that these owners can acquire permits, but we are also not aware of any precedent for such a variance. For some of these homes, the erosion has begun to undermine the sand from around the foundation pilings. While the houses were designed to withstand this, they could become uninhabitable if the undermining results in safety issues associated with septic and electricity. The recent costs for armoring have been in the range of $700/foot, or
