Florida's plan to fill Milton Pass divides Englewood residents

A new pass created by Hurricane Milton is causing debate among locals and officials about its impact on the beaches and waterways in Englewood. The hurricane carved out Milton Pass, just north of Stump Pass, and this new opening is altering sand movement and potentially speeding up the filling in of Stump Pass.

Doug Bloch, a long-time Englewood resident and boater, expressed his thoughts on the situation.

"Probably the last 20 years, been coming down. I love it," Bloch said.

"Living in Inglewood, it's nice and close, I can get out to the Gulf really fast," said Bloch.

He keeps his boat at Stump Pass Marina for convenient access to the water.

"It changes quite a bit, you know, from hurricanes and all that stuff, but can almost always get out, and it's usually pretty easy," Bloch said.

The creation of Milton Pass has been one of the most significant changes.

"Personally, I like it the way it is. I mean, God made sand move where it's going to move, and if the storm does it, then it's natural causes, and that's the way it should be," Bloch said.

Just a few feet away, another boater, Joe Mulleavy, has a different perspective.

"I think it's a good idea," Mulleavy said.

"I think it should just be restored," said Mulleavy.

He mentioned that the new pass split the state park in two.

"I ride my bike down there, and it's a beautiful park. So I hope that it's, I hope that it's not cut in half. I hope that the whole thing is back to where you can walk the whole beach," Mulleavy said.

Bloch, however, believes nature should take its course.

"It's cool and it's natural, and I think it should be there," Bloch said.

WINK News reached out to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to inquire about any plans to address the situation, but there has been no response yet. Meanwhile, Charlotte County plans to proceed with beach renourishment, regardless of whether Milton Pass is filled in.