A special meeting of the Gulf County Board of County Commissioners was attended by approximately 100 people at Billy Joe Rish Park last night, March 23, 2007.  FDEP Representatives Janet Llewellyn, Director of Water Resource Management, and Gene Schalecki, the Beaches and Coastal Systems Program Administrator also attended. 

After a recap of the events leading up to last night's meeting with regard to the proposed changes to the CCCL (Coastal Construction Control Line) by County Administrator Don Butler, Mr. Schalecki fielded questions from the members of the audience.

While it is common to have the CCCL moved, there are two important factors that make our situation both unique and potentially devistating for our community.

The redrawing of the CCCL also includes projections for 30-year erosion (without taking into account our beach project).  Altough single-family homes may be constructed seaward of the CCCL, with FDEP permitting, the FDEP will not issue permits for single-family homes that are seaward of the 30-year erosion projection for any given parcel unless certain exceptions have been met.

These exceptions are what makes our situation so different from all of the other communites in Florida!  Specifically, the law provides an exemption for properties that were platted before October 1, 1985.  Most of the vacant lots on the Cape were platted after this date, therefore, this exception cannot be applied.  In very clear terms, moving of the CCCL and the related 30-year erosion projections, could render what has been estimated to be as many as 275 lots (gulf, interior and potentially some bay) on the Cape as unbuildable.

It is important to note that this directly impacts undeveloped land.  If you property already has a structure on it and you are in front of the CCCL, you would be allowed to rebuild were your home to be destroyed; however, you would have to meet certain requirements set forth by the FDEP.

There are many possible avenues available to FDEP to give our community an exemption from this rule, which will allow property owners to obtain jurisdictional permits.  It is imperative that we let them hear from as many of us as possible on how critical this issue is to our community and its future.   Some of us have already built our homes and will be grandfathered in.  Some of us have properties platted before the October 1, 1985, date.  And still others of us have properties that will remain sited behind the new proprosed CCCL and 30-year erosion lines.  However, this matter affects our commuinity as a whole  and we need to speak out on behalf of our friends and neighbors

The time for public comment to FDEP on this issue ends March 29, 2007.  It is critical that FDEP hear from as many property owners, residents, business owners and other concerned citizens who realize the tremendously negative effect this new CCCL will have on Gulf County, Cape San Blas, the local businesses, and most importantly many individuals who will lose so much financially should their lots be deemed unbuildable.    Below is a sample letter which you may use if you do not wish to write your own personal objection.  Send your letters to: 

Rosaline Beckham
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Water Resource Management
Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems
3900 Commonwealth Boulevard
Mail Station 300
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000. 

In additon, we encourage you to write or contact Senator Al Lawson, Jr. and Representative Jimmy Patronis.  Their contact information is provided below:

I strongly oppose the proposed changes to the CCCL and 30-year erosion lines currently being considered for Cape San Blas.  Our community is very unqiue.  The combination of the new 30-year erosion line and the October 1, 1985, platting requirement will cause what has been estimated to be as many as 275 lots unbuildable on the Cape.  The impact on the community, businesses and most importantly the individual owners of these properties and their familes would be immense.  Please consider an exemption to the enforcement rules that will allow these property owners to somehow qualify for jurisdictional permits like so many owners in other communities have always historically qualified for.  Additionally, we have worked very, very hard to get our beach restoration project from dream to reality.  We have funded our local share as individual taxpayers and are committed as a community to a managed beach for our future.  Please do not make changes to the CCCL until our beach project can be completed.

Sincerely yours,

YOUR NAME