Public Notice Notifications

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Florida - This includes all public notices for projects being reviewed for Standard Permits within the State of Florida.

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SAJ-1990-00182(SP-KDS)

Published Oct. 6, 2017
Expiration date: 10/26/2017

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:  City of Palm Beach Gardens

                       10500 N Military Trail

                        Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410

 

WATERWAY AND LOCATION:  The project site is located within waters of the United States associated with the C-18 Canal.  The project site is located on Northlake Boulevard, approximately 4 miles west of the Beeline Highway, directly west of the Sandhill Crane Golf Club development, in Section 14, Township 42 South, Range 41 East, Palm Beach County, Florida.

 

Directions to the site are as follows: From I-95 or the Florida’s Turnpike, find Northlake Boulevard and head west for approximately 4 miles past the Beeline Highway (SR710). The site is located on the north side of Northlake Boulevard directly west of Sandhill Crane Golf Club development.

 

APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:          Latitude  26.8162°

                                                                                   Longitude -80.2233°

 

PROJECT PURPOSE:

Basic:  To expand an existing golf club

Overall:  To expand the existing Sandhill Crane Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

 

EXISTING CONDITIONS:  The project site is 14.31 acres.  The site contains 10.21 acres of wetlands, 0.53 acre ditch, and 3.51 acres of uplands. The upland portion of the site consist of nonhydric improved pasture (1.38 acres), unimproved pasture (1.37 acres), and Brazilian pepper (0.81 acre).  The wetland system consists of a contiguous 10.21-acre Improved Pasture Hydric (FLUCFCS cover type 211H) freshwater system.  The wetlands are low quality with altered hydrology, reduced function with disturbance from cattle and land management activities. The onsite wetland vegetation consists of pennywort (Hydrocotyle sp.), spadeleaf (Centella asiatica), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), jointed spike rush (Eleocharis equisetoides), frog-fruit (Phyla nodiflora) and water-hyssops (Bacopa monnieri).  Portions of the Improved Pasture Hydric cover type extends offsite to the west. The existing area surrounding the project area consists of: the existing Sandhill Crane Golf Course to the east; and Exotic Wetland Hardwoods (FLUCFCS 619) dominated by melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia) to the north; with Improved Pasture (FLUCFCS 211) dominated by bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), shrubby false buttonweed (Spermacoce verticillata), smutgrass (Sporobolus sp.), frogfruit, and other grass species that are unidentifiable due to grazing of livestock, and Unimproved Pasture (FLUCFCS 212) with groundcover species include bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), shrubby false buttonweed (Spermacoce verticillata), smutgrass (Sporobolus sp.), Caesar weed (Urena lobata) and dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), with scattered wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), slash pine (Pinus elliottii), cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia) and ficus (Ficus microcarpa) to the west.

 

PROPOSED WORK:  The proposed project, referred to as Sandhill Crane Maintenance Facility and Parking Expansion, includes the discharge of 22,155 cubic yards of fill into 2.23 acres of wetlands and excavation of 17,972 cubic yards of sediment from 1.29 acres of wetlands to construct a maintenance facility and parking lot expansion for the Sandhill Crane Golf Course.  The proposed project includes the construction of utilities, storm drainage infrastructure and a wet detention lake with control structure for water quality treatment and stormwater attenuation.

 

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 applicant has minimized proposed impacts to the maximum extent practicable by locating a portion of the project in uplands at the southeastern corner of the project site, adjacent to the existing golf course facilities to the east, and proposed impacts that will occur from the Ancient Tree project to the west. The site plan footprint has been minimized to include only components crucial to continued operation of the existing public golf facility.”

 

COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:

“Mitigation for unavoidable wetland impacts will consist of purchasing mitigation credits from the federally-permitted Loxahatchee Mitigation Bank. The number of credits required will be calculated based on impact acreage and existing M-WRAP wetland habitat value scores previously agreed to by USACE for the Ancient Tree project site, of which the proposed project site was formerly a part.”

 

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 project is within the range and/or consultation area of the threatened Audubon’s crested caracara (Polyborus plancus audobonii), Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), wood stork (Mycteria americana), endangered Everglade snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), and red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis).  Based on information available from the applicant our initial determination is that the project will not affect the caracara, Everglade snail kite, Florida scrub jay, or the red-cockaded woodpecker.  The Corps has determined the project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the Eastern indigo snake and the wood stork.  The Corps has received programmatic concurrence from the FWS and no further consultation is required.

 

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 project site contains 10.21 acres of freshwater wetlands.  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 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 Permits Section, 4400 PGA Boulevard, Suite 500, 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, Krista Sabin, in writing at the Palm Beach Gardens Permits Section, 4400 PGA Boulevard, Suite 500, Palm Beach Gardens FL 33410; by electronic mail at Krista.D.Sabin@usace.army.mil; or, by telephone at (561) 472-3506. 

 

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.