North Beach Islander Newsletter

July 2016
Letter from the President
One Thing To Do Today
The past few months have not been particularly happy caused by reaching the
age when family and friends pass on
seemingly at an accelerating pace. North
Beach Association has lost an Associate
Editor, Vice President, Treasurer and Executive Committee member; the core of
our management team. Not all have
passed on but are sufficiently diminished
in their capacity to function, that day to
day is a struggle. It really hurts when
they are younger than you. You say to
yourself, it can’t be.
So what is it I'm asking? Give someone a
hug, don’t wait for a sad occasion. Here
is what I have found, it says I care for
you, honor you, respect you, be it man,
woman, spouse, relative or friend. This
was really driven home to me the first
time I got a hug from a friend who is a 20
year SEAL veteran, I see it between fellow SEALs all the time, believe me no
one comes tougher. My friend has gone
to work for Homeland Security and chases really bad people. It’s just part of our
meeting now but its meaning is clear, I
think a lot of you. Spread it around. You’ll
feel better. I promise.
Letter from the Editor
In light of the recent events in
Orlando it would be easy to
become cynical but, cynicism
is not an admirable quality.
Have we become so disillusioned that we bury our heads
in the sand and refuse to accept that we are all victims of
these terrorists? Or have we
just been through this sort of
tragedy so many times that
we tacitly accept the outpouring of support and sympathy and move on, with nothing
changing?
Regardless of one’s religion or political beliefs, can such
senseless violence ever be justified? It would ease our
conscience, I suppose, to ask “What can I do?” or “How
can anything I do make a difference? I am only one person.” But doing nothing will change nothing. What we all
must do is make the conscious effort to simply love a little
more and hate a little less.
Love yourself, your family and your neighbor a little more.
Accept that we all have a place in this world and that your
beliefs do not make you better than anyone else nor do
they give you the right to harm those with different beliefs.
Love that this country was built on the premise of freedom
of expression and, love that our differences are what
makes America great.
We are living in a time where there is hatred beyond reason and loss beyond measure. Let’s all do our part in
making this little corner
of the world a brighter
place.
— Craig ([email protected])
Lynn ([email protected])
In Memoriam—Ron Knaggs
It is with heavy hearts the Officers and Directors of North Beach Association report the passing of Ron Knaggs on
May 26, 2016. Ron was a staunch supporter of all that was good for North Hutchinson Island and sought community improvement for residents all across St. Lucie County. Living in Queens Cove for sixteen years, Ron was instrumental in the success of North Beach Association by his service as
membership chairman and treasurer. He coordinated production of the
newsletter with our printer, personally handled email distribution and oversaw the conversion from black and white to color.
Ron participated in and led many activities in addition to NBA such as the
Queens Cove Board of Directors, Sheriff’s volunteers Citizens on Patrol, St.
Lucie County Board of Adjustment, St. Lucie County Citizen’s Budget Committee, and Waterway Radio and Cruising Club which monitors boaters and
their safety while cruising the Intracoastal Waterway and offshore. He was
a member of The 100, an organization which supports the needs of First
Responders families in time of distress. He was a member of the Board of
Directors National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, Executive Committee, treasurer and the armorer for the restoration and maintenance of their weapons
collection. Ron’s interests were vast, varied and included weapons, target
shooting, motorcycles, flying, (he built a gyrocopter and was a member of
the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter), convertibles, ham radio operations, drones and yachting; he
also organized events both fun and serious such as fundraisers to help sustain
the organizations in which he was interested. There wasn’t anything broken he
wouldn’t try to fix.
Ron graduated from Bowling Green State University with a degree in finance,
passed the Certified Public Accountant exams and went to work for Ernst and
Ernst. With ever increasing responsibilities he rose through the ranks of companies such as Textron and Foxboro Corporation to be Vice President of Finance
and Chief Financial Officer. His experience and expertise caused him to travel
and live extensively overseas in Europe and the Far East. He served in the U.S.
Army.
Ron and his wife Shelley met at Bowling Green, were married at the end of their
studies and concluded fifty years together. They moved several times during
Ron’s business career including stints in Rhode Island and California as well as
Texas. Ron and Shelley also spent many years living on a sailboat and later on
a powered trawler, cruising U.S. and Caribbean waters.
