Beach restoration officials address concerns at delay meeting
An expected delay in the Estero Island Restoration Project may cause stakeholder ill will and, thus, re-strategizing on the part of project officials if the undertaking exceeds the time allotment and into tourism season months.
Lee County Coastal Engineer Robert Neal introduced a proposed contingency plan to a small crowd of concerned Beach residents and business people at Pink Shell Resort Monday evening. Before offering four contingency options to consider, the project manager gave a short presentation on the dredging contractor’s production rate, operational changes and challenges and projected completion schedule. He concluded by opening up the floor to questions.
The project, which began May 1, had an original contract time of 150 days and a proposed sand placement of 315,000 cubic yards. The volume has been increased to 420,752 cubic yards.
“With that work increase, we are also proposing to increase the time,” said Neal. “We are going to increase it 54 days to 204 calendar days.”
The increase in the construction window ups the completion date by Nov. 20. Four days were added when Florida Dredge & Dock decided to shut down operations during Fourth of July weekend.
Equipment mechanical problems have been experienced, but appear to be under control if not resolved for the most part. Tidal currents have also washed away sand placement and taken sentiment into the Back Bay area. Now that the project has moved away from Bowditch Point, that particular problem appears to be less of an impact.
“The contractor has made changes in his equipment (improvements on cutterhead) and made some other operational changes to improve his efficiency,” said Neal, who reported the changes began July 22. “We are making improvements, and we think those improvements are going to pay off.”
Neal reported the main issue has centered on weather delays and impacts (specifically waves caused by wind), which continue to slow the progress and delay task operations.
Abnormal seasonal wind patterns -southwest-to-west winds- have caused contractor equipment problems and damage. The dredge goal is to be able to sustain operations 18 hours a day or 75 percent of the 24-hour period.
“We can stand the chop, but we just can’t stand the roll (ground swells) that starts moving the dredge and slamming it against the spuds,” said Florida Dredge & Dock owner Don Fletcher. “If it’s anymore than probably 10 to 15 knots of sustained southwest-to-west winds, it’s going to shut us down.”
Neal showed a project completion schedule chart to compare what the dredging operations should be able to do against what the progress has been thus far. The chart lines showed production improvements and projected numbers to reach. He reported a worst-case scenario would be passing Lynn Hall Park on Nov. 20 and project completion on Dec. 25.
“If this project stays behind schedule and moves into season, there are options available (to address the) impacts to your businesses,” said Neal. A decision will be made prior to Nov. 20.
Option #1 involves sustaining the production rate at the best of the contractor’s ability, cease activities on holiday weekends and minimize a back-up alarm on the equipment at night.
Option #2 involves dredging until date certain and stop operations. A redirection of fill distribution may occur from south to north in this case.
Option #3 involves suspending operations at date certain and continuing after Easter 2012. This scenario creates filling in winter erosion areas with improved equipment, but is contingent upon extension in permit end date.
Option #4 involves bringing in an alternative dredger at an estimated cost to complete project on time. This option is a County Commission policy decision and engages tourist development funds. However, there are particular time issues associated with this option.
Positive comments were made about the professionalism of the contracting firm and the quality of sand being placed.
Questions focused on refilling and re-grading behind the dredging project; resolved back-up alarm noise problems; worse weather expected in winter months (but better wind direction anticipated as well as blockage by Sanibel Island); possible jetty modifications in the future; the expected appearance of the properties whose owners didn’t sign easements and the impact on neighboring properties; and beach raking situations.
“If there is beach raking going on on those parcels, we’ll fix it as we move by it. But, if they rake it, it is no longer our problem,” said Neal. He can be reached at RNeal@leegov.com or by phone at 533-8566.
FMB Town Manager Terry Stewart commented on what the Town officials will do once the dredging operations pass by the first unsigned easement property. Those properties will have dredged sand seaward of their property line, and a salt-water pool will form landward.
“Once you pass that first property, we are going to take pictures and share it with all of the folks down the beach who have not yet given easements to see if they will change their minds,” he said.
The $4.2 million project cost breaks down to $2.0 million from Florida DEP, $1.4 million from Lee County, $675,000 from West Coast Inland Navigation District and $110,224 from the Town of Fort Myers Beach.
The meeting served as a progress report in the first of a three part series. The other two meetings will occur at undisclosed locations (possibly Beach businesses near project location) at the end of the next two months.