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Barrier Islands Bill, S-2686, last week was reported out of the Senate Environment and public Works Committee. Senate floor action is expected soon. The bill designates undeveloped barrier islands and undeveloped portions of developed barrier islands where the bill will cut off all federal expenditures, financing, licensing, and permits. This particular portion of the Vero Beach barrier island is one of the units specifically listed in this bill, meaning that any developments will not qualify for federl funding nor permits for water and sewer plants , pipelines, roads, flood insurance on buildings constructed after May 1980, disaster loans, beach restoration, etc.... the whole gamut of federal subsidies that have enabled excessive development in such areas/ When the County ultimately includes this barrier island area in a County water and sewer district, the local taxpayer would have to assume the total cost. We now have enough bridgesto handle emergency evacuation of our current population before a hurricane strikes. (Keep in mind that the low level approaches to the Wabasso bridge.may be under water before the storm hits.) but we should point out that you have seen the last new bridge crossing the Indian River, or for that matter any body of water between the mainland and a farrier island in the state of Florida. In the future we can expect reduced state funding and permits also. Where does the County ommission fit into this icture? Obvios- ly you must consider the the of any repZoning decisions not only for those who stand to gain financially from the rezoning, but also for the people who will be living on the site. and for the rest of the county's citizens who will have to bear the burden of providing community services and emergency bailouts. For problems of erosion, flooding, water and sewerage, the use of non-structural solutions such as zoning, site restrictions, and performance standards is much preferred to the use of structural solutions Consider the tragedies now waiting to happen along the beach in Vero Beach city. There is not a doubt that one of these days a hurricane or a northeaster is going to destroy one or more of those buildings that now sit on the edge of the ocean. It is not a matter of "if" but "when". The cost is going to be tremendous. Clearly we see today that it would have been far less coxtly to have required a wide setback between the beach and the structure. .A large amount of money and energy has already gone into protect- ing these buildings. 14hen a storm comes we will all pay. Today there is not much of the primary dune system reamining in the north end of the county. In the past five or six years we have lost 20 to 30 feet. Who is so naive to think that any developer will back off voluntarily 100 to 200 feet, and not develop that portion of his beachfront property? We must Keep in mind that in the absence,of a major sewer line to a regional plant, the �.evelopers will provide a spwer package plant. Every such private plant ultimately becomes publicly owned and paid for. Usually it ends up being closed down as the transmission lines come in fron the regional sewer facility.. But this time, remember, we may not have federal or state fund s and the county taxpayers will have to pick up the tab. Before you seel yourselves on the adequacy of a package treat- ment plant, consider that treatment facilities and holding ponds should not be built on the island unless they can be constructted above the 100 -year flood plain. Where is that elevation on the arrier island? I think you will find it is back on the mainland somewhere. The natural fresh water supply of this part of the island is a thin lens usupended on top of salt water. It is already known that this supply under present development pressure is precarious, and almost non-existent during the dry season. Deep well explor- ation recently conducted by Johns Island and several residents of Indian River Shores and Summerplace, indicate that volume and quality of water is extremely low, and the salinity of the water nearly matches the salinity of the Indian River. SO -OK 44 PA61•601 SEP 241980