Ron is survived by his wife Shelley, children Adam and Lauren, her husband Alex
and grandchildren Abigail, Kelly and Tara. He will be remembered for his volunteerism, giving spirit, the kind of neighbor you wanted close and a wonderful
friend. He liked to be casual, he was seen in a tie once, and will be missed by all
who knew and were touched by him. He’d like this picture, provided by his family,
appearing on a glacier; he’d say anyone can do the beach.
Page 2
North Hutchinson Islander
August Referendums
Fire District Referendum
On August 30, 2016 all St. Lucie County registered voters will
have the opportunity to vote on an annual assessment of up to
$50 per residence and other modest fees for commercial property and vacant land. The assessment will fund the District’s
fire protection services, equipment, facilities and programs.
Why is the Fire District seeking this assessment?
Currently, the District’s fire rescue services are primarily paid
for through an ad valorem property tax capped at 3 mils. This
funding was adequate until additional Homestead Exemptions
and the Great Recession combined to dramatically decrease
taxable values. When values sharply decreased, so did the
funds available to pay for services. Fire District revenues fell
36% -- but calls for assistance continued to rise by an average
of 4.8% each year!
dollars each. Another 15 rescue trucks will also be needed,
but these will be purchased using other funding sources.
What may happen if the referendum
fails?
Ultimately, if funding for the Fire District fails to cover costs,
the District would have no choice but to decrease its level of
service to the county’s residents, through staffing cuts and
continued deferral of critical equipment purchases. In addition
to jeopardizing the safety of our residents, the lack of equipment and potentially longer response times will likely negatively impact our county’s insurance rating - which can lead to
an increase in homeowner and commercial fire insurance
premiums, or even result in the inability to obtain fire insurance on some properties.
What does this mean to me?
As of March 2014, the owners of 10,891 properties paid nothing for fire protection because their assessed home value was
less than the value of their tax exemptions; 42% of all properties in the county contributed less than $75 for the Fire District’s services. If the referendum passes, starting next year all
property owners (residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and vacant land) in St. Lucie County, including those in the
cities, will pay an assessment for the Fire District when they
pay their property tax bill. Those rates can be found on the
District’s website. For the homeowner, the assessment for
each residence will be no more than $50 – less than 14 cents
a day. Because this fee is not linked to the value of a home, all
homeowners will share fairly and equally in this assessment
and the fire protection services it supports.
What will the money be used for?
By law, the funds may only be used for fire protection services,
facilities/equipment and programs. In order to maintain high
levels of service with reduced revenue during the economic
downturn, one of the cost-saving measures the District took
was to temporarily put off purchasing replacement vehicles or
making necessary capital improvements to fire stations. Maintaining a reliable fleet of vehicles is essential to providing reliable fire protection services. Over the next four years, the District must replace 27 trucks that cost hundreds of thousands of
— JULY 2016
In addition to the Fire District Referendum, voters
will be asked to consider an amendment on Solar Tax.
Solar Tax Abatement Amendment on the August 30
Ballot
If passed, “Amendment 4” will remove property tax barriers from Solar panels and equipment for 20 years,
starting in 2018. These taxes are currently a large
disincentive to the development of Solar power.
Amendment 4 is a grassroots supported, bi-partisan proposal, not to be confused with the utility-backed proposal that will be on the November ballot.
Florida is 3 in the nation for roof top solar potential yet
less than 1% of Florida’s energy comes from solar
power. Even the state of New Jersey, with half the
population and less sunshine, uses more solar power
than Florida.
Removal of these taxes will help solar energy expansion in
Florida. For more information go to www.yeson4.org.
th
rd
Page 3
FPL Power Tracker online map
provides
live outage information
New-Bridge
Limbo
This edition of the newsletter
had hoped to bring news about
the next public meeting promised by the Florida Department
of Transportation. At the meeting a year ago, FDOT promised
it would seek final public participation with a meeting in the
summer of 2016. Rumors had
circulated that a meeting might
be called as early as this June
but never materialized. Phone
calls to FDOT or their consultants have not been returned,
doesn't voice mail drive you
nuts, so as the headline reads,
it appears we are in limbo. Such
is the world of bureaucracy.
Wait there was just another rumor there might be a meeting in
September but that is unconfirmed as well. If it is announced
the NBA newsletter will send
notification in the September 1
edition.
