1999 – St. Lucie County Erosion District initiates process to seek federal support and management of southern beaches, at the request of property owners and the Presidents Council of South Hutchinson Island 

2004 – Erosion District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) sign feasibility cost sharing agreement as first major step towards federalization

• Major coastal storm impacts from Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne

2005/2007– Emergency dune restoration takes place with Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding (approximately $4.7 million)

2012 – Impacts from Hurricane Sandy
 
2013 – As federalization efforts linger, Erosion District coordinates a one-time emergency beach nourishment project in direct response to beachfront residents’ request(s)

• Beach and dune restoration project completed for approximately 3.3 miles of shoreline from the Martin County line north to Normandy Beach Park at cost of $7.5 million (650,000 cubic yards of sand, 254,000 dune plants)

2016-17 – Impacts from Hurricanes Matthew and Irma

2018 – Congress authorizes federal beach project in the 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), including a 50-year project life:

• Recommended plan includes 3.3 miles of shoreline from Martin County line to Normandy Beach Park, including an initial nourishment and two (2) periodic renourishment events
• USACE estimates 50-year project costs of $114.8 million (per USACE draft agreement) with initial cost-sharing construction between federal and non-federal sources totaling $22.8 million
• County begins researching local funding alternatives and initiates efforts to increase federal participation through additional public beach access and associated parking
• County constructs three (3) public beach trails that increase federal cost share from 27.6% to 35% for initial construction and from 21.2% to 27% for future re-nourishment events

2019 – Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) develops plan for reducing local cost share by securing state grants and increasing public easements to comply with federal requirements

• County approves options for local funding, including a potential Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) or Special Assessment District (SAD) for the island south of Normandy Beach to the Martin County line  

Early 2020 – County works with Presidents Council and local communities to update the public and finalize construction/funding plans, while coordinating with USACE on costs and initial project elements 

March 2020 – BOCC considers and reaches consensus against the County purchasing properties for public easements and associated parking.

May 2020 – President’s Council meeting (web-based) with the USACE.

Official kick-off of St. Lucie County’s efforts to garner project related and required perpetual construction easements necessary for initial beach construction. 

June 2020 – BOCC provides consensus on potential County contribution and rebate plan to offer incentives for three (3) essential properties to provide public access and associated parking. 

• Board discussion on the approved MSTU option and the needed perpetual easements.

July 2020 – BOCC proposes preliminary tax rate of 0.21 mills for MSTU, which includes island areas south of Normandy Beach to the Martin County line.  This levy, which is part of the County’s budget, can be reduced but not increased by the BOCC during public hearings in September. It is sufficient to fund pre-construction and immediate post-construction permit-required project elements

July 31, 2020 – BOCC-imposed deadline for substantive feedback regarding the establishment of additional public beach access and associated parking (public beach easements); specifically, referencing those previously engaged communities where conceptual plans were drafted and increased federal participation was confirmed (pending implementation) in writing by the USACE 

Aug. 24, 2020 – USACE deadline for St. Lucie County to sign the Project Participation Agreement (PPA) associated with the proposed 50-year federal project

September 2020 – South Hutchinson Island Municipal Taxing Unit (SHI MSTU) approved by the BOCC as part of the FY-2020/2021 Budget

November 2020 – Initial tax levy associated with the proposed federal beach project would appear on South Hutchinson Island property owners’ tax bills, pending BOCC approval.

BOCC approved the 50 year Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

December 2020 – Deadline for public notice associated with any future MSTU creation, if applicable

Perpetual Construction Easements drafted and sent out to oceanfront property owners for execution/return prior to February 1, 2020

(Note: As of December 14, 2020, no property owners in the three strategic areas have notified the County of their interest in providing public easements)

April 2021 – Easements

• Complete construction of public beach access (public beach easements) and associated parking elements for increased federal participation (if applicable)
• Deliver fully executed perpetual construction easements (endorsed by the BOCC) to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for ALL beachfront property owners adjacent to the proposed project 

May/June 2021 – Initiate permit-required pre-construction monitoring 

July 2021 – Local share of construction distributed to the USACE 

• Project bid advertisement

November 2021 – Earliest date of initial construction

May 2022 – Latest date to complete initial construction

2022 thru 2025 – Permit-required post-construction monitoring