Redington Beach Appeal Options 
Regarding Substantial Damage/Improvement Determinations 

As the initial FEMA-required Substantial Damage/Substantial Improvement (SD/SI) process has passed its initial phase (the Tidal Basin determinations), and many owners have undertaken the administrative appeal step with the Building Official, the Town has continued to receive questions from owners who are not yet clear on the steps and their options to dispute SD/SI determinations. In an effort to assist and educate residents and owners, the Town is providing this overview. 

Step 1(A). Substantial Damage Initial Determination. Pursuant to FEMA regulations and the Town’s floodplain code, after a storm, the Town is required to determine if a structure was “substantially damaged” by the storm. The initial determination for the 2024 storms which hit the Town were performed by the FDEM-funded, County-provided services of Tidal Basin workers. This initial assessment of each structure in Town was then compiled by Tidal Basin and ultimately that entity produced the initial SD determinations for each structure. 

Step 1(B). Substantial Improvement Initial Determination. If the determination of Tidal 
Basin was that a structure was not SD, then having cleared that hurdle, many owners 
submitted building permit applications. The FEMA rules and floodplain code also require 
the Building Official to make a determination of whether the value of the work being sought in the application exceeded 50% of the structure’s value. If so, this would be a Substantial Improvement and would also trigger the need to elevate. 

Step 2. Building Official Administrative Appeal. FEMA’s SD/SI Manual provides that a local 
government afford opportunities for owners to challenge both SD and SI determinations. 
The Town’s Building Department implemented its administrative appeal process, posted the appeal form, and has been processing appeals from many owners. While that “Step 2” appeal process is still ongoing for some owners, other owners were able to receive new 
determinations from the Building Official during this Step 2 process. The Town continues to encourage owners who are not satisfied with their initial (Step 1) determinations to make use of the Step 2 process, provide the Building Official with the documents and other information needed, so the Building Official can complete reviews as soon as possible. 

Step 3. Appeal of Building Official determination to Board of Adjustment. If an owner 
receives the Building Official’s final determination in the Step 2 process, but still does not 
agree with it, there are two options left. 
First, Town Code § 10-7(b) provides that the Town’s Board of Adjustment may hear appeals “when it is alleged there is an error in any requirement, decision, or determination made by the floodplain administrator in the administration and enforcement of” the floodplain code. 
Obviously, an SD/SI determination is such a determination. If an owner desires to make use of this Step 3 option, the owner must first have completed the Step 2 appeal and received a final determination from the Building Official after a complete appeal has been made. 

Appeal to the BOA cannot occur until the Step 2 process is completed, and an owner 
cannot, for instance, simply refuse to provide necessary information to the Building Official such that the Building Official cannot make an effective determination, in hopes of better luck at Step 3. There must first be a final determination by the Building Official. 
Assuming that determination is in hand, the owner would then complete the BOA SD/SI 
appeal application and submit it, along with all necessary information set out in the 
application form, to the Town Clerk. The Clerk will then coordinate with the BOA and 
provide notice to each applicant of the date and time their appeal will be heard. 
It is important for owners to understand that in this setting, the BOA will not be issuing a 
“variance” of any kind, and so issues of “hardship” and the like will not be relevant. Rather, the BOA would be reviewing the factual and legal basis of the Building Official’s determination, and hearing each owner’s legal or factual challenges to such determination. 

This proceeding would be quasi-judicial, with testimony taken under oath. And so an owner wishing to use this Step 3 process will need to ensure that any witnesses he or she desires to rely on (contractors, architects, etc.) are present at the hearing and prepared to testify. 

Of course, copies of any documentary evidence an owner would want to submit should 
also be brought to the hearing, with copies for the Town and BOA members. 

Optional Step 3: Judicial Declaration. Owners not wishing to use the Step 3 BOA process 
may also elect to file a Declaratory Judgment Action in circuit court seeking a declaration 
from a Circuit Judge that the Building Official’s determination under Step 2 was in error. The Town cannot provide legal advice to owners, and so if an owner has questions of that 
nature, the Town encourages the owner to consult with her or his legal counsel. 

The Town hopes that this overview helps to clarify the steps in the process.

ELEVATE FLORIDA

STATEWIDE RESIDENTIAL MITIGATION PROGRAM

Elevate Florida: FDEM’s Residential Mitigation Program

Important Notice: Elevate Florida Application Deadline Approaching

Attention all interested property owners! Please be advised that applications will no longer be accepted after April 11, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. ET. All draft applications that have not been submitted by the deadline will not be considered for funding. To access your draft application, log into your account, click on the Status tab at the top of your screen, and click on the tracking number hyperlink. Make sure to complete and click on the Submit button before the deadline to ensure your application is considered. Don’t miss out on this opportunity—submit your application today!

Elevate Florida is a first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking statewide residential mitigation program. Led by the FDEM, this program is designed to protect homes and communities by reducing damage caused by natural disasters like hurricanes and floods.

Application Details
The Elevate Florida application portal has launched! To apply, create an account and complete the application on the Elevate Florida Portal. Please use this link, https://fdem-resmit.my.site.com/Elevate/ 
Property Owner Eligibility
Your property does not need to have experienced flooding or damage to be considered. However, applications may be prioritized based on history of loss. 

