FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A place where family members have remembered their loved ones for years in Fort Pierce is changing this week.
Starting Monday, the city began carefully removing the memorial plaques and flowers that have been placed on the rocks at Jetty Linear Park and the Jetty Fishing Pier.
WATCH BELOW: Families heartbroken as Fort Pierce removes memorial plaques from Jetty Park
Officials said in an online statement that they expect the process to take about a week.
The city said they understand and respect the "heartfelt intentions behind these tributes," but the placement of plaques and flowers was not authorized and is in violation of an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has jurisdiction over both the park and the pier.
"The City leases these areas and is required to comply with the terms of that agreement," officials said. "In addition, some of the items — particularly flowers — pose an environmental concern when they are swept into the ocean."
Officials said they are committed to handling the matter with "compassion and care" with every effort being made to remove the plaques "gently and respectfully."
The city said that due to the materials used and the nature of the adhesives, some plaques may experience unintentional damage during removal.
"The public is kindly asked not to attempt to remove any plaques or flowers themselves," the city said. "Doing so may result in further damage or safety risks. The City also requests that staff be allowed to complete this process without interference and asks for the community's patience and understanding as this work is completed."
Officials said plaques that remain intact will be stored for safekeeping at the city's Public Works facility located at 52 Savannah Road in Fort Pierce.
A list of names from the plaques will be published to help identify items available for collection.
Plaque Pickup Details:
• Dates: Monday, July 21 and Tuesday, July 22
• Time: 4-6 p.m.
• Location: Public Works Facility in front of the Streets and Drainage Division at 52 Savannah Road in Fort Pierce
• For those unable to pick up their plaque during these times, an appointment may be scheduled by calling the Public Works Front Office at 772-467-3794 during regular business hours.
The city reminds the public that they are not permitted to enter the other fenced areas of the public works facility.
Plaques will be available for pickup until Friday, Aug. 1 at 5 p.m.
Families Heartbroken By City's Decision
Grieving families spoke Monday with WPTV reporter Romelo Styles about the city moving the plaques.
They told us they understand why the plaques are being removed, but it doesn't make the heartbreak any less real.
Tammy Seeney described Jetty Park as "better than a cemetery."
It's where rocks became headstones and salt air felt like a soft reminder of the people she has lost.
"I lost my father, so we put my dad out here," Seeney said. "Eight months later, we lost my uncle, and then we lost my mother, and then we lost another uncle and my cousin."
For her, the jetty is a place of peace, memory and healing that was chosen by her and her family.
Jeff Redding came to the site Monday morning, where a plaque honors his son, Austin.
"He loved Fort Pierce," Redding said. "He loved this area. He loved the water, so this has always been a place we can come and reconnect."
In a moment neither family expected, Redding and Seeney discovered their plaques had been placed right next to each other, a powerful coincidence that brought two strangers together in shared grief.
Even though the city urged the public not to remove the plaques themselves, some families said the situation is personal, and they were removing them.
"We're the ones who picked the place and did it," Seeney said. "I wouldn't want anyone else to touch them."
No one at Fort Pierce City Hall was available for comment when WPTV visited in person Monday.
