Commission asks staff to study 'living seawalls' and permitting for resiliency upgrades
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Summary
Vice Mayor asked staff to explore living seawalls (bio walls) as a resilience and habitat measure. Commissioners discussed candidate locations (Intracoastal Park, Bella Vista Bay Park), permitting through the county and DEP incentives, and whether installations better suit new seawalls than retrofits.
The commission discussed the potential to deploy living seawalls — modular panels or tile systems that create habitat and reduce environmental harm — and directed staff to study feasibility and permitting.
The vice mayor described two approaches: FIU-developed tiles affixed to seawalls and larger prefabricated slabs that sit in front of existing walls and simulate mangrove roots. She cited carbon-sequestration claims for the product: "they sequester carbon through bio calcification, about 40 pounds of carbon per panel per panel per year," and noted that DEP and other agencies have created incentives for pilot projects.
Commissioners and staff discussed where the city-owned seawalls are located (Intracoastal Park, Bella Vista Bay Park), permitting responsibility (county-level permitting for in-ground works), the difference in suitability for new versus aging seawalls and whether incentives could speed homeowner or developer adoption. Staff said Bella Vista Bay has a project out to bid and that permitting would involve county and state agencies.
The commission directed staff to report back at the next meeting with permitting steps, potential costs and candidate pilot locations.
