Crews July 13 began the court-ordered demolition of a stilt house structure in the nearshore waters of Cortez.
12th Circuit Judge Edward Nicholas had given the builder/owner, Raymond “Junior” Guthrie Jr., 120 days to remove the structure in a May 1 court order.
The demolition work is the latest development in a dispute that goes back years.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection initiated legal proceedings against Guthrie in 2018, alleging he violated state regulations by building the structure without permission on state submerged lands.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Guthrie maintained he only improved on a traditional net camp. There is a similar structure of historical significance nearby, on the water adjacent to the working docks in the fishing village of Cortez.
Net camps were used for cleaning, drying and storing cotton nets, according to information from the Florida Maritime Museum in Cortez. The camps fell out of use with the advent of more durable synthetic net materials and all but a few of the camps fell into disrepair, disappearing over time in storms and the elements.
The only net camp on the water in Cortez is maintained by the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage.
Guthrie built the stilt structure in 2017 on what he said was the site of a former net camp built decades ago by his family.
His structure was a residential home over the water, with a kitchen, bathroom and living areas, as well as utilities.
The DEP launched its suit in 2018, alleging the state owns the submerged lands under the structure and claiming Guthrie’s stilt home to be illegal.
A Feb. 25, 2019, ruling favored the DEP’s stance and Guthrie was ordered to dismantle the structure.
But it remained, and, in February 2023, it seemed Guthrie had won over the DEP after Nichols found no filings by the DEP for more than 12 months.
However, the case was reopened in November 2023 when the state cited procedural issues regarding court notifications.
In May, Nicholas again ordered the structure removed.
The Islander did not reach Guthrie for comment as of press time July 22.
Karen Bell, owner of A.P. Bell Fish Co. and Star Fish Co. Market and Restaurant, both on the waterfront in Cortez, voiced her disappointment during a July 15 interview with The Islander.
“The state of Florida has just taken one more thing away from this fishing village,” she said. “There’s no place else in Florida that I can think of that still works and still fishes like us, and DEP just cut away a chunk of it.”
Bell, a longstanding supporter of protecting the structure, worked with Guthrie to find a legal means to avoid the demolition.
Cortez business operator Katie Tupin of Captain Katie Scarlett Boat Tours, agreed. “It’s extremely sad. It’s almost as if one of the last historic fishing villages left is being chipped away at. We have so many problems and issues that need to be taken care of and it seems as if they are focusing on the wrong problems.”
Tupin and other tour boat captains have been appealing to the state for assistance with sunken and derelict vessels and also working to thwart illegal poaching of sea life in bay waters.
“There used to be fishing villages like Cortez all across the state,” Tupin said. “This is one of the last ones that still remain and meanwhile they’re focusing on a family’s old camp.”
The demolition was being overseen by Guthrie and expected to last two weeks, according to Bell.
The Islander reached out to the DEP for comment about the demolition July 17 but, as of press time, there was no reply.