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People who own property on Cape San Blas may soon be able to apply for building permits. Development has been stymied when the state redrew erosion lines. Under a compromise that is being debated in a House committee on Wednesday, anyone who ons property would be able to build, but sponsor Jimmy Petronis says they would have to self insure.

“What this will do is it will ensure the citizens of Cape San Blas, with passage of this local bill, will have the ability to develop on their lot,” Petronis said. “Now it will still be up to the jurisdiction of DEP as to how those permits are issued, but at the end of the day, it protects the property rights of those individuals on the Cape and also the cash flow of the county.”

Even if the change becomes law, if a home is more than 51 percent destroyed by a storm, owners would not be allowed to rebuild.