Public Notice Notifications

The Jacksonville District currently has five categories of public notice notification mailing lists. If you wish to receive email notifications when new public notices are added to this page, please send a request to Regulatory Webmaster.  Each category is described below. Be sure to specify which list(s) you want to be included on.

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

Antilles - This includes all public notices for projects being reviewed for Standard Permits within the Antilles area (this includes Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands).

Tropical Storms & Other Emergencies - These public notices provide information on procedures for emergency permitting requirements due to specific tropical storm events or other emergency situations.

Special Issues - These are public notices that involve the Regulatory program but which are generally not limited to one particular geographic area. These would include public notices for the establishment or modification of Restricted Areas/Danger Zones, re-issuance of General Permits or Nationwide Permits, changes to guidance and policies, etc.

Administrative Penalty - These public notices provide information associated with Administrative Penalties. An Administrative Penalty can be assessed to address violations associated with issued Department of the Army permits.

SAJ-2005-02878(SP-LCK)

Published Nov. 6, 2019
Expiration date: 11/26/2019
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: Palm Beach County Roadway Production Division
Attn: Morton Rose
2300 North Jog Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33411

WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with the discharge of fill material within Waters of the U.S. The project site is located within waters of the U.S. adjacent to Seminole Pratt-Whitney Road (Sections 19, 24, 25, 19 30, and 31 Township 42 South, Ranges 40 and 41 East) Palm Beach County Florida.

Directions to the site are as follows: From I-95 or Florida’s Turnpike, exit at Southern Boulevard. Head west on Southern Boulevard then turn north on Seminole Pratt-Whitney Road to Orange Boulevard. The project is from Orange Boulevard to just south of Northlake Boulevard.

APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Latitude: 26.794258°
Longitude: -80.294125°

PROJECT PURPOSE:

Basic: The basic purpose is to improve transportation.

Overall: The overall project purpose is to construct a roadway expansion along a portion of Seminole Pratt-Whitney Road in Palm Beach County.

EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site is located adjacent to Seminole Pratt Whitney Road in Palm Beach County. The vegetation adjacent to the roadway consists of Australian Pine, Slash Pines, Bald Cypress, Cabbage Palm, Sword Fern, chain Fern, Sawgrass, Saw Palmetto, and Maidencane. The existing area surrounding the project area consists of low density residential development.

Project History: the Corps issued a Department of Army (DA) authorization dated August 25, 2009.

PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks re-authorization to widen a 1.81 mile section of Seminole Pratt-Whitney Road between Orange Boulevard and 87th Road North from a two-lane section to a four-lane section, with an ultimate section that will provide six lanes. The applicant proposes to

(1) Fill and excavate 2.58 acres of two wetlands in order to construct two associated stormwater ponds, and

(2) Extend two 84” RCP culverts 18’ feet on each side of the Indian Trails Improvement District (ITID) “C” canal crossing,

(3) Replace twin 72” CMP culverts with 72” RCP culverts (ITID “E” canal crossing), and

(4) Replace twin 72” CMP culverts with twin 84: RCP culverts (ITID “J” canal crossing).

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 wetlands are proposed to be impacted as a result of the road widening. The project requires the use of stormwater ponds to store and treat runoff from the additional impervious area associated with the road widening. The two County acquired parcels where wetland impacts are proposed were the only undeveloped parcels of sufficient size and appropriate location to meet the required stormwater treatment/conveyance criteria for the project. The applicant shall be required to utilize best management practices including turbidity and erosion controls.

COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment: The project will directly impact 2.58 acres of two separate wetlands. A total Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM) functional loss of 1.05 was previously assessed and approved for the impacts to the wetlands. As mitigation for the proposed direct impacts to wetlands, the applicant proposes to enhance and preserve a 19-acre area of wetlands within Palm Beach County’s Pine Glades West Natural Area. The mitigation area will be managed in accordance with the County’s Pine Glades Natural Area Management Plan and preserved under a passive recreational conservation easement in favor of the South Florida Water Management District.

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 (Mycteria Americana) and eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi). The Corps has already received concurrence from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for the above effect determinations for the original authorization. The reauthorization of the work would not have any new effects not previously considered, therefore no re-initiation of consultation with FWS pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act is required.

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, 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 4400 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, FL. 33410; by electronic mail at Linda.C.Knoeck@usace.army.mil; or, by telephone at (561)472-3531.

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.