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: Parasol West Homeowner’s Association
c/o Mark Miller
13880 Perdido Key Drive
Pensacola, Florida 32507
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Old River. The project is located on the north side of Gulf View Lane, in Section 6, Township 4 South, Range 32 West, in Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From Pensacola, go southwest on SR-292 (Barrancas Avenue/Gulf Beach Highway/Sorrento Road) to Perdido Key. After crossing the Intracoastal Waterway/Theo Baars Bridge, continue west on SR-292/Perdido Key Drive to Gulfview Lane. Turn north on Gulfview Lane, then west. The road curves north then east. The site is located to the north, between 365 and 367 Gulfview Lane.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Latitude 30.288592° North, Longitude 87.492481° West
PURPOSE:
Basic: Private Marina
Overall: Expand an existing private multi-family docking facility on Old River, in Escambia County.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The project site consists of an existing private 37-slip multi-family docking facility with 6 personal watercraft (PWC) lifts. The shoreline surrounding the site adjacent to the dock is comprised of a monoculture of saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Adjacent to the shoreline, there is a continuous bed of submerged aquatic vegetation consisting of shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) and turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum). The site is surrounded by Old River to the north, and single-family and multi-family residential development to the east, west, and south.
PERMIT HISTORY: The Department of the Army permit number 1993-01136, issued on July 12, 2019, authorized the expansion of an existing 20-slip docking facility to create a 37-slip docking facility with 6 personal watercraft (PWC) lifts.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to modify and expand the existing 37-slip docking facility to create a 52-slip docking facility. Two existing boat slips and the 6 personal watercraft (PWC) lifts would be removed and 17 new slips would be created. Modification of the existing structure consists of increasing the size of the terminal platform to 20-feet by 53-feet, installing two 19.5-feet by 3-foot finger piers extensions, and installing two 36-foot by 3-foot finger piers. The expansion of the structure consists of extending the 5-foot wide access pier to the east by 151-feet and adding nine 36-foot by 3-foot finger piers with associated mooring pilings to create 17 additional slips.
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 would minimize impacts to the aquatic environment by utilizing Best Management Practices (BMPs), including turbidity curtains, during construction. No submerged aquatic vegetation or emergent marsh would be impacted by the proposed work.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: Due to the nature of the project, the applicant has not proposed compensatory mitigation.
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 West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), giant manta ray (Mobula birostris), and swimming sea turtles, including green turtle (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate), Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). The Corps will request U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with these determinations 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. The proposal would impact approximately 0.16 acres of estuarine subtidal habitat due to shading utilized by various life stages of 4 shark species (Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip, bull, and spinner), four shrimp species (brown, white, pink, Royal red), coastal migratory pelagic species, red drum, and 43 species of reef fish. 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.
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 Pensacola Permits Section, 41 North Jefferson Street, Suite 301, Pensacola, Florida, 32502 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, Holly Millsap, in writing at the Pensacola Permits Section, 41 North Jefferson Street, Suite 301, Pensacola, FL 32502, by electronic mail at Holly.M.Millsap@usace.army.mil, by fax at (850) 433-8160, or by telephone at (850) 470-9823.
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.