DeLand, FL – Volusia plans to spend around $2 million starting this fiscal year to rebuild large parts of the county’s beach infrastructure, especially its dune walkovers.
That plan was presented by county staff to the Volusia County Council during the morning session of its meeting on Thursday.
99 wooden dune walkovers – many of which were built following the devastating 2004 hurricane season – would be either completely replaced or rehabilitated over the next 5 years. $100,000 has already been set aside for walkway renovations this fiscal year.
Public Works Director John Angiulli told the VCC that many of those walkovers haven’t been maintained properly because of lack of funds over the years to do so – especially during the Great Recession – and that’s causing all kinds of hazards.
“Walk down some of those ramps and you can see how the wood is warped and splintered and being weathered,” Angiulli said. “I’m sure there’s been a few splinters obtained either on the hands or the soles of people’s feet.”
Some of those walkovers have trip hazards, be it from wood or rusted nails, according to Angiulli.
Angiulli suggested during his presentation that just removing some of the walkovers would be a way to save money, but District 3 Representative Deb Denys said that wasn’t an option.
“I don’t want to see any reduction in walkovers at all,” Denys added. “If funding is an issue, we seem to be able to come up with millions of dollars for this and that and grant[s] and everywhere else. Our existing infrastructure needs to be funded and we need to keep it going.”
District 4’s Doug Daniels agreed, saying “there will be a problem” if the county started getting rid of dune walkovers, especially if the county then went forward with tentative plans to extend the Daytona Beach Boardwalk north to University Boulevard and South to Silver Beach Avenue.
District 2’s Josh Wagner encouraged Angiulli to see if some of the dune walkovers could be shortened or even removed if walking trails could be created through the dunes to gain access to the beach.
“I not only think that’s better but, in the long run, it would be nicer,” Wagner stated.
County staff is currently making up a list of which dune walkovers get taken care of first, with priority likely going towards those areas that get the most traffic.
Other capital improvement projects that could begin this year include a $150,000 redesign of the entrance to Sun Splash Park in Daytona Beach. That money also includes the addition of more pavilions.
Also in the budget for this fiscal year is a $2 million renovation that will add a fishing pier and lengthen the existing boardwalk at Smyrna Dunes Park and begin construction on expanding the parking lot off of State Road A1A and Hiles Boulevard in New Smyrna Beach.
Volusia staff is also considering charging drivers to park at the county-owned parking lots at Sun Splash Park and Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores as a way of raising revenue to help maintain those parks.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.