Resolution 269-1979
RESOLUTION 11
269-1979
WHEREAS, the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS of MONROE County,
Florida, has received an application from William B. Ansley to
construct the following for the purpose of developing a commercial
marina:
13 finger piers (2 locations) with the dimenSbns of
10' long x 2' wide, pile sUI~rted and connected to the
uplands.
14 mooring pilings (2 locations)
A total of about 450' of riprap to be placed at MHW
(2 locations).
A wooden pile-supported shoreline dock measuring 200'
long x 4' wide.
Riprap and fill an irregular area below MEW measuring
about 50' x 50' x -3' MLW. About 285 cubic yards of fill
would be placed below MHW. (Dimensions of fill area
revised 9/25/79).
A floating barge would be used to drill pile holes and to place
mooring pilings and finger piers. All materials would be delivered
to site by truck, a crane would presumably be used to place riprap
and a dozer would be used to level fill.
The project site is located immediately south of U.S. #1 in Marathon,
on Boot Key Harbor, and in an area of intense residential and
commercial development. Shoreline alterations are extensive with
commercial piers, dredged basins and fill sites. Little natural
shoreline remains although immediately east of the site is a shallow
embayed area with a mature red mangrove fringe. The basin of the
project site opens into Boot Key Harbor, an artificially deep
navigation channel connected to Moser Channel to the west. Across
Boot Key Harbor to the south is the natural red mangrove shoreline
of Boot Key.
The project site consists of a long, narrow spit of land bounded
on the west by an artificially deep boat basin (used by commercial
and private interests) and on the east by an embayment of shallow
(-1' to -2') natural baybottom vegetated by turtle grass (Thalassia
testudinum) ,Cuban shoalgrass (Halodule wrightii) and epiphytic algae.
Most of the west shoreline is old concrete bulkhead that is presumably
to be replaced. From this will be located the finger piers and
mooring pilings. This basin is deep (-15' MLW?) , with essentially
unvegetated, silt and rubble, eroded sides and presumably lacks
significant benthic vegetation due to depth, lack of circulation, etc.
The southerly 250' of this spit of land is an irregular low-lying
rocky point that is vegetated by large red (~hizophora mangle) and
black (Avicennia germinans) mangroves, buttonwoods (Conocarpuserectus)
and glasswort (Salicornia). This area is presently too narrow and low-
lying for development other than by transients which have established
small homesteads and docks in the mangroves. About 140' of the shore-
line of the boat basin north of this mangrove fringe area is an eroded
rubble, sloping shore, vegetated subtidally by the algae Laurencia,
Caulerpa and Halimeda. Along MEW in this area would be placed riprap
for about 200' and the shoreline wood dock would be placed just
waterward of the riprap. Presently, there are scattered, small red,
black and white (Languncularia racemosa) mangroves along this rubble
shore.
Themst side of the property, adjacent to the shallow bay, contains
a mature red, black and white mangrove fringe for about 300' of the
open water shore to the north. This fringe contains mangroves to
15-20' tall and is about 10-20' wide. MHW is located through the
I
APPROVED ON
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middle of this fringe which precludes the placement of riprap in
this area. Waters in front of this fringe are shallow (0 to -1' MLW)
and contain seagrasses. South of this fringe for about 250' is a
rubble, debris laden shoreline that contains scattered, small
mangroves and slopes to vegetated baybottom. Riprap is proposed
here along MHW and would continue to the south below MHW to enclose
a subtidal depression about SO' x SO'. This area was artificially
deepened (currently about -3' MLW) in the past and presently contains
only soft sediments (2' to 4' deep), debris, junk and large numbers
of upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopeia). Innnediately to the east of
this proposed fill area are soft sediments and turtle grass and to
the south is a shallow bank with coarser, more compact sediments,
vegetated by shoalgrass and various algae. The west side of the fill
area slopes up to the hard-rock spit and several large, mature red
mangroves. Fill would be placed across the center of the spit to
connect with the riprap at MHW of the west shoreline. This would
square off the south end of the project. Fishes observed in this
general area included snappers (Lutjanidae), pinfish (Lagodon
Rhomboides) and silversides (Atherinidae).
The~acement of the finger piers, shoreline dock and mooring pilings
will have no adverse impact on local biological resources as they will
be placed in an artificially deep basin. Placement of riprap along
MHW in two sites will insure cleaner shorelines and reduce erosion
with no loss of significant shoreline vegetation. The SO' x SO'
fill area will eliminate an unvegetated, silt-filled depression and
establish a clean riprap shore adjacent to seagrassed baybottom. The
placement of this fill and riprap will not impact adjacent seagrasses.
Several large, mature red mangroves will be eliminated along with
their attendant prop, root connnunities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, by the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
of MONROE County, Florida, that said BOARD hereby given its approval
for the construction of the above mentioned project.
RESOLVED this
20th
day of November, 1979, at a Regularly
scheduled Meeting.
ATTEST
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Cle~
BY
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