COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Cocoa Beach is proactively addressing erosion concerns that could one day threaten the utilities of over a thousand residents, according to the city’s mayor.
In certain areas along Minutemen Causeway, the proximity of the road and sidewalk to the water is alarmingly close.
Your Cocoa Beach Community Correspondent, James Sparvero, spoke with Mayor Keith Capizzi at city hall. On Thursday night, the city commission was expected to approve the hiring of an engineering firm to tackle the erosion issues present on the causeway.
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“It’s essential to safeguard our infrastructure,” Capizzi explained. “Currently, the water is just ten feet from the sidewalk. Should erosion continue, the infrastructure beneath, including our piping, could be at risk.”
Once the contract is finalized, Capizzi noted that the engineering firm, Kimley-Horn, will explore solutions such as constructing a seawall or utilizing coquina rock, prioritizing minimal environmental impact.
“I don’t think it should be like a metal structure,” resident Marilyn Bollo said. “Maybe a rock revetment, something that would look more natural.”
Bollo, who lives off Minutemen, also said she wouldn’t want to see a new project cut any of the mangroves in her neighborhood.
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Mangroves are legally protected in Florida and, generally, a permit is needed to clear them.
“I remember when we first moved here, you could see the water all the way out to the high school,” Bollo said. “Now, it’s obscured due to the overgrowth of the plants which I think is helping to hold the soil there.”
Just to hire Kimley-Horn to design the erosion project would cost the city $87,000.
Stick with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on what happens at Thursday night’s city commission meeting.
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