Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on Apollo Beach:

South Shore News

Project is putting the beach back in Apollo Beach

BY DOUG ARNOLD
Special Correspondent
Published: January 22, 2015

The wheels of heavy equipment are turning as the Beach Restoration Project in Apollo Beach begins. Flores and Harper, a full-service general contractor, is now on-site and moving forward with the four-month project of shoreline restoration.

Bids recently went out for the upcoming dredging operation to be reviewed in early February and then be awarded later in the month, said Len Berkstresser, president of the all-volunteer nonprofit Apollo Beach Waterway Improvement Group, aka ABWIG.

“In addition to the bids, final permits are under review, and we anticipate all the approvals in hand within about 30 days,” he said.

The ABWIG spokesman said the earliest dredging would begin around April 1, with the hope that the Apollo Beach Nature Park could re-open as early as Memorial Day.

“We started this effort four years ago, and it has been a great community effort,” Berkstresser said. “It’s a great feeling to see things now in the works.”

Ross Dickerson, environmental lands manager with the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department confirmed work is underway.

“The contractor has completed construction of the T-groin at the northern extent of the beach and the breakwater just south of that,” he said. “They are currently working on the two subsequent breakwaters to the south and should have those completed by the end of the month.”

The preserve was closed in late 2014 by Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation to limit public access during the restoration work.

The project will reclaim beach sand through the dredging of three channels connecting Apollo Beach to Tampa Bay. Eight breakwaters will be constructed by the county. The breakwaters will be parallel to the western shore and a jetty off the North Channel will significantly reduce wave action, minimizing future beach erosion and reducing sediment in the channel. More than 11,000 cubic yards of sand will be dredged to create a 2-acre beach.

The county is also building a series of seven rock barricades known as “revetments” standing between 6 and 8 feet tall and up to 40 feet in length in front of the beach. They and the “T-groin” jetty will help minimize future beach erosion.

The project also focuses on dune restoration in and around the nature preserve that includes development of a living shoreline.

The new and improved beach environment will feature native flora, a rebuilt pedestrian walkway and a roadway.

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Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman has helped push through the project since its inception.

“Restoring the channels and beach at Apollo Beach is one of the most important projects in South County at present,” she said. “I am excited to have the pristine shoreline, rolling sand dunes and salty, white sandy beaches back again.”

Murman said this will be a boon for local residents and businesses as it draws visitors from all over.

“This is something the South County economy has needed for a long time to promote ecotourism.”

Bringing back the beach is dream come true for many in the community.

“The beach restoration project at the nature preserve in Apollo Beach will benefit (us) in multiple ways,” said Ron Simpson, a broker associate with Weichert Realtors Yates & Associates. “First, it will restore the beach to Apollo Beach for the benefit of both the fishing crowd and those who just like to walk the beach; secondly, the dredging of the (channels), which is providing the sand to ‘restore’ the beach will improve access for the boating community.”

Dickerson emphasized the project should have no impact on marine life or to the manatees that migrate to TECO’s Big Bend Power Plant each winter.

“This is a rigorous permit process with federal and state agencies,” Dickerson said, noting that from the reduction in wave energy from the breakwaters, sea grass will flourish and help a whole marine habitat in the area to prosper.

Berkstresser agrees.

“When the project is completed it will be a boon to wildlife, especially fishing,” he said. “The breakwaters will stimulate oysters, barnacles and other shellfish, which will attract more fish.”

He thinks within one or two years, the fishing in Apollo Beach should see dramatic increases.

The estimated completion date of phase one is April 30, but Dickerson said he is optimistic it will be completed sooner. The beach area and preserve will continue to be closed for safety in and around the construction site.

Berkstresser anticipates phase two will be completed around the end of May.

The current budget for the project is $770,843.

“To date, that budget remains the same, but there will be additional funding necessary to compensate for the unexpected presence of seagrass in the construction footprint that required additional permitting, design changes, and time necessary to complete the project,” Dickerson said.

The Hillsborough County Commission unanimously voted a $1.3 million allocation in 2014 for the restoration project. South Shore businesses and other Hillsborough County organizations contributed nearly $250,000 toward the project cost. The additional $1.5 million investment is a partnership between Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation and ABWIG, including major donors such as Tampa Electric Company, Mosaic Company, Apollo Beach homeowners associations, real estate brokers, boating groups and individuals from the region.

Additional resources to maintain the waterway channels are needed to ensure future care and maintenance planned during phase two of the overall project. ABWIG will continue to seek contributions throughout 2015.

The public is invited to A Tapas & Tasting fundraiser to take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Apollo’s Bistro, 6520 Richies Way, Apollo Beach. Guests will experience a five-course tapas menu, and select wines will be paired with the food. The cost is $40 per person, with proceeds going to benefit the restoration project. Seating is limited. Call (813) 641-2685 or visit www.ab wig.org.