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 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. §403) as described below:
APPLICANT: Florida Grande LLC.
Attn: Robert Rubenstein
501 E Camino Real
Boca Raton, FL 33432
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with dredging of tidal waters of an existing commercial marina. The project is located at 1881 SE 17th Street adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW) and the Seminole River, Ft. Lauderdale (Section 14, Township 50 South, Range 42 East), in Broward Beach County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: Take 95 South to exist 26, Davie Boulevard going east. Take a right onto S. Andrews Avenue. Take a left onto SE 17th Street. Take a slight right onto Marriott Drive just before the 17th Street bridge. Turn left onto the 17th Street Ramp/Mariott Drive. The property will be straight ahead
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Latitude: 26.10176°
Longitude: -80.12080°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: The basic project purpose is to improve navigation of an existing marina for larger vessels.
Overall: The overall project purpose is to improve navigation of an existing marina for larger vessels on the Intracoastal Waterway in Ft. Lauderdale Florida.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The developed property consists of a ±11.3-acre hotel and marina along the Intracoastal Waterway and Seminole River. The project site contains an existing concrete panel seawall with concrete marginal docks. The existing area surrounding the project area consists of commercial and residential developments, as well as the industrial area of Port Everglades to the south. The submerged bottom of the project footprint includes silt, sand, rock and algae. A seagrass survey conducted in August 2016, concluded that the subject site consisted of silt, sand, rock and algae. There is a 289 square foot patch of seagrass (Halophilia decipiens) (5-10% coverage), located at the northern end of the marina.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to dredge a 14,643 square foot area (1,220 cubic yards) to a depth of -16.5 + 2’ NGVD to match the F.I.N.D. ICWW deepening project target depths.
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: No impacts to seagrass are proposed, the existing seagrass patch is located outside of the dredge footprint. Weighted turbidity curtains will encompass the proposed dredge footprint during in-water work. The applicant will adhere to the construction conditions for the manatee, swimming sea turtle and smalltooth sawfish.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has provided the following explanation why compensatory mitigation should not be required: No impacts to seagrass is proposed or anticipated therefore no compensatory mitigation is required..
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 proposal may affect but is not likely to adversely affect the West Indian Manatee or its designated critical habitat. The Corps evaluated potential project related effects to the manatee by using The Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, and the State of Florida Effect Determination Key for the Manatee in Florida, (Key) dated April 2013. Using the Key, A>B>C>G> N>O>P couplet 4, resulted in a “May Affect Not Likely to Adversely Affect” determination. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife has given programmatic concurrence with this determination and no further coordination is required.
The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the threatened and endangered swimming sea turtles; loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), and the threatened smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) and would not adversely modify their designated critical habitat. The Corps will request National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with these determinations pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act by separate letter.
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. The proposal would impact approximately 14,643 square feet of un-vegetated benthic habitat that is utilized by various life stages of penaeid shrimp complex, reef fish, stone crab, spiny lobster, migratory/pelagic fish, and snapper/grouper complex. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries in the South Atlantic Region. 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/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 Palm Beach Gardens, Regulatory Permits Section, 4400, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 within 21 days from the date of this notice.
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, Ms. Linda C. Knoeck, in writing at the Palm Beach Gardens, Regulatory Permits Section, 4400, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410; by electronic mail at Linda.C.Knoeck@usace.army.mil; or, by telephone at (561)472-3530.
IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES: 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.
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 or 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 determination, comments are used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. 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.