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BOOK 94 PALE 716 Ralph Sexton, president of Save Our Shores, noted that their association has 900 members who also represent 750 feet of ocean frontage. After hearing all of today's deliberation, he would like to point out that we have been considering the PEP reef for over two years now. He has studied the PEP reef in Palm Beach and feels that with the placement and the design there is enough evidence to allow us to proceed with a PEP reef in Vero Beach and not mess around any longer and lose another year. If we don't start now we are going to lose another year. He understood that we already have spent $.5 million and he urged the County to proceed to get the permit and get this reef constructed. Frank Zorc, resident of Vero Beach, distributed photographs of the PEP reef in Palm Beach, which he felt depicts the failure of that project. He urged the Board to put the Vero Beach PEP reef on hold until the results are in from the monitoring plan. Mr. Zorc pointed out that people in Palm Beach are very concerned about who would have to pay to have the reef removed if that is required by the State. He suggested that the Board listen to the concerns expressed by three members of the Beach & Shore Preservation Committee at their March 20 meeting. Peter Fallon, 12310 AIA, stated that he stood to get no positive gain from the PEP reef because he lives too far to the north, but he does stand to gain from the values of the beach property that the PEP reef will be protecting. As a former commissioner of the Sebastian Inlet Taxing District, he can say that inlets do cause erosion. He understood that 80% of erosion on Florida's east coast is caused by inlets, and he endorses this because the good outweighs the bad. It is a reversible thing. If the monitoring plan finds that the reef is not working, we can remove it. If we don't try this experimental project, what else is there? The Army Corps of Engineers is doing away entirely with any help for beach restoration projects. Without their help, we are left to do it on our own -- either totally on our own or with help through State funds. The value of beachfront property in this county is $11.3 million, and he believed that it behooves everyone, whether they live on the beach or not, to protect the values of this property. Cal Cummings of the Village Spires, supported everything that Ralph Sexton said and stated that Village Spires is 100% behind the PEP reef project. There being no others who wished to be heard, Chairman Macht closed the public discussion. 34 MARCH 28, 1995