Flagler Beach won't reopen pier battered by Tropical Storm Ian before planned replacement

The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday opted not to repair and reopen the city’s iconic wooden pier after an engineer said the structure was unsafe due to damage from Tropical Storm Ian. The city had already planned to replace the pier.

The meeting also included a discussion about additional activities while the new pier is built, with ideas like "Pirates of the Pier" and "Beer for the Pier." Commissioners also considered the pier bait shop's future.

The wooden pier has been repeatedly battered by hurricanes and storms, and the city already planned to demolish it next year and replace it with a concrete pier. The latest damage was inflicted by Ian, which tore a piece off of the structure.

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Flagler Beach City Manager William Whitson recommended it not be reopened, as did Chad Lyner, an engineer from Mott MacDonald.

Lyner said public access should be prohibited beyond the current gate at the bait shop in the A-frame building, which also houses the Funky Pelican. The restaurant is open for business.

Lyner said a maximum of 10 city employees should be allowed at the eastern edge of the pier by the lifeguard building. He said a wall should be built at the eastern edge of the lifeguard building to keep people from going farther.

The pier experienced scouring ranging from 3 to 7 feet in some spots on the sea bottom to up to 10 to 12 feet toward the eastern end, significantly reducing the piles into the sea bottom, Lyner said.

Lyner said repairing the wooden pier would cost between $1.7 million to $2 million. The process would take 12 to 14 months, including design, permitting, bidding and repair.

“So, it goes right into the time that we will actually be demolishing it,” Commission Chairman Bryan said.

Engineer says new Flagler Beach pier could be build in 14 to 16 months

Gabriel Perdomo, an engineer with Moffatt & Nichol, which is working with the city to design the new pier, said he believed it could be built in 14 to 16 months.

"I do think that three years from where we are now to a finished product is certainly a realistic target to shoot for," Perdomo said. "And we are going to do everything we can on the engineering design side and on the permitting side to try to accelerate that schedule. And then of course with construction we are going to try to design something that's going to be buildable and that's also going to help improve that schedule as well."

Whitson said some money from FEMA for the new pier would come from damage inflicted on the structure by Hurricane Matthew, while other funds would come from the Ian damage. The city will also receive insurance money for the damage to the existing pier.

Commissioner Eric Cooley said the pier should be removed soon because it is a hazard to residents and marine traffic.

“That needs to be removed and that needs to be removed sooner than later cause … we are getting into the nor’easter season. You are going to have sections continuing to break off,” Cooley said.

Bryan asked Whitson if demolition could start sooner than next spring or summer.

Whitson said yes, but he would have to speak to the Federal Emergency Management Agency about reimbursing the city for the cost.

In an email on Friday, Whitson wrote that FEMA probably would pay for most of the demolition but he wanted to get an agreement in writing. He anticipated a meeting next week.

Lyner said that removing a portion toward the end would be necessary for the safety of people doing water sports in the area.

Whitson said they were talking about the removal “almost immediately” of about 150 feet on out to the end of the pier, which was “the real hazard.”

Whitson also said he could check with FEMA on having a dive team remove debris from the sea bottom around the end of the pier.

Commissioner James Sherman said a proposed 4-foot barricade wall was not high enough to keep people out. He said he would like to see a wall from floor to ceiling and suggested kids and artists paint on the wall.

“Make something fun out of it,” Sherman said.

Activities for when Flagler Beach Pier is replaced

Flagler County Tourist Development Director Amy Lukasik offered some suggestions. Lukasik said almost a year ago her staff began brainstorming activities for residents and visitors while the new pier is built.

She said she liked Sherman’s idea of an art mural, which could be a centerpiece for photos.

Visitors and residents could write postcards to the pier by jotting down their memories associated with it, Lukasik said. Those could be displayed in a shadow box for others to read.

"People can come up to the pier and read other people's memories," Lukasik said.

She said another proposal was having a timeline of the pier's history called “A Pier Through the Years,” including storm damage.

She said local businesses could get involved with promotions, such as ordering a "beer for pier" or a non-alcoholic drink with "cheers to the pier." Customers who ordered would receive a gift.

A pirate-themed story related to the pier could be developed for kids, she said. For example, a storm destroyed the pier and the city sent a message in a bottle asking for help and pirates found the bottle and sailed in to help the city rebuild the pier, she said.

Construction workers building the new pier could place stickers on their hard hats showing they were the "pirates of the pier," she said.

The city could also have a pier-themed art festival and photography exhibit.

"Of course the pier is iconic and holds a special place in everyone's heart," she said.

Bryan said he looked forward to her returning with another presentation of ideas.

Cooley also mentioned that people wanted boards from the pier.

Bait shop's future: Open or closed?

Perdomo said that the A-frame near A1A, which includes the Funky Pelican restaurant, the bait shop and the public restrooms, was structurally sound, but a team would check it to see if any reinforcement was needed.

Bryan suggested keeping the city-run bait shop open, but refocusing it from pier fishing to surf fishing and offering a few rods for rental. He said he is a member of the Flagler Sports Fishing Club, which is willing to conduct workshops on surf fishing.

Cooley said he was not opposed to keeping the bait shop open on a trial basis, but he questioned whether it would make enough profit from surf fishing gear to cover the expenses. If it doesn't, the city would have to review whether it was smart to keep it open.

Bryan agreed and said that's why he suggested it on a trial basis and offering surf fishing workshops.

"I'm always of the mindset that if we don't try it, we don't know whether or not it's going to make it," Bryan said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler Beach pier to remain closed until planned replacement