A Brief History of the Town of Palm Beach Coastal Protection Program

• occurred in Palm Beach as far back as the 1940s.

• The Lake Worth Inlet Sand Transfer Plant was built in the late 1950s.

• The Town’s modern program began in the mid-1980s.

• 1984 … Thanksgiving Day Storm caused the freighter Mercedes to come ashore in north end and State Road A1A to be severed between Sloan’s and Widener’s Curve.

• 1985 … FDOT constructed huge in “Reach 6” between Sloan’s and Widener’s Curve.

• 1986 … Town Council adopted the original Comprehensive Coastal Management Plan (CCMP).

• 1987 … Mid-Town Seawall Revetment constructed as an emergency project to absorb energy from waves that were hitting this roadway protective seawall.

• Late 1980s and Early 1990s … Conflict in community re: scope, methods, and funding of the Coastal Protection Program.

• Late 1980s … Permitting and Federal Funding Process for the first Mid-Town Beach Restoration Project.

• Early 1990s … Experimental PEP Reef at Mid-Town (instead of beach restoration) and Town vs. County litigation re: operation of the Sand Transfer Plant.

• 1995 … PEP Reef removed. Sand Transfer Plant restored. Original Mid-Town Beach Restoration Project (Barton to Hammon with approximately 880,000 cubic yards & 11 groins)

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• Also in 1995 … Town Council created the original Shore Protection Board (SPB).

• 1997-1998 … As recommended by the SPB, the CCMP was updated.

• 1999 … Town Council adopted the updated CCMP and “sunsetted” the original SPB.

• 2000 … Town Council approved a 10-year plan for coastal protection and issued bonds as partial funding for the program.

• 2003 … Construction of the expanded Mid-Town Beach Nourishment Project (Wells to Banyan with approximately 1.2 million cubic yards)

• 2004 … Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne caused severe erosion in Palm Beach, especially in Reaches 7 and 8.

• 2004-2005 … Emergency coastal protection projects Seawall construction at Old Ocean Boulevard (Reach 7) Sand berm in Reaches 7 and 8 (Sloan’s Curve to La Bonne Vie with approximately 100,000 cubic yards)

• 2005 … Hurricane Wilma caused further erosion.

• 2006 … Reach 7 Beach Restoration Project (Phipps Park to 2774 Condominium) and dune restoration in Reach 8 (Total: approximately 1.1 million cubic yards) Mid-Town Beach Nourishment Project (El Mirasol to Banyan with approximately 900,000 cubic yards)

• 2007 … NOB Seawall Revetment Project (interim protection from direct wave impact while planning replacement project)

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• Also in 2007 … Sub-Tropical Storm Andrea caused more erosion, especially in Reach 8 south of the Lake Worth .

• February 2008 … FDEP issues “Intent to Issue” a permit for full scale beach restoration in Reach 8. March 2008 … Petition filed objecting to “Intent to Issue”. August to October 2008 … Administrative Hearing on the Reach 8 permit. March 2009 … Administrative Law Judge’s Recommended Order for FDEP to deny Reach 8 permit. July 2009 … FDEP Secretary Sole’s Final Order denying the permit. Landmark Impact … Combined effect of draft permit, petition, hearing, recommended order, and final order was establishment of more stringent standards for future permits Statewide.

• August 2008 … Tropical Storm Fay caused damage to nourished beaches at Mid-Town and Reach 7. 2009 … FEMA approved funding assistance for recovery projects at Mid-town and Reach 7.

• December 2008 … Town Council created the current SPB.

• 2009 … Town sued U.S. Government for damages from erosion caused by Lake Worth Inlet.

• 2010 … Town reconstructed Lake Worth Inlet Sand Transfer Plant.

• 2010-2011 … Partial renourishment and dune restoration at Mid-Town and in Reaches 7 and 8. (Total: Approximately 133,000 cubic yards)

• 2009-2011 … SPB conducted extensive research, then prepared and refined a long-term plan for coastal protection in Palm Beach.

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• 2012 … SPB submitted a revised long-term plan and Town Council retained Woods Hole Group (WHG) to perform a peer review. Hurricane Sandy and multiple nor’easters caused severe erosion in Palm Beach, especially in Reach 3 (in the vicinity of the Wells/Sunrise seawall), and damaged the Lake Worth Inlet Sand Transfer Plant so severely it could not operate.

• Early 2013 … Town and U.S. Government ended litigation re: Lake Worth Inlet and declared partnership in better managing sand dredged from the inlet. U.S. Government (Army Corps of Engineers) expanded sand settling basin at Lake Worth Inlet (as proposed by Town) and placed approximately 400,000 cubic yards of sand on the beaches in the north end of Palm Beach.

• June 2013 … After receiving WHG’s final recommendations, Town Council approved an $85 million 10-year Coastal Protection Plan.

• Late 2013 … Repaired Sand Transfer Plant resumed operation. FDEP, Town, and County executed the Beach Management Agreement (BMA) for Palm Beach Island, pre-approving much of the Town’s 10-year plan (to accomplish implementation of the plan faster and at less expense). Town Council approved funding the 10-year plan with ad valorem taxes.

• Planned for 2014-2015 … Wells/Sunrise Oceanfront Roadway Protective Seawall Project Mid-Town Beach Nourishment (Casa Bendita to Banyan with approximately 875,000 cubic yards) Interim nourishment in Reach 7 and dune restoration in Reach 8 (Total: Approximately 150,000 cubic yards)

• Also Possible in 2014-2015 … North Ocean Boulevard Oceanfront Roadway Protective Seawall Project Commencement of Groin Rehabilitation Program

• Planned for 2015-2016 … Reach 7 Beach Nourishment (Total: Approximately 1 million cubic yards) (Dune Restoration from Sloan’s Curve to Phipps Park) (Full Beach Nourishment: Phipps Park to Kreusler Park)

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• Also Planned for 2015-2016 … Reach 8 Dune Restoration or larger project if permitted by the EIS for Reach 8 (Minimum of approximately 50,000 cubic yards).

(Last Update of Summary: March 12, 2014)

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