Coast Guard’s Revised Schedule for Stuart Drawbridge Is Only Temporary, Amended Lawsuit Seeks To Make It Permanent

Michael Payne was a guest on WQCS to discuss the firm’s representation of 22 marine businesses and organizations in the lawsuit filed against the Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for condoning and obstructing a federally regulated waterway. A Notice of Temporary Deviation regarding the bridge was issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, providing the relief that the plaintiffs sought in the suit.

“Our clients are cautiously optimistic that the Coast Guard will recognize, through further study, that keeping the bridge closed, except for 15 minutes per hour, would seriously impede navigation,” said Michael. “The proposed change seems to be a reasonable compromise, as the long-range solution would be the construction of a new bridge to accommodate the interests of all parties involved.”

The plaintiffs are represented by Michael and Ryan Boonstra in conjunction with our local counsel, Mansfield, Bronstein & Stone, LLP.

A lawsuit filed in April seeking a formal hearing on the operating times of the St. Lucie River railroad drawbridge has been amended in light of the U.S. Coast Guard’s revised schedule drawbridge operations.

The suit was filed on behalf of 22 mostly marine plaintiffs who are asking the Federal Court in Miami to bar Brightline from running any trains over the drawbridge until that hearing has been held. The bridge provides sole access to the Okeechobee Waterway (OWW) near Stuart for local marinas, shipyards, marine service providers, and boat owners.