By John Pacenti
Regulating sea walls can be dicey for municipalities. While they race to fortify against rising tides, such efforts often collide with the checkbooks of private property owners, turning climate resilience into a very expensive home improvement.
Manalapan Town Manager Eric Marmer recommended to commissioners at their April 14 meeting that the town broaden its coastal protection strategy beyond its fight against the county’s sand‑transfer operation — which takes sand from the town’s side of the Boynton Inlet and dumps it on Ocean Ridge’s side. He recommended including a coordinated sea wall, shoreline and inspection program aimed at improving public safety, environmental outcomes and long‑term resiliency.
“I think we would focus on new construction, like, if you’re building, you have to do this, but not force current homeowners to do it,” Marmer said.
It’s a smart strategy since Fort Lauderdale and Key Biscayne had near revolts when each tried to propose a sea wall height ordinance for existing homes.
A sea wall replacement could cost $50,000 to $150,000, and residents in Fort Lauderdale accused the city of trying to force them out of their homes. In Key Biscayne, some residents argued that barrier islands are designed to allow water to pass through, and sea walls actually cause flooding by creating a bathtub effect.
Miami Beach, on the other hand, has taken an aggressive stance on failing sea walls, levying daily fines, and will install temporary flood barriers at the property owner’s expense.
Miami-Dade and Broward counties have passed sea wall ordinances, but Palm Beach County has not, Marmer noted.
“We’re going to start monitoring them, making sure they’re up to speed,” Marmer said of the town’s inspections of sea walls.
Jacek Tomasik, the building code administrator for the town, said he is gathering information on how other municipalities regulate the construction of sea walls. Part of the strategy centers on modern “living” sea wall concepts and wave‑mitigation panels designed to reduce wave energy, improve near-shore water quality, and even support marine life.
Marmer said the town has been researching vendors and innovative designs used in other South Florida venues and plans to evaluate whether the town should adopt standards or incentives to promote those materials. He suggested the possibility of offering fee relief for installations that incorporate eco‑benefits.
Joe Imbesi, spouse of Commissioner Orla Imbesi, said he is in favor of the town’s getting serious about sea walls because of flooding on Lands Ends Road on Point Manalapan and the rest of Hypoluxo Island.
“What I’m hoping they’re getting to is there should be a uniform sea wall on the entire beach, the part that’s facing the lake (the Intracoastal Waterway), because most times when there is a lot of rain, the whole road, you can’t even get down that road.”
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