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: Hillsborough County
c/o Jim Hudock
601 East Kennedy Blvd, 22nd Floor
Tampa, Florida 33601
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Lambright Ditch. The project begins at North Occident Street, between W Knollwood Street and W Lambright Street, and continues west ending at N Hesperides Street, in Section 32, Township 28 South, Range 18 East, Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From I-275N, take exit 47B for US-92 W/ Hillsborough Avenue W, turn right onto N Hesperides Street, turn left onto Lambright Street, the project site is on the right.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Latitude 28.00724°
Longitude -82.52192°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: Flooding prevention
Overall: To improve public safety and prevent flooding that presently exists, along Hesperides Street at the intersections of Knollwood Street and Lambright Street.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The Lambright Ditch is located in a Hillsborough County drainage easement behind the residential properties along the south side of Knollwood Street and the north side of Lambright Street. The ditch is approximately 1,518-feet long and conveys stormwater westward.
An Army Corps permit dated December 7, 2015 authorized re-grading of the ditch bottom and side slopes and installation of erosion control mats. Hillsborough County Maintenance has attempted to stabilize the upstream end of Lambright Ditch by adding soil to the south ditch bank and erosion control mats to both ditch banks per the 2015 permit. However, the south bank still appears to be unstable, with the bank continuing to erode despite the erosion control mat.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to improve the existing West Lambright Street stormwater system by installing a 4-foot x 8-foot Reinforced Concrete Box Culvert (RCBC) for the entire length of the existing Lambright Ditch, connecting to the storm sewer system from Hesperides Street at the upstream end to the storm sewer system at Occident Street at the downstream end. A shallow ditch will be constructed on top of the entire length of the RCBC to maintain flow during prolonged rainfall and extreme rainfall events to prevent upstream flooding to the residential properties. The Lambright Ditch is approximately 1,518-feet long and the entire length of the ditch will be filled and replaced with a RCBC totaling 0.83-acres of impacts.
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: A ditch will be constructed on top of the proposed RCBC preserving the open channel conveyance.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: The applicant has provided the following explanation why compensatory mitigation should not be required:
No permanent impacts to wetlands are proposed.
CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Corps has determined the permit area has been extensively modified by previous work and there is little likelihood a historic property may be affected.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: The permit area is within a heavily developed residential neighborhood, has been extensively modified by previous work, and results in no loss of acreage or function of waters of the United States, or of potential wildlife habitat. The Corps has determined the proposal would have no effect on any listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat.
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- 2014-00484 (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.