Beach loss erodes property owners’ wallets

Sand isn’t the only thing disappearing for south-end Gulfside property owners. 

A lack of recreational beach behind L’Ambiance means that a $465,000 annual flood insurance credit is in jeopardy, according to L’Ambiance resident and Commissioner Irwin Pastor. 

Approximately four years ago, Pastor said L’Ambiance hired engineers who worked for a year and a half to secure the annual premium reduction for the condo association for a $1 million annual flood insurance policy.

“Then, the beach started eroding, and we started to worry,” Pastor said. 

It turns out L’Ambiance residents had reason to worry. 

The lack of beach behind the condo now has the insurer considering rescinding the $465,000 credit because the insurance rating for the property is being reduced as a result of the eroding shoreline.

“The unpredictability of the erosion behind our buildings now has our insurance policy in an unpredictable situation,” Pastor said. “It’s been brought to our attention that credit might not be secure moving forward.”

Currently, 137 L’Ambiance unit owners split a policy that costs approximately $535,000, paying $3,905.10 per unit toward the policy annually.

If the $465,000 credit is rescinded and the policy’s cost jumps to $1 million annually, unit owners will see their assessments for the policy rise to $7,299.27. 

The flood insurance policy is just part of a maintenance fee that L’Ambiance residents pay.

“The flood policy already makes up a third of that maintenance fee right now, so we don’t want to see it climb any further,” Pastor said. “We hate to wind up in a situation where our rating is increased and we have to pay that kind of money because of the erosion.” 

L’Ambiance is working with an insurance adviser to hold onto its credit for another year while the town works to address the erosion issue. 

Longboat Key Public Works Director Juan Florensa said he’s been informed of the insurance issue at L’Ambiance, and the town is working as fast as it can to address the erosion issue behind the community and neighboring Islandside condominiums that include The Pierre, Longboat Key Towers, Sanctuary and The Privateer. 

Condo tower association officials at The Pierre, Longboat Towers, Sanctuary and The Privateer didn’t return phone calls seeking comment about whether they are having similar flood insurance policy issues because of the erosion. 

So much sand has been lost that at high tide, Gulf water laps at 7-foot beach escarpments that are being kept in place by large areas of vegetated dunes. The wall of sand behind the condos is revealing roots from the dunes as the sand escarpment continues to brace for high tides. The sand wall also makes it difficult for beachgoers to get to the shoreline from their condos.

Florensa said he visits the south-end erosion hot spots weekly to stay apprised of the situation, noting that despite the looks of the beach, there’s still a healthy vegetative dune system in place behind the condos that will keep the condos protected until sand arrives from a New Pass dredging project in summer 2016. 

“I know that doesn’t help assuage the concerns residents have right now with their policies, but we’re doing everything we can to get sand to that part of the island,” Florensa said. “Permits for the project are coming.”

Florensa said he expects the state to issue an intent to issue permit for a New Pass dredging project “any day now.”

The town hopes to take 315,000 cubic yards of sand in a $3 million dredging project from New Pass to fill in eroded areas on the south end.

And early as this summer, the town hopes to perform a $3.5 million dredging project of Longboat Pass to fill in eroded areas of the north-end and mid-Key erosion hot spots. 

But, if objections to the dredging project permits are filed via judicial challenges (former Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash and Village resident Gene Jaleski have already submitted emails disputing portions of the projects to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), those permits and projects could be delayed.

Florensa, however, wants to stress to residents that sand is coming to the south end with or without a scheduled New Pass dredging. 

Town Manager Dave Bullock said he will bring back an emergency dump truck project again if judicial challenges by Jaleski, McClash or environmental groups delay the dredging projects. 

“The commission told us if there’s a delay in the (south end) project, to bring back the $1.5 million truck haul project,” Bullock said. 

Florensa said the town is currently working on revising permits for emergency dump truck sand haul projects for the south end and portions of the middle of the island.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].