• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Two Turtle Nests Halt Flagler Beach Pier Construction Until September as Workarounds Prove Impractical

July 31, 2025 | FlaglerLive | 26 Comments

The loggerhead turtle nest in the path of the Flagler Beach pier construction trestle, in a picture taken Wednesday at dawn. The earlier nest is visible against the dune line, to the left. The Flagler Turtle Patrol builds a 10-by-10 enclosure, and in these two cases also built 20-by-20 enclosures to delineate where pilings may not cross. (© Rick Belhumeur for FlaglerLive)
The loggerhead turtle nest in the path of the Flagler Beach pier construction trestle, in a picture taken Wednesday at dawn. The earlier nest is visible against the dune line, to the left. The Flagler Turtle Patrol builds a 10-by-10 enclosure, and in these two cases also built 20-by-20 enclosures to delineate where pilings may not cross. (© Rick Belhumeur for FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach pier demolition and reconstruction project is coming to a halt next Wednesday. Two new turtle nests burrowed in the path of the large trestle under construction are stopping work on the $16 million project. It will resume in about two months, after the turtles have hatched.

The due date for the newest turtle nest is not before Sept. 10.

Redesigning the trestle path to avoid the nests would be too expensive and may take long enough that by the time the redesign is complete, the turtles may have hatched anyway, construction engineers and city officials determined.

So City Manager Dale Martin said this morning he is following the city engineer’s recommendation to suspend construction “and be patient for a month and a half, two months.” Preliminary work will continue through Tuesday, then will begin what he calls the “turtle nest delay.”

A green turtle–the largest among the nesting turtles–dug the first nest over three weeks ago, says Lori Ottlein of the Flagler Turtle Patrol. That necessitated a workaround just as the first piling was about to be drilled. It was moved just enough to give the nest a 20-foot buffer. Work continued.

“Then of course Sunday, little miss loggerhead decided to come up and nest right smack in the middle of the plan,” Ottlein said.

The nests had the planned trestle essentially surrounded.

The second nest. (© Rick Belhumeur for FlaglerLive)
The second nest. (© Rick Belhumeur for FlaglerLive)

Vecellio and Grogan, the contractor, had been driving huge metal piles into the ground as the foundation for a trestle that will parallel the pier. The platform will enable heavy equipment to conduct the demolition, then the reconstruction.

Justin McKay, the project manager for Vecelio and Grogan, late Wednesday morning informed the city administration of the nesting dilemma and outlined options. Other than waiting out the nests, none of the options were attractive or cost-effective.

“I have been in discussions with our Specialty Trestle Design Engineer, and he is having difficulty designing around Sea Turtle Nest # 2,” McKay wrote. “He proposed a concept, but the only way he is able to make it happen would be to shift the entire Unit 1 of the trestle (which we are in the process of installing the piling for now), and adjust the radius of the trestle entry. This would require us pulling all of the piling we installed, relocating and then re-driving them. This also does not guarantee that the material haulers will be able to safely make the turn with the new proposed radius (our previous one was confirmed to work by the haulers themselves), so it may require future modifications, re-work, etc. at a later date. Impacts of this are impossible to determine at this time.”

Another option, McKay said, “would be to completely redesign and relocate the trestle South of Turtle nest 1, which would involve an entire redesign, and cause other issues.” Dunes would be further impacted and beach space available for the public would be further diminished. “We also run the risk of additional nests being created that may conflict with a new trestle design,” he wrote.

To do that, the company would have to redesign the trestle (the original trestle took a month to design) and get it reviewed by regulatory agencies, and its prefabrication altered.

“The final option that I can think of is to wait out the incubation period, and resume work once the eggs have hatched,” McKay said. “In this case, V&G will make best effort to mitigate costs incurred by things within our control.” He left it to the city manager to advise on how to proceed.

City Engineer Bill Freeman told Marin that he was “not optimistic about coming up with the alternative that is much different than waiting the 55 – 70 day incubation period.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issues permits for relocating nests. But it’s not as simple as it sounds. The contractor would have had to secure those permits before construction began. That’s what happened as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers renourished the beach in the city last year. That did not happen in this case.

The engineers attempted a workaround, but it proved too costly and time consuming. (Vecelio & Grogan)
The engineers attempted a workaround, but it proved too costly and time consuming. (Vecelio & Grogan)

Had the permits been in hand, the nests could have been moved only within the very brief window–a matter of hours–between the time the eggs are laid and 9 a.m. of the first morning after the nesting. Beyond that, the nests may not be moved, Ottlein said. The hatching success of relocated nests is also lower than untouched nests.

“I guess we just have to follow the rules and regs put in place by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and FWC and follow the proper protocols and procedures,” Flagler Beach Commission Chair James Sherman said.

The Flagler Turtle Patrol “flags” each nest: the “flagging” date is the same as the due date. The first nest is flagged for August 16. That doesn’t mean the hatchlings will emerge that day, necessarily. They could take up to 15 days from that date.

