FORT PIERCE – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is investigating whether docking facilities at a popular North Hutchinson Island waterfront restaurant/bar may not have been properly permitted and may encroach on state land.
Emails released by the City of Fort Pierce to Hometown News show FDEP informed the city on July 17 that Little Jim’s “may currently have compliance issues with the Department” and that “certain docks appear to have been installed without regulatory authorization from the Department.”
The award of a new, long-term operating lease for the facility is currently going through an evaluation process, with three potential bidders – including the existing operator – having submitted proposals to the city…