WANTED
Items of historic interest are needed for upcoming issues. If you have pictures, maps, articles or
anecdotal accounts of the history of the development of North Hutchinson Island, please forward
to:
Lynn [email protected]
Page 4
North Hutchinson Islander
Hotel Hopes are Up
The very successful development firm Heaton
Companies, located in Palm Beach County, have
recognized the upscale momentum taking place
on North Hutchinson Island and determined to
take it up a notch. George Heaton, president, announced that his company has the former Radisson Hotel site under contract and plan to build a
luxury hotel and amenities on the property.
Preliminary design discussions envision a structure set toward the
southwest corner of the
property which would
consist of a building
about ten floors with
160 high end hotel
rooms and 40 condominiums with high end
furnishings. There will
be an expansive reception entry, ball room/
meeting with capacity
for 300, restaurant, a
small commercial area,
exercise work out facility and pool. A large
open expanse will lead
to the beach front
where a restaurant with
indoor and alfresco dining will be available. To
the southeast on the
property there will be a
— JULY 2016
few single family residences with pricing in excess of
a million dollars. To give comparison, the Radisson
had 156 hotel rooms.
The company is the developer of Vero Beach Inn
and Spa and the successful Tarpon Flats on NHI,
which has currently sold 25 of its 36 properties.
Homes are rising there quickly and it has taken on
the feel of a new island neighborhood.
Page 5
Zika Virus Concern
The Zika Virus is a mosquito borne virus that has been
linked to paralysis and birth defects. It has had devastating effect in South America, Puerto Rico and 213 cases,
but a growing threat, in Florida. All of the known Florida
cases were contracted outside of the United States but
authorities say it is just a matter of time
until it is passed and contracted here.
There have been no cases reported in
St. Lucie County. Federal funds assistance is stalled in Congress as they
wrangle about the amount and should
the money come from cuts elsewhere in
the budget. At a recent North Beach
Association meeting the question was
asked what are we doing locally, so it
was in turn put to St. Lucie County Administration.
What are we doing to be prepared, prevention and responding? Asked and answered: The county has added a
full time inspector to work within the Health Department,
Mosquito Control District staff and with the Parks and
Recreation Department which manages county property
and facilities. The county has an educational program to
— JULY 2016
warn about the virus and steps that can be taken to help reduce the risk. These programs are being presented in the
schools and to county home owner and property owner
groups.
The county is partnered with state agencies
to keep abreast of the most current information and source funding to elevate
the local effort. The county has been controlling the levels and flows in retention
ponds and holding points located throughout the county; by managing what happens
in those waters, mosquito larva are
killed thus foiling hatching. Additionally the
county has purchased the most modern
high tech fogging equipment available and
has it moving about in areas known to most
likely produce potential threats.
How can you help personally, eliminate standing water you
know of, including outside watered plants, use bug spray,
cover up and use caution in the evening hours.
Page 6
Hurricane Survival
It is the season when you must at least think of hurricane preparedness. NBA is not going to try to list all the possibilities but will cover the basics.
1. Have a plan and a checklist. Think through in advance what you need and will do. Where you will go and keep your car fuel full.
2. Have a battery operated radio and spare batteries for information.
3. If you haven't done much planning and the order comes to evacuate North Hutchinson Island, GO!!! Call a relative, friend or hotel but get off the
barrier island. Know where the closest county shelter is located as a last resort.
4. If you are thinking about staying or might get stuck here, get the supplies list from the newspaper or Publix Market and have the minimum on
hand for at least three days..
5. Keep your cell phone charged and have a reserve or solar power supply. Your landline and internet will probably go down. Cell might work but
rescue services will not come get you even if
injured.
6. Have several flashlights and spare batteries.
7. Be sure to have enough medications on hand
and take them if you leave.
8. Have a waterproof package available to
carry important documents. Have them assembled.
9. Have some extra cash and credit cards to
take with you.
Let's hope we are spared for another season.
Twelve page Preparedness Guide from the
National Weather Service.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hurricane/
resources/TropicalCyclones11.pdf
— JULY 2016
Page 7
Beach Clean Up
Last Saturday of
the Month
10 a.m.
Meet at your dune walk and bring a bag.
Together we can keep North
Hutchinson Island beaches beautiful!
