johnsonbeachbum

<H2>News: Navarre Beach Pier Faces Environmental Delays</H2>

<SPAN class=author>by Duwayne Escobedo

June 5th, 2008<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Santa Rosa County applied for environmental permits to rebuild the Navarre Beach pier in October 2007 and hoped to complete the project by the end of 2009.<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">However, it appears U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Marine Fisheries Service regulators plan to delay the project by requiring more unexpected environmental studies.The federal agencies are demanding a Formal Consultation and a Biological Assessment relating to the construction and operation of the Navarre Beach pier.<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">The current fishing pier was severely damaged by hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 and since that time Santa Rosa County has been working with FEMA to obtain about $8.4 million to remove the old pier and build a more disaster resistant structure. <P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Santa Rosa County Commissioner Gordon Goodin says the "dubious" request by the federal agencies will likely delay the pier from being rebuilt by six to 12 months.<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">"This delay was completely unexpected," he says in an e-mail. "This is a prime example of an arbitrary and capricious decision by a couple of federal agencies. It will increase costs, and since it is a project funded by FEMA, one federal agency (the Army Corps of Engineers in Jacksonville) is creating another unnecessary expense for another federal agency (FEMA) -- all funded through taxpayer dollars. Lost in all of this debate is the fact that the pier was in existence for 40 years prior to the hurricane that damaged it, something that can't find relevance with the bureaucrats."<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Goodin and Santa Rosa County officials say they are working with Florida Congressmen in Washington, D.C., to try and resolve the permitting dispute with federal regulators. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson's office says the delay will not take more than 135 days to be resolved and could be less, Goodin reports.
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">The new Navarre Beach pier will be about 20-feet wide and constructed using concrete piles, concrete pile caps, and concrete beams. Depending on how construction bids compare with the available funding, the pier will be 1,200 to 1,500 feet long.<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Until the recent delays with obtaining the federal permit, Santa Rosa County had planned to advertise for bids in early June. Based on a 12-16 month construction schedule, this would allow for the pier to be completed by the end of 2009. <P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Santa Rosa County officials point out that the Navarre Beach fishing pier is very similar to two fishing piers currently being built in Panama City Beach and existing nearby fishing piers in Pensacola Beach and Okaloosa County. The proposed Panama City Beach piers and the other existing piers are also very similar in length, width, type of construction, and expected environmental impacts.<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">According to the county: The proposed Navarre Beach pier will be built adjacent to the remains of a current pier that was originally built in the 1960s. The project site is also the location of a large scale beach nourishment project that was completed in late 2005 using state and local funds. For this beach nourishment project, the beach width was increased by about 200 feet by pumping sand from an offshore site.<P style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">http://www.inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=7912

HAG 90 10

With the NMFS involved you can kiss our Pier goodbye. :banghead

johnsonbeachbum

Maybe just hot air but Nelson said at a June 9th meeting................

<SPAN class=Story_Headline>Nelson gets behind Navarre Pier project
<SPAN class=Story_Byline>BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com


<TABLE width=1 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 bgColor=#d0d0d0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle></TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Pam Brannon/Gulf Breeze News U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida greets a constituent during Monday's Santa Rosa Town Hall Meeting in Milton. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>U. S. Senator Bill Nelson (DFla.) is pushing to get permits for the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier approved on the fast track.

He told a group of just over 100 Monday at a Town Hall meting in Milton that it looks like he might have all the permits pushed through for the pier within 30 days.

"I talked with the Army Corps of Engineers office just before coming into this meeting, and it looks like the final permits will be in the hand of the Fish and Wildlife department within the next couple days," Nelson said.

"And instead of having the usual lengthy process of approval, I have been pushing this paperwork along. It looks like they are assuring me we will have the final signatures and the green light within the next 30 days. I will stay right on this."

Nelson held an informal, hour-long question-and-answer Town Hall meeting in the chambers of the Santa Rosa County Commissioners.

Southern Yankee

has there been any update on this yet? The last post was June 16th

johnsonbeachbum

Funny you should ask! Someone must have asked somelse the same question:<H2>Navarre Pier to get permits</H2><DIV class=postinfo>Posted on <SPAN class=postdate>November 12th, 2008 by Rick Outzen </DIV><DIV class=entry>

According to the Daily News,the National Marine Fisheries Service completes this week its review of the study on the pier?s impact on sea turtles and gulf sturgeon. The Fisheries Service?s comments will be forwarded to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to use when it issues a permit for the project. County Commissioner Gordon Goodin told the Daily News that he expects the permit to be issued by the end of November.

