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Pinellas County seeks public input on Dunedin Causeway resiliency plan
Summary
Pinellas County held a public outreach meeting to solicit community input for a Dunedin Causeway Resiliency and Adaptation Plan funded by an FDEP grant; the study will inventory existing assets, model future coastal flood scenarios and propose mitigation strategies but does not fund construction or bridge replacements.
Pinellas County on Wednesday invited public input on a resiliency and adaptation study for the Dunedin Causeway, a roughly 2.5-mile corridor from the entrance of Honeymoon Island State Park to the intersection of Causeway Boulevard and Alternate U.S. 19, saying the study will identify assets at risk from future coastal flooding and sea level rise and develop options to reduce those risks.
A Pinellas County project presenter said the county received a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to develop methods for minimizing storm and sea-level-rise damage to critical features and facilities along the causeway, and emphasized community participation: "Your input is important to assist in identifying assets that are important and most critical to the community."
The study will document existing natural and built assets, run engineering and environmental analyses and model future flooding scenarios for 2050, 2080 and 2100 to evaluate mitigation strategies. "This study will evaluate strategies that could be implemented for the Dunedin Causeway prior to future storm events that could minimize storm and flooding damage," the presenter said, citing the Sanibel Causeway's damage during Hurricane Ian as an example of causeway vulnerability.
Why it matters: The Dunedin Causeway provides recreation access, utilities for Honeymoon Island State Park and a roadway that can serve evacuation and local traffic needs. County officials said the study aims to balance engineered measures and natural resiliency approaches — such as riprap, bulkheads or expanded mangrove fringes and oyster reefs — with community values and environmental impacts.
What the study includes and excludes: The presenter said the study focuses only on existing assets and will not evaluate new facilities (piers, new parking or expanded beaches). It also will not address the existing bridges that are planned for replacement; detailed bridge analyses are reserved for the bridge replacement design phase, which is currently on hold. County staff said other concerns raised in public discussion — temporary jet-ski-launch closures, dogs off leash, speeding and noise — are not within this study's scope.
Technical team, timeline and funding: The county began the environmental analysis in September 2024 and convened technical experts in March 2025; a second meeting of experts is planned for January 2026. The presenter said the resiliency and adaptation plan is expected to be complete in spring 2026 and will be posted at pinellas.gov/resilientinfrastructure. The presenter also said funding for design and construction of recommended improvements is not currently available and that the county plans to pursue implementation funding if the plan identifies viable projects.
How to comment: County staff encouraged residents to submit asset locations and comments through an online survey (preferred), paper surveys at the meeting, sticky notes on a map at the meeting or written comment forms. The presenter said the online survey will be available through July 16, 2025, and that submitted locations will appear on a projected map during the meeting. "After you submit, you will receive confirmation of the submittal and be redirected back to the survey to enter additional assets," the presenter said.
Contact: Anne Venables, Pinellas County project manager, was listed as the contact for questions (avenables@pinellas.gov).
