What gets a Hollywood seawall cited
Section 150.30 presumes a barrier is in disrepair if tidal surface water flows through or over it onto a neighbor's property or the public right-of-way, and failing to keep a barrier in good repair is a citable offense (Sec. 150.30). Age alone is not the trigger. Water crossing your property line is.
How the 365 days really works
If the repair that stops the water is small, 365 days is usually comfortable. If it counts as a substantial repair, the code requires the wall to be designed, permitted, built and pass final inspection at the required elevation within those same 365 days. That year has to absorb a survey, engineering, the city building permit and the Broward County Environmental Resource General License, and possibly Florida DEP, South Florida Water Management District or Army Corps review (city checklist).
The 2035 and 2050 dates
- Before January 1, 2035: an application for a new or substantially repaired barrier can be permitted at 4 feet NAVD88 if it is designed and built to accommodate 5 feet.
- By January 1, 2050: a wall permitted at 4 feet must be able to reach 5 feet.
- In 2034 or before: the city will re-evaluate the 5 foot requirement using updated sea level rise projections (Sec. 150.30).
If you expect to rebuild in the next decade, the practical question is whether to build to 5 feet now or to 4 feet with a design that can be raised. Pricing both is worth it.
A realistic first 60 days after a Hollywood citation
- Note the citation date. Both deadlines run from it.
- Photograph the overtopping or leak at high tide, with the date.
- Have a licensed contractor or engineer inspect the wall and say whether the fix is a targeted repair or a substantial repair.
- Order a survey in feet NAVD88 if a rebuild is likely.
- Keep records of every step, and call the city before a deadline if the schedule slips.
More detail is in what to do after a seawall citation. For the elevation rule, see the Hollywood seawall height requirement.