Pinellas County officials are pushing ahead with the Sand Key Beach Nourishment initiative, aimed at replenishing sand to form dunes and planting seagrass to stabilize it.

According to the county, the Army Corps of Engineers mandates that all property owners grant easements for public access and use in areas where sand is deposited.

Local authorities report that they still need easement signatures from property owners in places like Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, and Redington Shores.

Greg Bouman, an Indian Shores business owner who operates the Indian Shores Coffee Company near the coastline, is apprehensive about the nourishment project. He notes that the county is still working to secure around 150 signatures from property owners to facilitate beach repairs.

Bouman’s business suffered severe damage from Hurricane Helene’s storm surge and has remained shuttered since the event.

“I believe it’s necessary because it’s the only barrier keeping the water out. The storm that hit us wouldn’t have been as bad if it hadn’t coincided with high tide—we wouldn’t have had this problem,” Bouman explained to Bay News 9.

“If it had struck two hours earlier or later, the water wouldn’t have crossed the road. So, the sand height is critical, along with the seagrass that holds it in place,” he added.

County officials report that approximately seven feet of sand was eroded during recent hurricanes. Just last week, they appealed to Washington for assistance in cutting through bureaucratic delays that have stalled beach renourishment progress for years.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s office stated that she wrote to President Trump, requesting that he instruct the Army Corps of Engineers to allocate federal funds to Pinellas County. She also pressed the Corps to relax its easement policy requirements.

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