St. Augustine staff solicit public input on limits for yard fill, bulkheads and building techniques to reduce flooding

City of Saint Augustine planning staff convened a public workshop to gather resident and contractor feedback on proposals to regulate yard fill, bulkheads and building techniques in low-lying neighborhoods subject to repeated flooding.

"We are here to talk about resilience and building techniques," Amy Skinner, director of the Planning and Building Department, told attendees as the workshop opened. Staff said the effort grew from storm damage and recurring questions at Planning & Zoning Board hearings about developers bringing in large amounts of fill and changing drainage patterns.

Why it matters: City staff and residents said inconsistent permitting and rising post-storm rebuilding have increased local flooding risks and created neighborhood tensions. Staff cautioned that private bulkheads and filling can shift water onto neighboring lots; builders and homeowners argued limits could make properties uninsurable or impractical to use.

City and staff overview

Skinner said city data show a large portion of the city is low-lying and that most of the shoreline is in private ownership. Staff noted roughly 75% of the city shoreline is natural and that about 90% of the city lies in a FEMA flood zone. She also described recent storm surge heights cited at the meeting — roughly 6½ feet for Hurricanes Ian and Nicole and about 7½ feet in places during Hurricane Matthew — and said the city has been directed by the City Commission to work with Planning & Zoning to address fill and shoreline standards.

Ray Deshler, the city''s certified floodplain manager,…