Work on the pier came to a near screeching halt in June when the county was told it had to conduct a biological assessment of the pier?s impact on sea turtles and gulf sturgeon. Navarre Beach has been without a pier since Hurricane Ivan destroyed the previous 1,200-foot structure in September 2004.

http://ricksblog.biz/?p=4138

Looks like Nelson boasting about getting them in 30 days was a bit optomistic.</DIV>

johnsonbeachbum

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December 2, 2008



Navarre Beach pier gets state approval

Louis Cooper
lcooper@pnj.com

Money, time and a tranquil 2009 hurricane season are all that stand between Keith Cuthrell and fishing on a new 1,500-foot pier at Navarre Beach.

Santa Rosa County received word from the state Tuesday that its permit for the new pier had been approved. The structure will replace a 900-foot pier left unusable by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

?I fished out there since I was 10 years old,? said Cuthrell, 52. ?I?m just tickled to death to see this. It?s been way long overdue.?

The pier has historically been a good place to catch king fish, cobia, red fish and pompano, among other species, he said.

County Commissioner Gordon Goodin announced the permit approval Tuesday at a meeting discussing Navarre Beach Park at Navarre High School attended by about 80 people.

?People miss their pier,? Goodin said. ?Our intention is to put this out to bid in January, award this bid in March and get construction underway as soon as possible.?

The project is estimated to cost $8 million, most of which will be covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to County Engineer Roger Blaylock.

If the bids come in on budget, the pier could be completed in a year, Blaylock said.

The pier and 116-acre Navarre Beach Park are located at the eastern end of Navarre Beach. It opened in early 2004 under state management, but was damaged and closed by Hurricane Ivan that summer.

After being open only a few days in 2005, it was damaged and closed again by Hurricane Dennis. The state repaired the damage from Dennis, but turned the property back over to Santa Rosa on Oct. 9.

As repaired, the park includes 11 gazebos, four covered picnic areas, five restrooms and more than 300 parking spaces.

Ideas for the park discussed Tuesday include establishing a marine science station, a marina that opens into the Gulf, an area for dogs, a bird-watching/star-gazing facility and camping, among others.Additional Facts <DIV class=sidebar-related>Sound off on the park

A Web-based survey is now available for citizens who would like to provide input on the direction of Navarre Beach Park.

The survey can be found under ?what?s hot? at www.santarosa.fl.gov or accessed directly at http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/parks/navarrebeach.html.
The survey will be available through Dec. 31.<DIV class=clear></DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

johnsonbeachbum

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December 3, 2008



Navarre pier gets OK

Louis Cooper
lcooper@pnj.com

Money, time and a calm 2009 hurricane season are all that stand between Keith Cuthrell and fishing on the end of a new 1,500-foot pier at Navarre Beach.

Santa Rosa County received word from the state Tuesday that its permit for the new pier had been approved. The structure will replace a 900-foot pier left unusable by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

An unexpected environmental impact study delayed the approval by six months.

"I fished out there since I was 10 years old," said Cuthrell, 52. "I'm just tickled to death to see this. It's been way long overdue."

The pier has historically been a good place to catch king fish, cobia, red fish and pompano, among other species, he said.

County Commissioner Gordon Goodin announced the permit approval at a meeting that had been previously scheduled to take input on possible upgrades at Navarre Beach Park. About 80 people came to the meeting, hosted at Navarre High School.

No single issue has generated as many questions to Goodin's office as the pier, he said.

"People miss their pier," Goodin said. "Our intention is to put this out to bid in January, award this bid in March and get construction underway as soon as possible."

The project is estimated to cost $8 million, most of which will be covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to County Engineer Roger Blaylock.

If the bids come in on budget, the pier could be completed in a year, Blaylock said.

The pier and Navarre Beach Park are located at the eastern end of Navarre Beach.

The park is built on 116 acres of county property that runs from Santa Rosa Sound to the Gulf of Mexico. It opened in early 2004 under state management, but was damaged and closed by Hurricane Ivan that summer. After being open only a few days in 2005, it was damaged and closed again by Hurricane Dennis.

The state repaired the damage from Dennis, but turned the property back over to Santa Rosa on Oct. 9. As repaired, the park includes 11 gazebos, four covered picnic areas, five restrooms and more than 300 parking spaces.

Ideas for the park discussed Tuesday include establishing a marine science station, a marina that opens into the Gulf, an area for dogs, a bird-watching/star-gazing facility and camping, among others.

Monday's workshop was the first of several to discuss the future of the park. Additional opportunities for public input will be made available as the process progresses, according to county Public Information Officer Joy Tsubooka.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

johnsonbeachbum

Another 13 feet in length and the Navarre Pier could brag about being the longest pier on the gulf.

roofordie

This is just plain retarded. I am soooooooo sick of these government agencies going through the "formalities" that end up draining budgets and costing us tax money. We pay these people to do this:banghead. This is one messed up system of govenment we have here!!!

johnsonbeachbum

I agree 100%.

Look at the Maritime Park property. They have to get permits to clean-up the property. Do they prefer it never get cleaned up???

And the process takes over a year to get permits to do what is obviously the right thing to do versus doing nothing?