MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Madeira Beach has applied for a matching state grant to help pay for repairs to nearly half of the 192 pilings that support the John’s Pass Boardwalk, according to Public Works Director Megan Wepfer.

“They need structural jackets for normal wear and due to age. Some of the old jackets were installed below the mean high-water line,” she said. “Helene did some damage with debris hitting them.”

Wepfer said the boardwalk floor “moved a lot” from Hurricane Helene’s storm surge in 2024 but emphasized there are no safety issues. The boardwalk was built in the 1970s.

The public works director said 30-35 pilings are unwrapped, while 55 were installed in the early 2000s with jackets that were below the mean high-water line, which allows for saltwater intrusion. Each wrap costs $5,000, and the city can only afford to repair six to eight pilings each year.

Last week, the city applied for a $200,000 matching grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Wepfer said the total cost to make all needed repairs is more than $1 million.

“With this being the maximum $200,000 and then we match it $200,000, it’s going to take us either in phases or we’re going after multiple grants to complete this,” she said.

The city’s annual survey from last year rated the top side of the boardwalk in satisfactory condition, while the area below the deck received an overall rating of fair, according to Wepfer.

Developer Bill Karns, owner of Karns Enterprises, is still rebuilding his Sculley’s Seafood Restaurant at John’s Pass after it was destroyed by Helene. Karns said he owns about 50% of the commercial real estate along the boardwalk and believes the wooden structure is central to the area’s tourism economy.

“I think the boardwalk’s the heartbeat of John’s Pass,” Karns said. “Because most of your waterfront activities, or all of them, are done right here.”

Earlier this month, Wepfer held a John’s Pass Boardwalk Resiliency Town Hall meeting, where she showed photos of piling separation, jackets installed too low and barnacle buildup on unwrapped pilings. Wepfer said barnacles can burrow into wood for food and shelter, causing an hourglass effect on the piling.

Stephanie Berry, owner of Woody’s Watersports, pointed to two unwrapped pilings near her business that she proactively wrapped with carpet.

“It’s just to prevent it from the… barnacles eating out at the pylons,” Berry said. “They latch on there and then they go ahead and they just eat at the wood.”

Berry said she supports the city’s effort to speed up repairs by applying for grant funding.

“It’s exciting that we’re actually applying for something like that to really help with the structural integrity of John’s Pass,” Berry said. “I know that they’re looking at all of the different things that need to be fixed, just to keep it up and running properly.”

Karns said he agrees the boardwalk is an asset the city needs to protect.

“You have to do maintenance on it in order to preserve it,” he said. “To make sure that it’s going to last for years and years to come. We’re fighting against the elements.”

Wepfer said current structural wrapping work extends 1.6 feet below the mud line and 2 feet above the high tide line. She said the Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant would allow the city to fix the 30-35 unwrapped pilings at the same time.

“We should know whether or not we are in the running in January,” she said. “It’s usually around July that they issue the grants, and then we have three years to complete.”