The second nest is flagged for September 10. Ottlein said the turtles this season have been hatching at the 60-day mark. “The hotter it gets, the faster they’re going to hatch,” she said. Each nest, protected by a 10-by-10 enclosure, may produce between 80 and 140 hatchlings. But theirs are lives of fragility and predatory fates. Only one in 1,000 will survive to age 25, the age at which turtles may begin laying eggs. Survivors live beyond 80 years.

Their nests are also fragile. “Nobody really knows how that pounding of the pilings might affect the eggs,” Ottlein said. “20 feet away might be good, maybe it’s not. This isn’t something we’ve encountered. They might be OK. We don’t know.”

The Turtle Patrol has documented 163 nests in Flagler Beach alone so far this season (from Snack Jack’s to the Beverly Beach town limit), and over 500 nests from the Beverly Beach town limit to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.

“It sounds like with the different options to redesign, possibly refabricate, pull out the already installed pilings, the alternative to wait until the incubation period may be the most feasible,” City Commissioner Scott Spradley said. “It’s just a fact of living in a coastal environment. We all have had the expectation of possible delays anyway, for hurricanes. This is one many of us did not foresee. But it’s just as much a reality.”

Support FlaglerLive's End of Year Fundraiser
Thank you readers for getting us to--and past--our year-end fund-raising goal yet again. It’s a bracing way to mark our 15th year at FlaglerLive. Our donors are just a fraction of the 25,000 readers who seek us out for the best-reported, most timely, trustworthy, and independent local news site anywhere, without paywall. FlaglerLive is free. Fighting misinformation and keeping democracy in the sunshine 365/7/24 isn’t free. Take a brief moment, become a champion of fearless, enlightening journalism. Any amount helps. We’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donations are tax deductible.  
You may donate openly or anonymously.
We like Zeffy (no fees), but if you prefer to use PayPal, click here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brian says

    July 31, 2025 at 12:37 pm

    A big “thank you” to everyone involved for your concern for the turtles.

    Loading...
    14
  2. Mothersworry says

    July 31, 2025 at 1:02 pm

    Couldn’t they have put up some sort of fencing to make the turtles avoid the area? Can the nests be re located?

    Loading...
    3
  3. sunning turtle says

    July 31, 2025 at 1:44 pm

    Wasn’t construction supposed to begin AFTER turtle nesting season? Will the construction items be removed and the parking spaces be restored during the hiatus?

    Loading...
    1
  4. Pogo says

    July 31, 2025 at 2:01 pm

    @How long

    … til DeSantis and a reinforced company of flurida guard roar onto the shore in a Higgins boat to make things great and take back duh beach?

    Think that’s a joke — we will see.

    Loading...
    9
  5. Billy says

    July 31, 2025 at 2:26 pm

    They instantly bulldoze every other wildlife habitat in Flagler county. I don’t know why this would be different.

    Loading...
    19
  6. Dan says

    July 31, 2025 at 2:27 pm

    There are 4 million fricking turtles in flagler county. So a 16 million dollar project stops because of some eggs in the sand, unbelievable..

    Loading...
    15
  7. Jay Tomm says

    July 31, 2025 at 2:40 pm

    Really? Why are turtles that important????

    Loading...
    5
  8. TR says

    July 31, 2025 at 3:49 pm

    I thought the old pier would be torn down except for like the first 100′. Then the new concrete supports put in along with new decking, tables and bench installed. So not understanding the drawing with the new pier running parallel to the old one.

    Loading...
  9. JimboXYZ says

    July 31, 2025 at 5:17 pm

    Mother Nature wins again vs the pier. What is the cost impact ?

    Loading...
    0
  10. Katie Rinoldo says

    July 31, 2025 at 8:02 pm

    What amazes me is for everything else we’ve had to do on that beach the last several years or if the nest is going to get washed away, they have been able to move a turtle nest. I don’t know why all of a sudden this project has to cease operation because a turtle nest is laid. Why can’t they just relocate it?

    Loading...
    5
  11. Big Mike says

    July 31, 2025 at 8:22 pm

    That’s some great plan B! Let’s re-start this project going into the height of the Hurricane Season…what could go wrong?? Why wasn’t a temporary, orange safety fence placed in the patch of the pile driving area in the beginning of May, the period for the majority of nesting activity, to prevent the turtles laying their eggs there?

    Loading...
    7
  12. Kathy D says

    July 31, 2025 at 11:46 pm

    In my next life I want to be a turtle and live in Flagler Beach

    Loading...
    4
  13. Delaydelaydelay says

    August 1, 2025 at 5:32 am

    @ Billy – I agree. This is a joke if you look at the history of development in this county. For decades, we had deer on the barrier island. Now, the only deer you see is an occasional dead carcass on the side of the road from being struck by a vehicle. People complain about seeing bear, coyotes, alligators, etc., but when you eliminate their habitat, where do you expect them to go, to a Holiday Inn Express? I’ve seen it done in the past, you can relocate the turtle eggs and they’ll still hatch.