Property owners must:

• Be over the age of 18,
• Be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien,
• The legal owner of the residential property in the State of Florida, and
• Be able to contribute up to twenty-five percent (25%) of the project’s total cost. Property owners will be required to provide up to 25% of initial inspection costs prior to inspections being completed. Total project cost will vary based on factors such as project type, square footage of living space, foundation and construction type, and any necessary project activities. Approved property owners will receive a detailed breakdown of their construction cost-share and will have time to decide if they would like to move forward with the project’s next phase. The cost-share will also include relocation expenses during construction, meaning the program will pay at least 75 percent of these expenses.   

Multi-family real estate such as duplexes, triplexes, condos, townhomes, semi-detached homes, apartments and manufactured homes may be eligible.

Eligible Construction Projects

• Structure Elevation: Physically raising an existing structure.
• Mitigation Reconstruction: The construction of an improved, elevated building on the same site where an existing building and/or foundation has been partially or completely demolished or destroyed. These activities result in the construction of code-compliant and hazard-resistant structures. Mitigation Reconstruction is the alternative to Structure Elevation when the structure is not sound enough to elevate, as determined during application review.
• Acquisition/Demolition: A structure is purchased from voluntary sellers and demolished, to be maintained by the local community as open space. The local community must agree to participate in this project type.
• Wind Mitigation: Measures that reduce the risk of future wind damage to structures. This may include alterations to the roof, windows, doors, and other vulnerable components of structures. Wind mitigation is another alternative for homes that are not sound enough to elevate.

Potential Program Benefits

• Significant Cost Savings – Homeowners can save 75–100 percent on the cost of protecting their property from future flood damage, making it a cost-effective alternative to managing the project independently.
• Lower Insurance Premiums – Reduce flood insurance costs with improved property resilience.
• Increased Property Value – Strengthen your home’s value with long-term flood protection.
• Comprehensive Support – Enjoy end-to-end assistance, from application to construction, including contractor services, temporary housing support, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations.

We encourage you to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to safeguard your home both enhancing resiliency in your community and for all Floridians. If you have any program questions or need help with the application, you can submit inquiries through the “Contact Us” page on the portal or email [email protected]. You can also call the contact center Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET at 877-ELEV8FL (877-353-8835). To access TTY services, dial 711.
For more information including a Homeowner Guide and frequently asked questions, please visit the portal at the link above.

The video recording of the January 11th Building Department informational meeting

can be viewed by clicking HERE.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT UPDATE
REDINGTON SHORES and REDINGTON BEACH
1/14/2025

Click HERE for the latest update from the building department.

Some property owners have received the substantial damage determination letters.  All structures will receive a letter. 

You can now check whether a letter has been issued for your address by clicking HERE

ATTENTION
REDINGTON BEACH HOMEOWNERS

ATTENTION
REDINGTON BEACH HOMEOWNERS
 

Teams from Pinellas County’s substantial damage estimating group will be present throughout the Town today and the next several days. 

 

Here is a picture of their vests which read “Tidal Basin“.
 

These teams are helping our Town’s building department complete the required substantial damage assessments.  There are many structures that need to be assessed and in order to expedite the process, the County offered resources to help smaller communities (like ours) with this task.

These teams do not need to enter the structure.  

The crews will be taking photographs and measurements and entering the data into a portal.

The data they gather will be sent back to Pinellas County where it is processed and then entered into a larger database. This information will help our building department determine if you can repair your structure to “pre-hurricane” condition. We will provide any new information to you as soon as we receive it.

Here is a video produced by Pinellas County for Unincorporated residents, but much of the information pertains to Redington Beach as well.

 

---

 

Below is the link to the video recording of the FEMA / Building Department meeting that took place at the Redington Shores Town Hall on October 29th, 2024

 

WATCH MEETING VIDEO HERE

BUILDING PERMITS FOR STORM DAMAGE

Here is what you are allowed to do without a permit:

• Removing and disposing of damaged contents, carpeting, etc. 

• Hosing, scrubbing, or cleaning floors, walls, ductwork, etc. 

• Covering holes in roofs or walls and covering windows to prevent the weather from inflicting further damage. 

• Removing sagging ceilings, shoring up broken foundations, and other actions to make the building safe to enter.

Here are the steps you must take now:

You must have a permit to repair any storm damage. Permits are only being issued for storm related repairs. No permits for new construction will be issued until further notice. 

To obtain the building permit:

1. Use the Building Department’s portal, call or visit the Redington Shores/Redington Beach Building Department to apply for the permit. 

2.  The Building Department will schedule an appointment to perform an assessment of your house per FEMA regulations. An assessment must be completed prior to the issuing of a permit.

3.  All homes in Redington Beach will be assessed for storm damage, per FEMA regulations. 

Doing construction repairs without a permit will result in the property owner tearing out the unpermitted work to allow inspection, and requiring a permit.

Phone number: 727-262-2218 / Address: 17425 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores

Please be patient. The building department is working as quickly as they can but the volume of permit applications is very large.

HOW TO FIND YOUR “50%”

If you are wondering how much you can spend on repairs to your home and stay within the 50% rule FEMA restrictions, you can find the value of your structure on the Pinellas County Property Appraiser‘s website: www.pcpao.gov

1. Search for your address in the search bar
2. Click on TOOLS on the right side of the screen
3. Select “FEMA/WLM Letter”
4. You can see the value of your structure under the 50% Rule section
5. Beneath that, it will show you what half of that is and how much you can spend on improvements

If that amount seems too low, you can hire a certified, private appraiser to do a FEMA appraisal. Just be sure to tell them exactly what you are using the appraisal for because there are certain requirements they need to include. They can do it retroactively to the condition of your home before the storm hit. 

Click HERE to read the Claims Handbook for information about filing a Flood Loss Claim.