The 58-year-old Hobe Mountain Observation Tower was closed in April after a state-hired engineering firm determined it was unsafe and needed to be replaced or given a five-year Band-Aid repair.
But The Friends of Jonathan Dickinson State Park, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for park projects, can’t raise money for the tower now, and has had to turn down at least $60,000, the president told TCPalm Monday.
That’s because Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Great Outdoors Initiative plans to remove the tower and boardwalk to build three golf courses — a mission The Friends is now required to support as a condition of the incorporation papers it signed as a state park citizen support organization, said President Wendy Morse.
The Friends had started to raise money to repair the tower and install an elevator for disabled visitors until it learned about the golf courses, Morse said. At Saturday’s park protest, someone offered to donate $50,000 and, on Monday, a caller said 10 people would give $1,000 each, but Morse had to decline the offers.
Despite not being able to raise money, donations continue to come in to the nonprofit via a drop-down selection on its website. The fund for the tower, which has a goal to raise $200,000, was up to nearly $2,000 by noon Tuesday.
“We had no notice there was any interest in removing Hobe Mountain tower until the plan came out,” she said.
If the Department of Environmental Protection’s Acquisition and Restoration Council approves the Great Outdoors Initiative, the Friends would have to support — and possibly raise money for — the golf courses.
Hobe Mountain Observation Tower
The tower offers a view of the entire park as well as the Indian River Lagoon, Atlantic Ocean and surrounding area. It sits atop Hobe Mountain, an ancient sand dune that’s 86 feet above sea level and the highest natural point south of Lake Okeechobee. Although the tower is closed, the 700-foot boardwalk remains open.
The park has been waiting four months for the state to allocate the repair or replacement project for the tower that was built in 1966, but it depends on funding, said Park Manager Scott Duncan.
Repairing the tower could cost $145,000, but that would only buy the park five years before it has to replace the tower, which could cost $175,000, the engineering report says.
“It’s just unsafe,” Duncan said. “We had some concerns looking at it. We had an engineer come in to assess it, and the engineer determined that it was not safe for people to be on.”
Catch up: All the news about Jonathan Dickinson State Park golf course proposal
CSM Engineering of Stuart visually inspected the 1,300-square-foot, 27-foot-tall, three-level tower’s timber deck and stair system and found these problems, according to its structural report dated April 17:
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Beams supporting joist and decking are showing signs of shear failure of varying levels
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Joists supporting decking members are showing signs of mold, mildew and wood rot
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Fasteners and connectors are non-stainless steel
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Piles have lost up to 25% of their capacity
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Bracing members are showing signs of wood rot
CSM Engineering recommended replacing the tower, but gave two options:
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Option A: Replace complete framing and stairs on existing piles, as well as all connectors, fasteners, selective stair components, beams, joist and decking. Extends remaining life of the piles up to five years before replacing the entire structure. Estimated cost: $145,000
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Option B: Replace entire structure now or within five years if option A is selected. Estimated cost: $175,000
Jonathan Dickinson State Park visitors
The Great Outdoors Initiative has renewed interest in the park, especially among people who oppose the golf courses, according to attendance numbers.
Here’s the number of visitors on the Saturday of the second protest compared to the previous Saturday:
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Aug. 24: 988, plus 220 campers
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Aug. 17: 401, plus 228 campers
Here’s the number of visitors on the Wednesday of the first protest compared to the previous Wednesday:
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Aug. 21: 276, plus 121 campers
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Aug. 14: 150, plus 135 campers
Annual visitation to the park has normalized post-pandemic, Duncan said. It had a dip for the two months it was closed in 2020 before a big jump that lasted through 2021, but recently came back down to normal numbers:
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2019-20: 255,101
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2020-21: 291,375
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2021-22: 292,980
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2022-23: 255,099
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2023-24: 231,990
Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm’s entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at [email protected]. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Jonathan Dickinson State Park Hobe Mountain Observation Tower closed
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