The Flagler Beach City Commission on Sept. 25 approved direction to staff and the design team to carry the Beachwalk and pier project forward at 30% design with several significant design decisions: new concrete piles rather than wholesale reuse of existing timber piles, reinforced masonry (block) walls in key locations, a reduced roof height and pitch, a flat promenade with no southern beach stairway and a series of value-engineering alternates to control costs.

Why it matters: The project sits at Flagler Beach’s signature pier and beachfront block and is being developed under a tourist-development (TDC) grant. Design choices will determine capital costs, long-term maintenance needs and the structure’s resistance to marine exposure and storm damage.

What commissioners decided
- Pilings: Commissioners directed the design team to use new concrete piles for the new building footprint and promenade rather than rely on reusing aging timber piles. The design team had estimated timber reuse could extend the project’s cost profile short-term but carries an uncertain remaining service life. The commission favored a longer-life concrete foundation to match a multi-decade service-life for the new structures.
- Wall/foundation material: With concrete piles, commissioners favored reinforced masonry/block wall construction for longer-term durability rather than wood framing or a temporary veneer.
- Roof and façade: The commission directed the design team to lower the roofline modestly (remove one course of masonry/block from the top to reduce overall height by roughly 6–10 inches while maintaining sufficient slope for metal roofs if desired), retain a sloped roof in harmony with the A-frame pier building, and present value-engineered façade alternatives (split-face block or alternative cladding, with an alternate bid for a manufactured stone veneer) during final design and bidding.
- Promenade and beach access: The commission directed that the promenade be constructed at a flat elevation (eliminating the proposed raised deck with stairs in that location) and removed the proposed south-facing beach stair, citing exposure and maintenance concerns. Commissioners retained a covered breezeway between the two main building masses but asked that the south-facing stair and an additional sloped awning be shown as alternates or removed.
- Decking material: The design team presented wood decking and a higher-cost composite (Trex-style) alternative. Commissioners asked for both to appear in the bid as base/alternate so costs are explicit; the design team said using composite decking could increase the estimate by roughly $100,000–$200,000 compared with treated timber but would carry lower lifecycle maintenance.

Cost context and permitting
- Cost estimates: The project’s preliminary design estimate submitted for the TDC grant last year was about $2.7 million. The 30% design estimate presented at the meeting was approximately $2.9 million. If composite decking is selected, the design team estimated total project cost could increase to roughly $3.0–$3.1 million. The design team said the project-level contingency (approximately $304,100) covers early-stage cost variability but that detailed estimating and value engineering are required during final design.
- Structural life and testing: Staff and the design team said visual inspections indicate portions of the existing timber piles remain in good condition, but marine timber deteriorates unpredictably and can deteriorate rapidly once decay begins. Designers recommended targeted subsurface investigation, pile-tip elevation and capacity testing and a focused life‑cycle analysis if commissioners wanted to pursue partial reuse. Commissioners favored the long-term resilience of new concrete piles for a structure expected to last multiple decades.
- Permitting: The design team said it has engaged the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and is awaiting an updated erosion-projection line after recent nourishment work; early coordination had not identified a critical permitting barrier, but the design team said final permit approvals would depend on the updated erosion-line and typical FDEP review steps.

Formal action
A motion to proceed with the 30% design as amended (concrete piles, block walls, lowered roofline, flat promenade, removal of south stair and decking alternates) passed on a recorded vote, 4–0.

Quoted in meeting
"Once the deterioration begins, then it will tend to accelerate," Gabriel Perdomo, the project manager, said about marine timber piles. "It's an exponential decay."

Next steps
Staff will instruct the design team to prepare the updated 30% design drawings and a bid-ready package showing the base scope and alternates (decking, awning, beach stairs) for pricing. Staff also will undertake or procure targeted geotechnical/structural testing to quantify existing pile capacities if that analysis remains of interest, but the commission’s direction favors new concrete piles in the base design.