Page 8
North Hutchinson Islander
What’s Developing on North Hutchinson Island
(As of July 2016. New or significant changes in BOLD)
Round Island Plantation
34
Possible proposal for 10 homes on 3 acres east side of A1A. Delete approved cabana facility. Zoned for HIRD which allows up to 9 units per
acre.
Blue Water Ocean Estates LLC
Unknown
1.54 acres east of A1A zoned HIRD. For sale at $2,400,000.
Summer Wind (G&G/Aqua III)
7
Single Family home sites on ocean. Seven ½ acre lots for sale @
$2,400,000. Entry blocked. No trespassing sign posted
Avalon Beach P.U.D.
48
Property on west side of A1A reported sold. To be redeveloped. 3 homes
complete west side of A1A. Two occupied. 1 home east side for sale.
Former PV Martin Restaurant Site
Commercial
Restaurant concept being shown, no applications submitted.
5050 North A1A SF concrete shell
1
Owner reports architect working on plan.
Ocean Palms
15
Two condo buildings on ocean near Breakers. Sales office on site.
Starting at $1,220,000.
National Tax Asset Group LLC
Unknown
11 acres purchased at Tax Sale for $177,200 on west side of A1A in front
of Ocean View Estates. Considerable wetlands on property.
Ocean View Estates
5
Single family oceanfront lots for sale. One home under construction.
Asking $4.5MM
Ocean View Condos
36
Two condo buildings south of Queens Island Park west of A1A. Project
halted.
Queens Island Park
Trail
New I mile long trail with two overpasses and benches. Complete.
Acquavista
10
Ocean front home and lots starting at $1.9 MM. Two homes in construction.
Mandela Holdings (Grand Keys)
30
Possible townhouse project south of Regal Rd (site of demolished Galilee
Motel)
Big Brook LLC
10
Vacant 1.37ac ocean lot between Visions & Treasure Cove Dunes for sale
at reduced price of $3.6 million..
Tarpon Flats
37
Key West style homes under construction. $500,000+. New landscaping, street lamps installed. Models open. 25 homes sold..
RL Regal Florida LLC
(former Paradiso & Villa Nina site)
44
New proposal being considered.
Cowie Property
270
10 acres on East & 20 acres on West sides of A1A; sale price still reported
$65 million.
Bauman Property
108
10.4 acres on east & west sides of A1A. Reduced price $4.5 million.
Jack Island Bridge Access
N/A
Construction complete. Open to Jack Island. Parking fee $2
Sanctuary Cove
10
Single family home-sites, 2 completed, south of Jack Island access road. .
Former Radisson Hotel site
400
Under contract for purchase. Hotel proposed.
Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park
Bid
Concessions food, surf board etc
Grande Beach
70 Town homes / Commercial
Bank asking $4.5 million
SLC Utilities Wastewater Plant
Expansion to .850 MGPD
Complete. Sewer lines next project
UDT-SEAL Museum
New addition considered
Proposal submitted to expand museum on east and west side of
A1A.
Page 9
North Hutchinson Islander
Sales on NH I from 5-3 1-2 011 t hru 6 -30 -20 11
Sales on NHI from 04-17-2016 thru 06-16-2016
Unit # or Address
Sq Ft
Bed/Bath/Garage/Carport
Sold $
Altamira
801 S
2635
3/3/2
750,000
Aquanique
806
1310
2/2/1
258,000
Aquanique
801
1630
2/2/1
317,000
Atlantic Beach
1703
1436
2/2/0/1
300,000
Atlantic Beach
1801
1436
2/2/0/1
295,000
Atlantic Beach
1606
1436
2/2/0/1
295,000
Breakers
154
1776
3/2/2
279,000
Breakers
181
2332
3/3/2
225,000
Breakers
196
1944
3/3/2
250,000
Grand Isle
203
1991
3/3/2
370,000
Galleons
2703 N
1280
2/1.5/0
93,000
Harbour Cove
2518
2807
3/3.5/2
285,000
Hibiscus 1
801
1239
2/2/1
282,500
Ocean Harbour North
514 A
1078
2/2/0
165,000
Ocean Harbour North
713 B
1078
2/2/0
212,000
Ocean Harbour Tower
702
1230
2/2/0
178,000
Ocean Harbour Tower
807
1230
2/2/0/1
205,000
Sands Riverpoint
2025 Lynx
2386
3/3/2
410,000
Sands Riverpoint
3328 Caracal
2105
3/3/2
400,000
Sands on the Ocean
805
1207
2/2/1
235,000
Sands on the Ocean
804
1335
2/2/0
265,000
Sands on the Ocean
706
1701
3/2/1
285,000
Sands on the Ocean
404
1281
3/2/0
275,000
Sands on the Ocean
PHB2
1207
3/2/0
265,000
Sands on the Ocean
806
1623
3/2/1
265,000
Sands Lakeview
3132 Lakeview 10-203
1305
2/2/0
122,500
Sea Palms
608
1040
2/2/0
219,000
