It seems that the brief vacation St. Pete Beach enjoyed from drama and hostility is now officially over.
As many SPB residents know, a fresh batch of litigation was recently served on the people of St. Pete
Beach regarding the city's redevelopment efforts.
Frustrating? Absolutely. But there is more. While walking on Upham Beach this weekend, I was shocked and dismayed to see that the geotextile erosion control structures (the "T-Groins") have already sustained substantial damage, only a few months after their installation and repair by Pinellas County.
As shown in the video and photos I took over the weekend, the nature and extent of this damage is substantial. The thick, durable outer coating of these Geotubes has been marred by deep incisions, and large sections appear to have been torn away in a manner clearly inconsistent with natural wear and tear.
The geotube T-Groins do a great job of withstanding the waves and holding sand on the beach. The damaged sections will be patched by Pinellas County, and hopefully there will be no further damage.
