Taskforce off to good start

Being present at the meetings has been eye-opening. We are particularly impressed with builders Kelvin Enfinger of Greenhut Construction and Mike Patterson of Adams Homes. They allow us to see that not every developer is out to cut corners or pollute the nearest body of water. They have shown us there are builders who actually care about and take pride in their finished product. They are careful to do things the right way, so no harm comes to the environment and the rules are followed. Some even go above and beyond.

One of the discussions the taskforce had was about Land Development Code 3.05.06, which addresses sand and water protection. The current code referenced red clay leaving the site would be a violation – and the county staff is recommending a change which reflects Florida Department of Environmental Protection that says any sediment that leaves the site is a violation.

For the purposes of Navarre Beach, no discolored sand may be used and everyone agreed to keep it that way. But for the rest of the county, Enfinger pointed out that saying you cannot use red clay at all is not reasonable.

And then – he said, “there is a lack of understanding of proper erosion control.” He is right. We believe at the time Mulat Bayou turned orange, those builders, Kip Walker and Thomas Cornelison, had no idea what they were doing to prevent sediment from leaving their sites.

But, Walker knew the rule about developing three or more contiguous properties. It requires the builder to get a Construction General Permit from the EPA, which requires implementing a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan to manage stormwater and prevent polluting bodies of water. He put every fourth lot into a different entity’s name to circumvent that rule.

Enfinger’s comment was right on the money. We have responsible developers in this county, we also have bad actors in this county – and we have those who are just uninformed. His solution – the construction company and main staff should go through an eight-hour course which is available online about how to control sediment. He called it a “very small ask” and also pointed out that his crew took the course. He recommended it be a condition of pulling a building permit in Santa Rosa County.

That is absolutely something we can get behind. If they all take the class, there is no excuse for sediment leaving the construction site.

If the taskforce keeps this type of common-sense approach as they go through this process, we think there are more great recommendations to come.