According to the county, beaches from the Island of Sandy Key south to Upham Beach are in bad need of renourishment. Pinellas is hoping the state will fund part of the $126 million beach renourishment project.

Pinellas County

Pinellas County leaders have formally requested state funding to support a $125 million beach renourishment project aimed at repairing storm-damaged beaches from Sankey to Upham Beach. The county has previously relied on federal funding, but due to a recent rule change, federal assistance is currently unavailable, leaving the county to use its own tourism funds unless additional partners contribute.

The county is seeking approximately $50 million from the state, though only $50 million is allocated for similar projects statewide. In addition to financial support, officials are asking beachfront property owners to grant temporary construction easements needed for the restoration. While most owners have agreed, about 130 have not yet signed, prompting continued outreach efforts by county staff.

Pinellas County hopes state will fund part of renourishment project

Pinellas County leaders are hoping for help from the state as they set out to rebuild and renourish beaches from Sankey to Upham Beach. At the beginning of this month, we first reported Pinellas County will be spending more than $125 million on this project. The beaches targeted were badly eroded after storms like Hurricane Adalia and Helene. And here you can see the effects of Helene surge. Just this afternoon, Pinellas County commissioners officially made the request for millions in state money to help fund that project. But the money is not guaranteed. But as our Chad Mills found out, state money is not the only thing county leaders are hoping for. Pinellas County beaches are places of joy of peace of love. We'll never find something as beautiful as a beach. But look closely and you'll see they're also a place of erosion after storms like Adalia and Helene and beaches from Sankey south to Upham Beach are in bad need of renourishment. In the past, the federal government has paid most of the money to help the county renourish its beaches, widening them, rebuilding the dunes. But that help has been on hold because of a controversial rule. So the county will have to pay for an upcoming renourishment project with $125 million of its own tourism funds unless another partner steps up to help pass unanimously. Tuesday, county commissioners voted to ask for the state's financial help to pay for some of the renourishment project. They're asking the state for roughly $50 million. We've asked for a lot, but there's only $50 million set aside for the entire state. So Commissioner Brian Scott knows the county won't get everything it's asking the state for, but any amount will help because county tourism dollars are not unlimited and also needed for other tourism projects like improving facilities at Fort DeSoto Park and renovating the Phillies spring training stadium. Every dollar we get from the state is extremely helpful, but state money isn't the only thing Scott wants. He wants beachfront property owners to grant the county access to their properties for the renourishment project. All we're asking for is temporary construction easement so we can get equipment back there to put sand. So far, most beachfront owners have done so, but there's still about 130 holdouts and some of them spoke at a meeting earlier this month. After you do the nourishment, nobody maintains nothing. The county's hosting a three day signing event in Indian Shores to win over more of them, but so far no new signatures. We can't afford to not do it. Scott's hoping more will sign because a less eroded beach isn't just prettier, it's more hurricane resistant to. County staff will be back at Indian Shores Town Hall on Wednesday to hopefully get more signatures in Clearwater. I'm Chad Mills report.

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