Residents, architect raise safety and permitting concerns about 30 Seventh Avenue South dune walkover

Residents and a licensed architect urged the Jacksonville Beach City Council on May 20 to address safety and permitting concerns at the dune walkover serving 30 Seventh Avenue South.

The matter is about access, safety and building-permit compliance. ‘‘It is really slippery… I almost slipped this morning,’’ resident Michelle Matasue told the council, describing multiple falls and requesting the city inspect ramps and consider design or surface changes. Daryl Griswold said the ramp’s steep profile prevents his son, who uses a wheelchair, from safely reaching the beach and that sand routinely accumulates until volunteers or neighbors clear it. Kathy Jackson told the council the ramp is ‘‘very slippery’’ when wet and too steep to safely move a wheelchair up or down.

A licensed architect, Brian Green, said the walkover at 30 Seventh Avenue South was permitted but ‘‘has never received a final inspection or certificate of completion,’’ and that the permit is inactive. Green said the lack of a final inspection means the structure may not comply with Florida building-code requirements. He told the council he has filed formal complaints with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the U.S. Department of Justice and described an exchange with the city’s chief building official, George Knight: ‘‘All I do is make sure the documents are signed and sealed by a professional,’’ Green quoted Knight as saying. Green said Knight told him, ‘‘things will go easier for me if I don't make such a commotion and that I need to act more civil,’’ which Green characterized as an attempt to discourage raising safety concerns.

Those who spoke requested the city inspect the walkover, clarify whether final inspections and certificates of completion exist for this and similar structures, and consider fixes that would improve traction and ADA access. No council motion or vote was recorded on the walkover during the meeting; the comments came in the public-comment portion of the agenda.

The council did not take immediate formal action on the issue during the meeting. Several residents asked the council to prioritize repairs and clearer maintenance for the ramp to reduce fall risk and to restore reasonable beach access for people using mobility devices.

The record shows multiple residents described slip-and-fall incidents, steep grades and sand accumulation at the structure at 30 Seventh Avenue South; a licensed architect alleged permitting and inspection deficiencies and reported filing regulatory complaints. The council did not refer the item to a specific committee or schedule a formal follow-up at the meeting.