Public Notice

Posted September 22, 2022

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JOINT FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL PUBLIC NOTICE

September 22, 2022

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida Division of Emergency Management have received the following application for Federal grant funding. Final notice is hereby given of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) consideration to provide funding in the form of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Funds will be provided in accordance with Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 FEMA is required to consider alternatives to and to provide public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority or low-income populations.

Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.

Applicant:
Town of Windermere

Project Title:
HMGP-4337- 297-R: Town of Windermere, West Second Avenue, Drainage

Location of Proposed Work:
Windermere, Florida, 34786

The project encompasses West Second Avenue, from Main Street west to the street terminus within the Aladar Replat cul-de-sac. The area affected by this project consist of the homes on both sides of West Second Avenue from Main Street to the street terminus at the Aladar Replat cul-de-sac.

Proposed Work and Purpose:
The Town of Windermere proposes to improve the drainage system along West Second Avenue in the Town of Windermere, Florida, 34786. The project starts in the intersection of Second Avenue with Main Street and goes westbound along Second Avenue for approximately 4,400 linear feet ending in a cul-de-sac. The proposal includes stormwater piping, curb and gutter along with associated inlets to collect and convey stormwater runoff to the existing dedicated outfall system along Forest Avenue. In other portions of West Second Avenue, new drainage infrastructure shall be constructed, 24-inch and 18-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) and culverts; where none previously existed or where the drainage systems are lacking capacity. This includes the construction of French drain systems under Second Avenue, consisting of 24-inch slotted reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), to collect and impound stormwater runoff and discharge the stormwater to the underlying surficial aquifer. Construction activities also include roadway excavation to install the needed stormwater infrastructure. To return the project area to operation as a roadway, current standards shall be met and involve minimal roadway widening, this is also considered in the project curb and gutter system and inlet layout for drainage mitigation. After the completion of the drainage work, portions of the asphalt shall be milled and Second Avenue, which is an existing paved roadway, shall be repaved. While the roadway excavation is open, water utility piping installation is identified, but this is separate from the mitigation project and shall not be funded by Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Following the disruptive construction activities, driveway repair and necessary grading activities shall be completed to tie grade to existing conditions. The project shall address the lack of capacity of the existing system which historically causes residents to experience repetitive flooding on roads and structural damages.

Project Alternatives:
The alternatives to the project that have been and will be considered are: 1) the no action alternative and 2) Relocation and/or acquisition of the building structures that may be subjected to flooding occurrences. These alternatives to the proposed project are not viable because under Alternative 1) repetitive flooding is not alleviated; and Alternative 2) does not retain fabric of the community, will result in significant hardship to the Town and the affected residents, and is extremely cost prohibitive (given the cost for property and building structures along the project limits), and therefore not practicable.

Comment Period:
Comments are solicited from the public; Local, State or Federal agencies; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. The comments should be made in writing and addressed to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Bureau of Mitigation, 2555 Shumard Oak Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100. These are due within thirty (30) days of this notice. The State will forward comments to applicable regulatory agencies as needed. Interested persons may submit comments, obtain more detailed information about the proposed action, or request a copy of the findings by contacting:

Robert Smith, Town Manager
Town of Windermere
(407) (876-2563) Ext. 5324
rsmith@town.windermere.fl.us

Kayla Born, State Lead Environmental Specialist
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Phone No: (850) 815-4582
Kayla.Born@em.myflorida.com