The planned 2011 $7.5 million beach renourishment project for 1.5 miles of Anna Maria shoreline will not use Federal money, according to Charlie Hunsicker, ecosystems director at Manatee County. Funding will come from state and county taxation.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimated that Anna Maria would need to provide another 40 parking spaces for public use and access in order to qualify for state funding.
Living on a barrier island of sand entails building on a changing foundation. While nature is in flux and bends to the conditions, people continue to build rigid, immovable houses on the shore line. As the barrier island moves with the slow cycle of shifting sands the shore line shifts regardless of where the property lines were drawn.
Over the decades of building on the seashore, the ever shifting shoreline has been ‘restored’ by pumping sand back to replace lost beach. This is no small exercise and is very expensive. A beach renourishment in 2002 took almost a year and millions of dollars to expand the beach width and protect private properties along just 0.6 miles. A 4.6 mile renourishment in 2005 was plagued by delays and equipment obstructions.
