ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — There is an update on the Pass-A-Grille pier. Residents have said St. Pete Beach is taking too long to repair the pier after being damaged by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
Spectrum Bay News 9 checked with Pinellas County, and it turns out that its permit process is not causing the current delay.
Last week, Commissioner Jon Maldonado said the city was waiting for the county to approve the permit to rebuild the pier.
But the county says that St. Pete Beach has not yet applied for a permit.
The news station circled back to Maldonado, who said he was mistaken.
He said that he got a pending review from FEMA’s Environmental Planning and Historical Preservation Program, which he confused with the county.
“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to correct the record. Transparency and accountability are core principles for the City of St. Pete Beach, especially when it comes to how we plan, operate, and invest public dollars,” he said in a statement to Spectrum Bay News 9.
St. Pete Beach Public Works stated that underwater inspections at the Seventh Avenue pier will take place in the next few weeks.
Once that is completed, the city will apply for a permit from Pinellas County.
County officials say that if the permit is complete and if there are no complications, it should be approved within 30 days.
The city expects construction to begin this summer.