Seabreeze
802
1571
3/2/1
335,000
Seabreeze
1501
1606
3/2/1
340,000
Seabreeze
405
1606
3/2/1
240,000
Seabreeze
905
1606
3/2/1
320,000
Tarpon Flats
967 Tarpon
1976
4/3/2
628,580
Tarpon Flats
971 Tarpon
1976
4/3/2
500,000
Tarpon Flats
3920 Shoreside
2000
4/3/2
475,000
Tiara
303
1806
3/2/1
Tiara
902
1867
3/2/1
325,000
280,000
North Hutchinson Island activity finally “took off” with 36 closings in the last
2 months. However, year to date sales are still down approximately 16%
compared to 2015. Another good note is that inventory of houses and
condos decreased 17% over the last couple of months back to 2015 levels
after an unusual high increase this winter. Some of this decrease is seasonable because snow birds have gone home and closed up their properties. Low inventory usually means higher prices. Condo inventories are
and some buildings are in demand. There are 21 Contingent contracts
and 12 Pending sales in the system which should meet or beat summer
sales in 2015.
Information is taken from the Beaches Multiple Listing Service which is the
primary system for St Lucie and Palm Beach Counties. Data courtesy of
Jeff Mitchell.
— JULY 2016
Page 10
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL/APPLICATION
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL / APPLICATION
NORTH BEACH ASSOCIATION OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, INC.
5051 N. A1A, #5-4, Ft. Pierce FL 34949
[email protected]
Annual Dues: $20.00-Single/Family
(Please make checks payable to North Beach Association)
Membership Year is from October to the following September
Please indicate your preference below. If you desire postal delivery and wish delivery to an alternative address please indicate the address and
months when the alternative address is to be used. Please be sure to indicate in which community, condo, or homeowner association you live.
NAME: ___________________________________________
Name of Condo/ Home Assn. ____________________
Florida Address/Unit# ______________________________
Other Location Address_________________________
Hutchinson Island FL 34949
Do you wish to receive newsletters by Email?
Yes*___ No__
E-Mail _____________________________
Phone _____________________________
City, State, Zip_________________________________
IMPORTANT – PLEASE CHECK for mailing to
Other Location
____January ____March ____May
_____July ____Sept. ____Nov.
*If you have checked “yes”, please be sure to keep us updated on Email address changes. Newsletters are mailed out early each second month to
the North Beach Address unless the applicable Month(s) are Indicated under Other Address.
Privacy Policy: The information you provide shall be protected to the extent allowed by law from either internal or external dissemination and
shall be used only for membership verification, newsletter mailing or official notification purposes.
Membership
Currently we have several Condo Associations that have enrolled all their owners in North Beach and
others considering the proposal. If your Board decides to enroll all the members of your organization the
cost per member is $15 each. This is a significant discount for those members and a great way to support
North Beach Association as it represents our community with all those outside organizations that can and
do influence our lives here on the island. We have active representation with all facets of the County and
many of the State and Federal Governments too. If you need further information please contact Craig
Mundt, our President at [email protected], or send an email to [email protected].
Do you want to change your address or perhaps have the newsletters
delivered in a different format? Please send your requested changes to
[email protected]
— JULY 2016
Page 11
North Beach Association
Of St. Lucie County, Inc.
5051 N. A1A, #5-4
Ft. Pierce, FL 34949
NBA MEMBERS MEETING
Monday, September 12, 2016
7 PM at the
National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum
NORTH BEACH
ASSOCIATION
President:
Editor:
Craig Mundt
Lynn Gureck
(772) 465-2001
(772) 801-5478