Good Morning, Sunland
It's Monday! and I've been obsessed with digging into the archives here locally. Got a history lesson for you: MLK Boulevard wasn't always MLK Boulevard. Watch here.
👁️ Caught my eye: PSL Track Team broke a school record (previously set by my brother). Tavis Jean Francois, Ezekiel Pata, Makai Davis, and Antonio Richardson ran the 4x100 in 42.58 seconds at Regionals. Pure dominance.
In today's newsletter:
🏖️ Fort Pierce Jetty Park is Florida's most eroded beach, new T-groin plan aims to change that
🎨 Indian River Clay plans expansion at former school site
🍽️ PSL approves Port District restaurant lease amendment
🏛️ Stuart swears in Michael Giardino as new city manager
🏛️ Fort Pierce City Hall heading into uncomfortable conversation about manager/attorney alignment
💜 People Pass Shoutout: Thank you to everyone supporting the newsletter! If you want to help keep this going, support here.
☁️ Weather Update: Cloudy with a chance of RAIN!
☀️ Day: High of 78°F | Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. 24% chance of rain.
🌙 Night: Low of 69°F | Cloudy with showers. Winds 10-20 mph. 40% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:39 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 7:56 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 10:58 PM | 🌚 Moonset: 8:19 AM
🎶 Sounds like: "Optimistic" — Sounds of Blackness
Ja'Min Devon
Founder, Sunland News
🟠 Main Squeeze: Fort Pierce Jetty Park is Florida's most eroded beach and a new plan aims to change that
According to the Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Pierce Jetty Park has had sand placed on it 14 times since 1971, costs roughly $15 million every two years to restore, and carries the designation of the most eroded beach in Florida. We talked about what the long term looks like for our beaches and the situation has only gotten more urgent since then 🏖️.
Why it matters: A current $15.1 million project is placing 400,000 cubic yards of sand on a one mile stretch from the jetty south and is expected to wrap up by mid-May. But the Army Corps of Engineers and St. Lucie County are now working on something meant to actually slow the cycle down rather than just repeat it every two years.
The T-groin plan 📋:
🪨 Six T-groins planned for placement at Jetty Park beach by 2030
💰 Total cost split between the Army Corps and St. Lucie County at $900,000
🌊 T-groins run perpendicular from the dune line with the T portion sitting in the ocean, designed to reduce wave energy and trap sand
📅 The goal is to stretch restoration cycles from every two years to every four years
⚠️ Worth noting: the county did not cite any data or studies proving T-groins will work here
The bigger picture on our coastline 🌍: The erosion problem extends well beyond Fort Pierce. Martin County just completed a $15 million restoration of four miles of Hutchinson Island shoreline, fully funded through federal Hurricane Nicole recovery dollars. St. Lucie County received an additional $500,000 in emergency sand at Jetty Park earlier this year on top of the current project. Florida is the number one recipient of beach renourishment funds in the country, with nearly $800 million in federal dollars spent on erosion control statewide since 2000.
New state legislation signed in March focuses on longer term solutions including dunes, mangroves and vegetation to stabilize coastlines rather than continuing to rely on sand placement alone.
What's next: The current sand project wraps up by mid-May and the T-groin project is targeted for completion by 2030 📅.
💬 Do you think government should keep up with the renourishment projects or figure out a more costly solution? Tell us right here
🚧 Press Round: Clay, Construction & City Hall
🎨 Indian River Clay Plans Expansion at Former School Site
Indian River Clay announced plans to acquire the former Alternative Learning Center at 1427 19th Street in Vero Beach to expand from 75 artists to double that capacity and add private studios. The nonprofit currently has a waitlist of about 80 prospective members and says the expansion will be funded through sale of its current facility, mortgage financing and a capital campaign.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
🍽️ PSL Approves Port District Restaurant Lease Amendment
Port St. Lucie City Council unanimously approved an amendment to the 30 year lease for the River Food Garden restaurant overlooking the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, with developer Gaurav Butani saying construction started and completion is targeted for May 2027 with a fall opening. The city is expanding the lift station to accommodate 550 seats.
👉 Read more (Hometown News)
🏛️ Stuart Swears In Michael Giardino as New City Manager
Stuart officially swore in Michael Giardino as city manager April 27, filling the role after a months long search. Giardino, a former Navy officer who most recently served as deputy general manager of LaGuardia Airports, will earn $195,000 and must live within 15 miles of the city.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
🎉 Weekdayer: May 4 - May 8
Tuesday, May 5
🌮 Cinco de Mayo Fiesta – 5363 NW East Torino Pkwy, Port St. Lucie. | 11:30 AM | Details
🌮 Fiesta 5 de Mayo – 291 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd, Port St. Lucie. | 11 AM | Details
🌮 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Meating Street – Meating Street, Port St. Lucie. | 4 PM | Details
🏛️ Lincoln Park Community Master Plan – Public Workshop #3 – 1306 Avenue M, Fort Pierce. | 5:30 PM | Details
Wednesday, May 6
📅 May 2025
Everything happening in St. Lucie County this month.
We put together the full May events list. Check out the preview and start planning your month.
See the Full ListThursday, May 7
🎵 Thursday Night Social Club – 809 Delaware Ave, Fort Pierce. | 6 PM | Details
Send Me More Events Here
💧 THE LAST DROP
Three things St. Lucie County needs to know.
Fort Pierce's city hall is heading into an uncomfortable conversation Monday. The city manager and city attorney are not aligned on who should be consulting who, and that dispute went public after a finance director's wages got garnished, an employee got suspended, and a potential federal law violation entered the picture. Commissioners want answers.
Project Orchid wants to bring a major metal foundry to North Rock Road in St. Lucie County. The proposal includes rezoning to Heavy Industrial and a conditional use permit on a 20-plus acre site in the St. Lucie Commerce Center. Quasi-judicial hearings are set for May 5.
The Veterans Advisory Council is being dissolved after 38 years. The board was created in 1988, and a formal resolution vote to repeal it is on the BOCC agenda May 5. No replacement has been announced.
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