TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1344) as described below:
APPLICANT: Donald Strollo
RVOne Superstores, Inc.
4656 McIntosh Road
Dover, Florida 33572
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States draining to the Hillsborough River. The project site is a 24.3-acre property located at 4656 McIntosh Road, in Section 30, Township 28 South, Range 21 East, Dover, Hillsborough County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From I-4 East, take exit 14 for McIntosh Road, the project site will be on the right.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Latitude 28.02073°
Longitude 82.24947°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: Commercial development
Overall: Expand the existing Tampa RV in Dover, Florida.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The Project Site is a 24.3-acre property located south of I-4 on McIntosh Road. The eastern portion of the property is currently used as an RV park, while the central portion of the property is largely undeveloped and the western portion is occupied by two residences. The wetland system consists of three wetlands, three surface waters and three stormwater features. The surface waters cover approximately 1.51-acres of the site and serves as stormwater retention ponds and ditches. The pond on the existing RV lot has wetland vegetation along the pond edges but is primarily open water. The pond on the western portion of the site contains a littoral edge as well. Vegetation within the littoral area includes cattail (Typha sp.) and primrose willow (Ludwigia peruviana). The southern portion of the site contains three stormwater drainage ditches that occupy approximately 0.77 acres.
Mixed wetland hardwoods cover approximately 1.03-acres of the site. Vegetation consists of laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), wild yam (Dioscorea villosa), primrose willow, beauty berry (Callicarpa americana), Caesar weed (Urena lobata), red bay (Persea borbonia), day flower (Commelina sp.), palmetto (Serenoa repens), red maple (Acer rubrum), live oak (Quercus alba), swamp fern (Blechnum serrulatum), and soft rush (Juncus sp.). This wetland area is adjacent to a drainage ditch that connects under I-4 to the north and Castlewood Road to the south.
Freshwater marsh covers approximately 1.37-acres of the site. Vegetation consists of dollar weed (Hydrocotyle umbellate), coinwort (Centella asiatica), and pennywort (Centella asiatica).
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to expand the existing Tampa RV by demolishing the existing buildings and pavement to construct three new buildings, and expanded parking lot, and a stormwater pond located in the central portion of the site. The project site plan proposes direct impacts to 0.56-acres of wetlands and 0.9-acres of surface waters. Additionally, the plan proposes to impact 0.77-acres of non-jurisdictional stormwater features on the southern portion of the site.
AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION INFORMATION: The applicant has provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:
The site plan has been designed to avoid impacts to the highest quality forested wetland Systems, Wetland A and Wetland C. Due to the placement of the remaining wetlands and surface waters, further reduction of impacts was not feasible. A 15-foot buffer will be maintained between Wetland C and the project development, therefore, secondary impacts are not anticipated.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:
Mitigation credits will be purchased from the Hillsborough River Mitigation Bank for the jurisdictional wetlands and surface waters.
CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Corps is not aware of any known historic properties within the permit area. By copy of this public notice, the Corps is providing information for review. Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts is subject to review by and coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer and those federally recognized tribes with concerns in Florida and the Permit Area.
ENDANGERED SPECIES:
The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the Wood Stork and the Eastern Indigo Snake. The Corps will request U.S. Fish and Wildlife/National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with this determination pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT (EFH): This notice initiates consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service on EFH as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries. Our final determination relative to project impacts and the need for mitigation measures is subject to review by and coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
NOTE: This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the applicant. This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program. The jurisdictional line has not been verified by Corps personnel.
AUTHORIZATION FROM OTHER AGENCIES: Water Quality Certification may be required from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and/or one of the state Water Management Districts.
COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Tampa Permits Section within 15 days from the date of this notice. For electronic mail (preferred) submit comments to Caitlin.S.Hoch@usace.army.mil. For standard mail submit comments to 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, Florida 33610-8302. Please reference this permit number, SAJ-2016-03379 (SP-CSH), on all submittals.
The decision whether to issue or deny this permit application will be based on the information received from this public notice and the evaluation of the probable impact to the associated wetlands. This is based on an analysis of the applicant's avoidance and minimization efforts for the project, as well as the compensatory mitigation proposed.
QUESTIONS concerning this application should be directed to the project manager, Caitlin Hoch, in writing at the Tampa Permits Section, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, Florida 33610; by electronic mail at Caitlin.S.Hoch@usace.army.mil; by fax at (813)769-7061; or, by telephone at (813)769-7074.
IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES: Preliminary review of this application indicates that an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. Coordination with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Marine Fisheries Services, and other Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, and concerned citizens generally yields pertinent environmental information that is instrumental in determining the impact the proposed action will have on the natural resources of the area. By means of this notice, we are soliciting comments on the potential effects of the project on threatened or endangered species or their habitat
EVALUATION: The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including cumulative impacts thereof; among these are conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food, and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will also include application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, EPA, under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act of the criteria established under authority of Section 102(a) of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. A permit will be granted unless its issuance is found to be contrary to the public interest.
The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other Interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.
COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONSISTENCY: In Florida, the State approval constitutes compliance with the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan. In Puerto Rico, a Coastal Zone Management Consistency Concurrence is required from the Puerto Rico Planning Board, in the Virgin Islands, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources permit constitutes compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Plan.
REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING: Any person may request a public hearing. The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within the designated comment period of the notice and must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing.