Balancing act in following rules vs. speedy return home
One of about 200 homes in Gulfport, Florida damaged in the hurricanes awaiting permits to begin repairs in January. Source: WTVT-TV, Fox 13 Tampa
Hurricane Helene may have made landfall over 5 months ago, but aftershocks are still being felt by cities, towns, and residents along Florida’s West Coast storm path. While insurance regulators have called for increased scrutiny in handling flood and wind claims, permitting and code violations have slowed rebuilding to a standstill in many of the Tampa Bay area’s scenic beach towns. Residents of Reddington Beach, Gulfport, and St. Petersburg have been waiting for approval for months, with many only ever hearing that their applications are still “under review.” Not only this, but many homeowners have run into problems with property appraisals as large companies try and appraise homes in bulk for Pinellas County, without physical visits to the home or examining old pictures of the property.
Fox 13 Tampa recently reported on Reddington Beach resident Jeff Fuller, who after five feet of water inundated his home, has been living without walls, bathrooms, floors, and a kitchen while he waits for a renovation permit from the city. He’s also having appraisal issues, saying his property is being undervalued by a few hundred thousand dollars. Lower value estimates also create problems for homeowners with FEMA’s 50% Rule on rebuilding, as a lower value lowers that threshold, thus requiring costlier rebuilding or elevation, rather than simpler repairs. The Town of Reddington Beach announced that as of February 26, 2025, 178 renovation permits have been processed, 139 are still in review, and 39 have been actually issued.
A little further inland in St. Petersburg, nearly 11,000 code enforcement cases have been opened in suspected cases where the property owner may not have received the necessary permits for repairs. While the city will not fine residents for permitting slipups and even allow retroactive permit approval, many have voiced concerns that some of the homes flagged for violations did not flood during either Helene or Hurricane Milton. The city has responded by waiving all permit fees through April to try to get the city back on its feet and acknowledging some of the shortcomings in casting such a wide net. St. Pete councilwoman Brandy Gabbard was quoted as saying, “We have to have this permitting process, and we have to hold people accountable, because our city could be at greater risk of not being sustainable or resilient if we do not do these things.” Across unincorporated Pinellas County, some 1,831 homeowners have followed protocol and submitted permitting applications with 1,247 permits issued, according to a post shared by one Facebook user.
In brighter news, restaurants in Treasure Island, another Pinellas County locale, got a much-needed break when the City Commission recently passed an ordinance to allow them to serve their patrons outdoors while their building repairs continue. This lets many business owners operate on a more temporary basis and start trying to recoup some revenue for their extensive losses from the barrage of both Hurricane Helene and Milton. While the recovery process may seem to move in slow motion at times, our shared humanity can often help us find some silver linings and see the light at the end of the tunnel.
LMA Newsletter of 3-3-25
