Fernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean disregarded the numerous obstacles in constructing a riverfront flood protection barrier and stated "We're going to build a perfect wall" at Tuesday night's city commission meeting.
The city commission is seeking to place a $25 million bond referendum for voter approval on the August election ballot. If passed, $21 million would be used to construct a contiguous flood protection wall from the current Atlantic Seafood building location, north to the Port of Fernandina.
"This project is about a seawall, a river walk, that's going to protect our city. That's going to provide public access up and down the entire Amelia River. It's such a great project," Bean said in closing commission discussion on adopting the city's top priorities.
Among the issues still unresolved regarding a floodwall plan that were discussed included:
The city does not own eight riverfront properties that would be required to construct a contiguous flood prevention wall.
There are no formal agreements in place with those property owners to grant city easements to build a wall or to allow the public along the shoreline.
If easements are obtained, will the city pay for the floodwall to be built on those private properties.
The private properties represent significant gaps in flood prevention plans if the city moved forward with a wall constructed only on city property.
The $21 million on a proposed bond is a current construction estimate and actual costs to build a floodwall could exceed the bond funding by the time the project is put out for bids.
Fernandina Beach voters have to approve the bond.
In his closing, Bean only acknowledged that "we're not going to build a wall with a hole in it."
City Commissioner Chip Ross supported delaying the bond referendum vote until the November election.
"There is a gap to the south, there's a gap to the north and there's a gap in the middle of it," Ross said. "Can the city come up with how we're going to deal (with that) with the design so if we go to referendum we can tell the city residents exactly what is going to be funded with seawall protection."
Interim City Manager Charlie George said the floodwall project consultant is addressing the issue of gaps in the proposed wall.
"Going north there are two properties the city does not own....there are private entities that are onboard with the waterfront project and then there's a gap that goes toward the port. We're looking into that, we're still trying to work all that out and that's part of the process of the design," George said.
George said city staff will formulate options in those areas of private ownership if the city fails to obtain easements for the wall for city commission consideration.
Ross asked George if city taxpayer funds would be used to build the floodwall on privately owned properties.
"That's up to the city commission," George answered.
Also included in the $25.1 million general obligation bond package is $1.2 million to demolish the Brett's Waterway Cafe building, $4 million for a Brett's replacement structure and $1.2 million for marina improvements.
Commissioner Darron Ayscue supported a robust series of public input meetings regarding the bond issue.
"What I would like to see with this commission is that we have a very good, very strong vetting period with our community," Ayscue said. "I want to make sure our community is ready for this to be on the referendum. I want them to have all the information possible. If we have to push it back to November, I'm Ok with that."
Former Vice Mayor Len Kreger voiced concerns about areas prone to flooding in the city that are not part of the floodwall project funding.
"My concern is that when you build this seawall it will protect Front Street. What won't happen is that with the rest of the city you will have flooding on Escambia and you will have flooding on Egan's Creek south of Atlantic and Sadler and you will have hundreds of homes inaccessible. You can't forget about the rest of the city," Kreger said. "Also, if the bond issue fails, what is the plan?"
George said the consultants are also looking at the entrance to Egan's Creek just north of the port to address flooding issues associated with the creek.
"We're looking at a concept for some kind of stormwater control structure in that area," George said. "We are aware of just the water coming over the first part of Front Street. We're looking at what those costs would be and how it would be implemented."
Floodwall protection design plans are expected to be completed by the end of February.
Does Bean even hear what he is saying? Of all the statements to make, that wasn't the one. Especially since it appears no one has applied a semblance of critical thinking for this plan to move ahead prematurely. Classic "Ready, FIRE, Aim..."
Crazy to move forward without engineering and legal resolution of the "leaks" in the "wall" issue - not only the holes, but salt water intrusion and flooding in Egan's Creek, south of Atlantic. We had this issue before with a catastrophe from a failed Florida Transportation Department plan to restore the Egan's Creek salt marsh - with subsequent saltwater intrusion in fresh/brackish areas South of Atlantic Ave. The death of major vegetation and established tree canopy that depended on the lack of salinity before the project took place and has taken years to correct. Perhaps Bean and his fellow commissioners will put up personal surety bonds to back up flooding and water intrusion issues relating to this premature bond i…
Absolutely ridiculous to move forward at this point. Even if all these “gaps” are resolved (which is going to be highly expensive) there is going to be lots of climate change grant money available in the coming years to lessen the impact to city taxpayers should the project be done. Has there been any financial study done to understand what the financial cost has been for the “floods” over the last five years? This “the sky is falling” urgency is unwarranted IMHO.
There is a potential "Saturday Night Live" skit here.