CLEARWATER - That old adage “spend some to save some” prompted the Board of Pinellas County Commissioners to approve on June 16 two amendments related to the 2010-11 Sand Key Beach renourishment project.
Commissioners Susan Latvala and John Morroni were absent.
According to a staff report, the 2005-06 Sand Key project was the most expensive beach nourishment project in the history of the Jacksonville District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at $45 million. The cost was 73 percent greater than that of the identical nourishment project in 1998 which was done for $26 million.
Officials attributed the “exorbitant cost” to fuel costs from barging sand from the Egmont Channel borrow area to the beach. To save money on the 2010-11 project, Coastal Planning and Engineering Inc. is conducting a sand search looking for new borrow areas located several miles offshore of Sand Key.
“This relatively small investment of funds in the design phase will lead to significant cost savings in the construction phase,” the report said.
The first amendment provides the state share of funding for an additional sand search made necessary due to “unanticipated sediment quality and quantity issues” that occurred during the initial sand search which found less than 1 million cubic yards of beach quality sand. The additional sand search is expected to identify the 2 million cubic yards needed for the project.
The second amendment approves the additional sand search which will include reconnaissance and design level geophysical and geotechnical surveys, data processing and interpretation, borrow area design, and production of a final geotechnical report.
According to staff, Coastal Planning and Engineering has the most experience with this particular type of project.
Cost of the second amendment is $352,198 bringing the total cost of the agreement with Coastal Planning and Engineering to $950,358. The costs will be paid 50-50 by the FDEP reimbursement grant and Tourist Development Tax.
Cost for project design of $666,460 is shared 50-50 between the state and county. The county’s share will be paid for from Coastal Management capital improvement project funds.
