City to Hold Fast on Seawall Manufacturing Ban

Late in 2020, the issue of construction of seawall panels in residential areas was brought before both the Marco Island Planning Board and the City Council. Utilization of residential lots for the construction of those panels, including abuses by some who were violating rules by staging equipment without permits and for extended periods of time, caused the city to take action due to complaints from residents.

At a public hearing on the matter, Steven Sokol, a local contractor and owner of Blue Marlin Marine, was able to answer a number of questions by board members, the most important of which lay in the cost impact if seawall manufacturing were to be done off island, rather than on residential lots. Sokol said that it should be a “wash,” and would have little or no impact on pricing. Blue Marlin presently has its panels poured off island by a manufacturer off U.S. 41, as do several other contractors.

Brian Gilmore, co-owner of Collier Seawall and Dock on Marco Island, commented during his testimony that it is time to limit disturbances in residential neighborhoods. "Seeing that the island is going into what I would call a new phase, which is bigger homes and bigger boats, I believe that it is time to try to limit disturbances to neighbors in these residential neighborhoods," he said.

Gilmore did say that the cost of manufacturing seawalls will increase because of the new ordinance, as companies like his will have to pay to make seawall panels off island and transport them to Marco. But, he said, there are other factors that also inevitably will raise costs. "There always are increases in material costs, labor and insurance.”

As a result of multiple complaints, Council tightened the amount of time one could stage on a vacant property, seeing it as a “quality of life” issue for neighboring property owners. They also voted to prohibit local manufacturing of those walls effective July 1, 2021. 

Late in June of this year, Duane Thomas, owner of Duane Thomas Marine Construction, took his case to a local media outlet to make a last ditch “Hail Mary” attempt to have to have the city change its mind regarding the decision to prohibit manufacturing of seawalls on the island. 

Thomas warned that it could increase the cost of those panels by doubling the cost for which he personally can manufacture them. He also warned that many seawalls in the city are approaching an end-of-life cycle, having been installed 50 plus years ago. He even requested that the city consider setting aside a portion of Veterans’ Community Park for that purpose.

After 10 years of planning, long deliberations, multiple public hearings and at least two separate master plans for the park, Council recently voted to move ahead with the improvement plans to the park at a cost of $11 million. The city has not given Thomas any indication that it would consider his suggestion and change its plans for Veterans’ Community Park. 

New Technologies

Advances in technologies and materials have been developed over the last two decades and some homeowners, condominiums and businesses have taken advantage of those improvements.  

Some homeowners on the island have turned to the use of vinyl seawall panels. In many cases, these new composite panels can be utilized without the costly demolition of the old seawall by installing them in front of an existing seawall. When placed properly, the area between the new vinyl sheeting and the old wall can be backfilled and a new seawall cap with tie-backs can be installed.

The installation process is shortened and the impact on a homeowner’s lot can be minimized. It may not be right for every installation, but with time, the advances in technology may help to minimize the impact on homeowners

The city, as well as some condominiums and other commercial properties around the island, have utilized specialized steel sheet panels in place of the standard cement panels. 

Over 50 years ago, when the Mackle Brothers first viewed the raw canvas that would become what is known today as modern Marco Island, there was not a well-defined canal or street grid. They created the infrastructure by dredging and filling, creating over 100 miles of canals to provide future residents with building lots that allowed for the construction of homes and condominiums.