MARTIN COUNTY — If the Martin County Commission approves changes to the shoreline protection law next week, 28 properties with seawalls and hardened shorelines could develop marinas and restaurants within 20 feet of the water.

The change would allow the properties in Community Redevelopment Areas to expand within the current 20-foot wide protection buffer on hardened shorelines. The amendment includes a 10-foot construction setback for principal structures.

Commissioner Doug Smith, who proposed the change, said the amendment will allow waterfront properties to complete shoreline projects that could stimulate business. The waterfront was fruitful for development before the current shoreline protection law passed in the 1990s.

Smith said the amendment would allow the area to return to its roots — providing waterfront dining and boat access.

“I think that it makes sense,” Smith said.

The exact language of the proposal was under review, and it was expected to go before commissioners when they vote on changes to the county’s Comprehensive Plan on Tuesday.

Kathleen Roberts, county environmental compliance and enforcement administrator, said some of the 28 properties eligible for a waiver are already allowed to waive the shoreline buffer because they were built before the law was created in the 1990s. These include Conchy Joes’s Seafood restaurant and the Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House, both on the Indian River Lagoon in Jensen Beach.

Martin County staff started looking into amending the county’s shoreline protection when Smith brought up the possibility of changing the law late last month.

The environmental division returned to commissioners Aug. 11 with four options: extending the existing waiver; eliminating the 10-foot construction setback for residential lots less than a half-acre in size; making no changes; granting waivers to existing properties with bulkheads. The commissioners chose to pursue the last option.

Roberts said the amendment could be good for waterfront businesses, but it also comes with the added risk of pollution from structures located closer to the water. The consequences of storm water drainage and human impacts could rise, but there are also ways to treat storm water and mitigate the risks, she said.

Mike Cilurso, president of the Jensen Beach Group, said he is against any law that might threaten local waterways. He said allowing development would incite unwelcome competition on the waterfront as businesses strive to expand.

By Alex Tiegen

Tags: bars, beach, boat, boating, business, commissioners, communication, development, dining, grants, housing, property, restaurant, vote, voting, water

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 at 10:08 am and is filed under Economy, Martin County, Treasure Coast business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.