Collier leaders OK emergency sand restoration at Naples, Vanderbilt beaches

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NAPLES Severely eroded stretches of Vanderbilt and Naples beaches will get a little more sand under an emergency declaration authorized Tuesday by Collier County commissioners.

Commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with the emergency renourishment, which follows a double-whammy to the beaches from tropical storms Debby and Isaac this summer.

Even before the two storms, though, hoteliers and some commissioners had been flummoxed by the slow pace of the county's plans to beef up the beaches. The sentiment carried over to Tuesday's meeting, where commissioners also voted unanimously to move forward with a more extensive renourishment for Vanderbilt, Park Shore and Naples beaches starting in September 2013.

Commissioner Georgia Hiller called the timeline "unacceptable," and Commissioner Tom Henning said county officials owe commissioners an explanation for why the beaches are overdue.

The last major beach renourishment happened in 2005 and 2006 and was meant to last for six years. In 2011, commissioners asked county beach planners to explore ways to extend the life of the next renourishment by putting more sand on the beach than in 2006.

But when the Federal Emergency Management Agency didn't come through with an expected $11.2 million share, it threw the county's funding scheme out of whack and sent the county back to another smaller, six-year renourishment project. It is estimated to cost between $15 million and $17.5 million.

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Collier leaders OK emergency sand restoration at Naples, Vanderbilt beaches

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