ANNA MARIA – Nearly two months after a contractor destroyed 67 feet of mangroves to build a seawall at 111 Gull Drive without all the required approvals, one of the permitting entities – the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – has still not decided about issuing a permit.
USACE spokesperson David Ruderman wrote in a Feb. 8 email to The Sun, “The Corps permit section is continuing consultation with National Marine and Fisheries Service to resolve issues related to the property owner’s permit application.”
Without specifying what the issues are, he wrote that the application decision is expected “in the near future.”
The mangroves were removed in December despite a City of Anna Maria stop work order, according to a Dec. 18 email to The Sun from Mayor Dan Murphy.
“The city received a complaint from a resident on Dec. 4, 2023, regarding the extensive removal and alteration of mangroves at 111 Gull Drive,” Murphy wrote on Dec. 18. “City staff visited the property and confirmed mangroves had been removed and fill dirt had been added in its place. The scope of work is proposed by building permit ACC22-000153 which has not been issued and thus, is not permitted to commence.”
Murphy wrote the city posted a stop work order on the property on Dec. 6 and on Dec. 13 city staff received several complaints that mangroves had been removed once again.
“City staff visited the site on Dec. 13, 2023 and observed workers actively removing mangroves,” Murphy wrote.
Murphy also wrote that the stop work order had been removed from the property and was reposted by city staff.
In a Dec. 19 email to The Sun, Murphy identified Mason Martin LLC as the contractor that had removed the mangroves.
An FDEP seawall exemption had been granted to Mason Martin LLC for mangrove removal. FDEP inspectors visited the property on Dec. 22 in response to complaints.
“A complaint inspection conducted on Dec. 22, 2023 revealed that prior authorization was received from the Department in a seawall exemption (File No.: 41-0422234-001-EE), to construct approximately 116 linear feet of seawall,” according to the FDEP inspection report. “The inspection revealed that construction had commenced and a portion of the mangroves on the property were removed within the exempt activity’s footprint. Erosion control devices were installed upon request after the inspection. In addition, the Department notified the property owner that they should continue to coordinate with USACE and to not continue construction until a USACE authorization is obtained.”
