The original USACE plan proposed 27% federal cost share, but the County was able to increase that to 35% by expanding public access to the South Hutchinson island beachfront through the addition of trails at County parks.

The Erosion District and St. Lucie County have worked diligently to reduce the non-federal cost share even further. Multiple meetings and negotiations with the USACE have improved the project plans, making the proposal more efficient and feasible. 

In addition, the Erosion District succeeded in landing not one, but two, grants from the state Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) totaling up to $6.4 million. As of June 2020, the local cost share is estimated at $8.3 million, representing a significant savings that St. Lucie County residents should celebrate.   

However, the local share can be reduced even more if several public easements are provided along privately owned beach areas, as required by the USACE. By adding these proposed narrow strips of land connecting to the beach and associated parking at three strategically located properties, the local share could be reduced upwards of $6 million (based on the USACE original cost estimate). 

In other words, St. Lucie County could enable this initial beach protection project to be built with a local investment of less than $3 million. 

Initial discussions over the past year with oceanfront property owners along the three “gap” areas to dedicate small public easements have been unsuccessful. The Erosion District and County are making a final push to attract interest by adding incentives for those key properties to participate.

Note: As of December 14, 2020, none of the property owners in the three strategic areas have notified the County of their interest in providing public easements.

In the meantime, the County is working on ways to fund the remaining local share through a Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU), in which South Hutchinson Island property owners would pay an annual assessment over a specific term to fund the initial project. As this federal project involves 50 years of participation, this MSTU would also provide for future federal renourishment events, as needed.