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TO: The Honorable Members DATEMay 22, 1987 F1 LE: _ of -the Board of County Commissioners PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO COASTAL BARRIERIRESOURCES SUBJECT: SYSTEM BY THE U S . ' DEPART- MENT OF INTERI09 Robert M. Keating, AICP FRO Director REFERENCES: Community Development Division It is requested that the information herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at their regular meeting of June 2, 1987. DESCRIPTION & CONDITIONS: In 1982, Congress passed the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA). The purpose of this legislation was to restrict federally subsidized development of undeveloped coastal barriers along the Atlantic and gulf coasts in order to: (1) minimize the loss of human life; (2) reduce the wasteful expenditure of Federal revenues, and (3) reduce damage to fish and wildlife habitat and other valuable natural resources of coastal barri- ers. In conjunction with the Act, Congress designated 186 units comprising 452,834 acres in Atlantic and Gulf coastal areas as units in the Coastal Barriers Resources System (CBRS). The major effect upon an area designated as part of the CBRS is the prohibition of federal funds, including federal flood insurance coverage for new construction, being used within the area or outside the area where those funds would support further devel- opment within the CBRA Unit. Of the 186 CBRS units designated in 1982, two were located partially or fully within Indian River County. The PI -10 Unit is located in the north county in the Ambersand Beach area, while the P -10A Unit is located at the Indian River Count /St. Lucie County line. Comprising a substantial part of the PF -10 Unit is the 84 lot Ambersand Beach Subdivision, where a number of homes existed prior to the 1982 CBRS designation and a number of others have been constructed since then or are under con- struction now. Only those units which existed and had federal flood insurance prior to 1982 may get flood insurance at this time. As part of the CBRA, the Department of Interior) (DOI) was instructed to submit within three years a report to Congress regarding the CBRS. Among other items, this report was to include recommendations for additions or deletions to the system. Recently, DOI released its draft report, ynd in this report it is recommending substantial increases to the P-10 unit. The attached map delineates the existing P-10 unit and the proposed additions to this unit. ALTERNATIVES & ANALYSIS: Expansion of the P-10 Unit of the CBRS would have a substantial impact upon Indian River County. Because of the prohibition of federal flood insurance for new construction in theCBRS unit, the amount of development in that area would drastically de- crease. Land values, and consequently ad valorem tax revenues, would decrease substantially. In addition, various federal 9 BOOR 4