Destin hires engineer to find Norriego Point solution

Destin will spend $143,000 for an engineer to research solutions that could stop Norriego Point from breaching.

Destin City Council voted unanimously Monday to hire Coastal Planning and Engineering, Inc. to study the point and design seawalls or other forms of coastal armoring to protect it against erosion.

“I think it’s worth it because the harbor is an integral part of the city’s economic base, it’s historical base,” Councilor Dewey Destin said. “Unless we can figure out a way to stabilize the point, it could cause our harbor to be severely damaged.”

The point, which shelters Destin harbor from the Gulf waves and tides, has been steadily eroding over the past couple of years. While the city has used dredged sand to shore up the point in the past, City Manager Greg Kisela said last month that a permanent solution would involve assuming ownership of Norriego from Okaloosa County and using harbor redevelopment funding to armor the beach.

When Coastal’s proposal came before the council in October, Councilor Jim Bagby asked to table the vote until Coastal could send someone to answer some questions. Bagby was absent Monday, but Kisela said the councilor was OK with his colleagues voting without him.

Kisela said the city will hold a workshop with Norriego Point “stakeholders” to discuss the alternatives, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will attend to explain which solutions they would issue permits for. He said the date hasn’t been set yet.