Wilbur-by-the-Sea residents tired of getting 'run-around' regarding storm restoration

WILBUR-BY-THE-SEA — Frustration with what beachside residents called a slow response from local and state governments regarding storm damage was the main talking point during a meeting with county officials Monday evening in Wilbur-by-the-Sea.

“The objective of tonight was really, at least from my mind, how can we help you get the DEP to move faster,” resident Ken Meister told officials. “We’re happy to pay for (the repairs), not to make this a money thing, but they won’t even let us do it."

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Meister, who lost his home to beach erosion from Tropical Storm Nicole, coordinated Monday's meeting at Wilbur Boathouse in an effort to inform residents of how they could help officials speed up the recovery process.

“My home could have been saved four weeks ago,” he added. “The permits were in, the applications were in, the panels were on site, the crews ready to go, and they won’t let me build the (seawall).”

The approximately 40 residents present at the meeting described their attempts to ask the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to speed up the permitting process and shared their frustration with the uncertainty on what to do next following the destruction of Tropical Storms Ian and Nicole.

After Ian's erosion left several beachside homes hanging by a thread, Nicole did many of them in last week.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood earlier last week said 22 homes in Wilbur-by-the-Sea had been declared structurally unsound. Seven of those homes ended up in the ocean after the storm, he added.

With seawalls and coquina reefs gone, residents have been eager to start making the necessary repairs before they are faced with another storm and even more property loss.

But to start reconstruction, they must submit a permit application with the Coastal Construction Control Line program.

The CCCL program, which is operated by FDEP, “regulates structures and activities that can cause beach erosion, destabilize dunes, damage upland properties or interfere with public access.”

With what residents called a slow response after Ian, their concern only grew with the additional damage from Nicole.

No one 'knows what to do next'

Greg Knapp, another resident affected by the erosion damage, said he and his neighbors have been sharing contact information for contractors and “trying to get stuff done for five weeks.”

“We have gotten the biggest run-around,” Knapp said. “I’m sorry, but I’m telling it like it is. I’m getting the biggest run-around from permitting, from inspections, zoning. There is no consistency of communication from the county. And that’s not fair to us.”

He asked officials at the meeting that the county provide residents with consistent information to avoid confusion and try to clear the path ahead. He said even contractors are struggling to find out what they can and can’t do.

“We’re desperate to do something,” Knapp added. “I know the intentions are good, but the actions are horrible. We’re immobilized. Not one person in this room knows what to do next.”

Volusia County efforts continue

Clay Ervin, the county’s director of growth and resource management, told attendees that the FDEP’s delegation of “some powers” to Volusia County to help affected residents wasn’t enough after Ian.

“As all of you have experienced, that was not sufficient for what happened here,” Ervin said. “What we had was literally the perfect storms, because within six weeks we had hurricanes come in and devastate (the beachside). And the temporary measures that were allowed were quickly removed by Mother Nature, and it resulted in an unprecedented amount of damage.”

Over the last week, he said, the county has “worked out a series of requests” to FDEP, among which include the modification of the emergency order issued for Ian in Volusia County specifically. He said that officials would like to see the one for Nicole to be “a little bit more far-reaching" to allow for faster repair work.

Ervin said that while the county continues to make its efforts to speed up the FDEP’s response, residents could also contribute by calling or writing to their state representatives to alert them to the urgency of the situation.

He said that even FDEP staff is dealing with their own legal constraints and “would be happy” to receive more “latitude” by the state to ramp up efforts.

While residents also expressed their desire for long-term solutions to beach erosion, Ervin said that the focus now is on the temporary measures the county and residents can take to protect beachside properties.

According to the Volusia County Property Appraiser, 38 of the 229 single-family homes affected by Nicole suffered major damage. These properties account for approximately $14 million of the total $522 in damages as of Monday, Nov. 14.

Ervin said the issue would again be addressed during the County Council meeting on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Wilbur by the Sea residents demand action after Tropical Storm Nicole