Property owners in three Pinellas County beach communities have until the end of business Friday to sign construction easements. Without the signatures of about 400 property owners, the Sand Key beach renourishment will not happen.
On Thursday, County Commissioner Kathleen Peters pointed to how Hurricane Helene devastated Pinellas beaches in September.
She said the sand protects beaches and nearby homes from Florida’s storms.
ALSO READ: Help could be on the way soon for Pinellas' storm-tossed beaches
To push the project forward, the county lifted the requirement of having public access to the property. The easements give the county access during construction and are necessary for the renourishment project.
Owners also have the option to add a dune in front of their property.
While the county has been in contact with the federal government for support, they are preparing in case they have to do the project on their own.
"Regardless, we cannot put a grain of sand on this beach without those easements signed,” Peters said.
As of late Friday morning, 172 Sand Key property owners still need to sign in order for the project to move forward.
The county has a draft of an emergency permit form from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which wants to put the project out for bids in March. Once the project starts, they will have 12 months to renourish the beaches.
Pinellas County spokesperson Tony Fabrizio said they are hoping to begin as soon as possible so they can renourish the beaches before hurricane season, which starts June 1.
“If we don’t get all the easements, and we can’t nourish the entire beach, basically what we have is a bucket with holes in it,” Commission Chair Brian Scott said. “And we all know water is going to go where the least resistance is, and that is not a resilient solution for us long-term.”
