Seawall repairs underway at Ohana

Permits have been issued and work is underway on the locally famous Ohana seawall.

Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons said in an email the work done will “include the repair of a portion of the Gulf-fronting seawall, replacing the seawall cap along the entirety of the Gulf-fronting portion of the seawall and the replacement of the portion of the seawall on the south side of the property and installation of a new seawall on a portion of the north side of the property.”

The house sold for $17.5 million in November.

The Ohana seawall, named after the house it protects at 6633 Gulf of Mexico Drive, has made headlines in the past for various reasons. The seawall extends out past the water line of the Gulf about 120 feet depending on the tide, and downstream effects from the manmade structure are paid close attention to by the town, which recently completed a $2.8 million interim beach renourishment just south of the seawall.

The seawall also cuts off beach access to the public, with previous property owners installing no trespassing signs on the perimeter of the seawall.

Permit documents show that Duncan Seawall, a Sarasota-based marine contractor, will be performing the repairs to the seawall. According to a permit transmittal form from the town, a 28-foot portion of the wall on the northeast side will be removed and a 60-foot portion of the concrete wall on the southeast corner will be replaced with a vinyl wall.

Conditions to the permit state that the seawall will not exceed a maximum elevation of 6 feet and the seawall will not extend 12 more inches into the Gulf from the current seawall.