    Loading...
    4
  14. Local Dog says

    August 1, 2025 at 6:37 am

    As mentioned in an earlier comment, construction should have begun after the summer season. No. You guys had to wreck parking and start in the middle of the summer. After doing so, the turtles stopped you because listening to the local merchants and beachgoers made too much sense.

    Loading...
    2
  15. Larry says

    August 1, 2025 at 9:32 am

    Too bad the permit for moving turtle nests wasn’t initiated as part of the overall pier project, with a plan to move nest as needed. Sounds like this is what they did during beach renourshment.

    Someone dropped the ball in the project management or planning portion of the pier project, because they should have had all permits ahead of time to move turtle nests if needed. Now we have turtle nests and no permit to move the nest.

    Loading...
    3
  16. Laurel says

    August 1, 2025 at 9:57 am

    Dan and Jay: You’re all heart! Not a damned thing in this world more important than money, right? Green paper and hollow dreams.

    Loading...
    2
  17. Going to fail says

    August 1, 2025 at 1:59 pm

    I’m surprised I’m mean they literally gutted the epa , science research , national parks. Remember the manatees and pollution? We literally destroy ecosystems for concentration camps in 2025!

    Loading...
    1
  18. Nick mullen says

    August 1, 2025 at 3:44 pm

    Citizens, tourists bikers and surfers alike use this area as a public bathroom and they are worried about some turtles?

    Loading...
  19. Stavros Halkias says

    August 1, 2025 at 9:08 pm

    Are they sure those are turtle nests an not Buried bathroom waste from a beach goer?

    Loading...
  20. Bethechange says

    August 2, 2025 at 1:37 am

    Agree Billy! The reverence is appreciated, but what about all the other wildlife and flora?! Raze, baby raze.

    Loading...
    1
  21. Greg says

    August 2, 2025 at 7:07 am

    Worried @bout a few turtles and they are durning thousands of trees on state road 100. Turtles are fine, but let’s poison the air we breathe. Hard to believe they have permission to do this.

    Loading...
  22. Adam Friedland says

    August 2, 2025 at 7:30 am

    What is all this hullabaloo? Every man woman and child knows that under the pier is basically an open bathroom… I’m surprised a turtle would even nest there.

    Loading...
  23. Mr. Bill says

    August 2, 2025 at 6:13 pm

    Did anybody think to ask if the beach renourishment permits are still valid and active? We might use them.

    Just a thought.

    Loading...
    1
  24. JJ says

    August 3, 2025 at 2:08 am

    It always amazes me how quickly people forget that we are the intruders here. Loggerheads have nested on these shores for millions of years; we’ve been paving over their habitat for a few centuries. They’re threatened because of our actions — and now even the smallest pause in construction to give them a shot at survival is treated like an inconvenience. Blame the bad planning here — we know when turtles nest. But don’t blame the turtles, and don’t destroy what little habitat they have left. Multi‑million dollar projects can be delayed. Extinct species can’t be replaced.

    Loading...
    2
  25. Donna Kahler says

    August 3, 2025 at 7:22 am

    Turtle season is the same every year! Why not do this whole project over the winter, when there are no turtles on the beach?!?! It’s also cooler weather for workers. For those who are clueless about turtles, they are endangered and protected.

    Loading...
    2
  26. Sebastian says

    August 6, 2025 at 3:29 am

    Me and my friends actually have videos and photos of the turtle laying its eggs closest to the pier I watched it happen lol and I put beams up to protect him.

    Loading...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Conner Bosch law attorneys lawyers offices palm coast flagler county
  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Randy on Flagler County Eyes Land Buy As Jacoby’s JDI Seeks to Offload 35 Acres Previously Slated for Development in Marineland
  • Pogo on Feral Hogs, A Recurring Flagler Scourge, ‘Desecrate’ Cemetery
  • Lisa on Flagler County Eyes Land Buy As Jacoby’s JDI Seeks to Offload 35 Acres Previously Slated for Development in Marineland
  • Sherry on Alaska Summit Bust, and Possibilities
  • Think about it on In a Plea, David Chenowith, 33, Is Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison, 20 on Probation for Sex Crimes Involving Minor
  • t.o. Doug on In a Plea, David Chenowith, 33, Is Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison, 20 on Probation for Sex Crimes Involving Minor
  • Iron Man on In a Plea, David Chenowith, 33, Is Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison, 20 on Probation for Sex Crimes Involving Minor
  • Kelby on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, August 21, 2025
  • Sherry on Canadians Not as Interested in Florida as They Used To Be Even as Overall Tourism Numbers Rise
  • Tonya on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, August 21, 2025
  • Ed P on As US Folds on Climate, China’s Leadership Steps In
  • Ed P on Canadians Not as Interested in Florida as They Used To Be Even as Overall Tourism Numbers Rise
  • Ed Genaux on Feral Hogs, A Recurring Flagler Scourge, ‘Desecrate’ Cemetery
  • The dude on Canadians Not as Interested in Florida as They Used To Be Even as Overall Tourism Numbers Rise
  • Sherry on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
  • James on Commissioner Kim Carney Recasts Decisions in Response to Library Board Chair’s Criticism of Cutbacks

Log in

%d