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.
If you are interested in receiving additional project drawings associated with this public notice, please contact the project manager by electronic mail at Kelly.A.Bunting@usace.army.mil.
APPLICANT: Caleb Ford
Grand Lagoon Property, LLC
309 Carolyn Avenue
Panama City Beach, Florida 32407
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Grand Lagoon. The project site is located at 5201 North Lagoon Drive in Section 10, Township 4 South, Range 15 West, Panama City Beach, Bay County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From downtown Panama City, travel west on United States (U.S.) Highway 98 for 6 miles, crossing the Hathaway Bridge. Turn left on Thomas Drive. Travel for 2.8 miles, then turn left on North Lagoon Drive. The project area will be on the right, 5201 North Lagoon Drive.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: Latitude 30.148124° North
Longitude -85.743387° West
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The project site contains an existing commercial dock that has been present for over 30 years. The dock currently consists of (2) 100’ x 9’ access docks connected by a 385’ x 8’ boardwalk running parallel to the shoreline. Approximately (28) sets of mooring pilings are present waterward of the boardwalk, along with a 36’ x 4’ finger pier on the west side of the structure. The aquatic habitat in the project area is estuarine subtidal unconsolidated bottom. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is present between the shore and the existing boardwalk and on the east and west sides of the current structure. Neighboring properties contain commercial businesses and residential parcels with docks.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to modify an existing commercial dock consisting of adding (10) 4’ x 60’ finger piers, (1) 3’ x 41’ finger pier, (2) 60’ long triangular finger piers 5’ in width on the waterward end and 11’ in width on the landward end, and (31) mooring pilings between the finger piers, creating 19 new boat 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 proposed dock modification would be within the current dock footprint/mooring area. The proposed structures would be sited outside of nearby SAV resources. Pilings would be installed via low-pressure jetting to minimize sediment displacement. Best Management Practices (BMPs) for sedimentation control such as turbidity curtains would be utilized during project construction.
CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Corps is evaluating the undertaking for effects to historic properties as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This public notice serves to inform the public of the proposed undertaking and invites comments including those from local, State, and Federal government Agencies with respect to historic resources. Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts may be subject to additional coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer, those federally recognized tribes with concerns in Florida and the Permit Area, and other interested parties.
ENDANGERED SPECIES:
The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect but is not likely to adversely affect the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), and giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) or designated critical habitat. The Corps will request National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with this determination pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
The Corps has determined, based on the use of The Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, and the State of Florida Effect Determination Key for the Manatee in Florida, that the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) with the applicant’s agreement to abide by the Standard Manatee Conditions for In-water Work (2011).
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 0.40 acre of estuarine subtidal habitat utilized by various life stages of shrimp, reef fish, sharks and coastal migratory pelagic species in Saint Andrews Bay. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries in Saint Andrews Bay. 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.
Navigation: Based on coordinates provided by the applicant, the waterward edge of the proposed structure is approximately 35 feet away from the near bottom edge of the Grand Lagoon federal channel.
SECTION 408: The applicant may require permission under Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (33 USC 408) because the activity, in whole or in part, may alter, occupy, or use a Corps Civil Works project.
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.
COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing within 21 days from the date of this notice. Comments should be submitted via the Regulatory Request System (RRS) public notice module at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs/public-notices. Alternatively, you may submit written comments through the Panama City Permits Section at 415 Richard Jackson Boulevard, Suite 411, Panama City Beach, Florida 32407.
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, Kelly Bunting, in writing at the Panama City Permits Section at the address above; by electronic mail at Kelly.A.Bunting@usace.army.mil; or, by telephone at (850) 763-0717, extension 2.
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.
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.
WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION (WQC): WQC is required from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). WQC was granted by FDEP on April 17, 2025.
COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONSISTENCY: Coastal Zone Management Consistency (CZMA) is required and was granted by the FDEP on April 17, 2025.
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.
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