TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — An expected month-long closure for part of Sunset Beach began Wednesday. The city said the beach south of Caddy’s along West Gulf Boulevard is off limits for safety reasons during an emergency beach dune restoration.
It was one of the areas that saw severe erosion in the wake of Hurricane Idalia. The project is a joint effort between the city and Pinellas County.
A Treasure Island spokesperson says trucks of sand and equipment began arriving at the site Wednesday so restoration can start this weekend.
“Patience will pay off,” Treasure Island public information officer Jason Beisel said. “I know it’s frustrating to people, especially if you have plans to come out here and you’re planning to come out, even on vacation, and rest on this beach. This is something that needs to be done or we’re not going to have a beach.”
The city said the closure won’t impact businesses in the area.
It was business as usual at Caddy’s on Wednesday, but just a few weeks ago, the restaurant had a front row seat to the impacts of Hurricane Idalia.
“We had a huge tree over here,” General Manager Jessica Ford said, pointing to the beach near the restaurant. “We had about three or four feet of sand in each cabana.”
Ford said thanks to the hard work of staff members, they were back open in time for Labor Day, but she knows not all parts of Sunset Beach were so lucky.
“It’s really sad to see kind of what happened a little bit past us. There was a lot of beach that was lost, a lot of sand that was blown up,” Ford said.
Beisel said 40,000 cubic yards of sand is being brought in and dunes will be built up about four feet. Vegetation may also be planted to help further secure the dunes.
Ford said the hope is residents and tourists won’t hear about the beach closure and think area businesses are shuttered, too.
“That’s definitely a concern,” Ford said. “The city of Treasure Island does a great job of making sure they understand that we are open, other local businesses are open in this area.”
Rebecca Blasdel said Wednesday was her first time making the drive from her home in Belleair Bluffs to Sunset Beach since Idalia. She said she checked social media to see what was open because she didn’t know what to expect in the area.
“I even called to make sure this Caddy’s was open,” Blasdel said.
A sign along West Gulf Blvd. also works to get the message out. It reads, “Businesses open, beach closed.”
“We do want people to come down and see us, but respect the other part of the beach that does have to be revamped,” Ford said.
The city said updates on the project will be posted to its web site and social media.
Source : Baynews9
