The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida Division of Emergency Management will receive the following application for Federal grant funding. Final notice is hereby given of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) consideration to provide funding in the form of a Flood Mitigation Assistance Program Grant.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 FEMA is required to consider alternatives to and to provide public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority or low-income populations.
Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.
Applicant: Escambia County
Project Title: Escambia County Acquisition and Elevation Projects
Location of Proposed Work: The area affected by this project consists of two (7) residential properties located on the following streets in Escambia County:
- Old Hickory
- Innerarity Point
- Romana
- Carondelay
- Shoshone
- North Shore
- Red Cedar
Proposed Work and Purpose: Escambia County intends to elevate three (3) single-family residential structure located in the community’s Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone AE) that have experienced flood loss. To reduce the current flooding problem, the proposed project will elevate the current foundations and structures to at least three feet above the existing base flood elevation. A new foundation and walls to support the structure will also be constructed. The lower level will be used as non-habitable storage, parking, or building access space. The enclosed area below the BFE will have a minimum of two hydrostatic openings to allow for automatic entry/exit of floodwaters, and all construction materials below BFE will be flood-resistant. The electrical and mechanical equipment outside the structure will also be elevated to at least one feet above the BFE, in accordance with ASCE-24 guidelines. Escambia County will provide proof of as-built, final elevation certificate and certificate of occupancy as required by the State and FEMA for final inspection. The project will be completed in accordance with all applicable codes and standards. Escambia County proposes to mitigate four (4) single-family residences that have experienced repetitive losses, all of which are located in the Special Flood Hazard Area. The properties will be mitigated through acquisition/demolition projects, where the community purchases a flood-prone structure from a willing seller and then demolishes it. The purchased property is deed restricted and maintained as open space in perpetuity to restore and/or conserve the natural floodplain functions. All construction will comply with Florida and local building code requirements and specifications.
Project Alternatives: The alternatives to the project that have been and will be considered are 1) the no action alternative and 2) mitigation reconstruction. These alternatives to the proposed project are not viable because under Alternative 1) the property will remain vulnerable to flood risks, including property damage and health hazards; as such, continued negative impacts on the property, residents, and community may be experienced; and Alternative 2) the estimated costs to implement the hard and soft construction activities for a Mitigation Reconstruction project are not as cost effective as an Elevation Project and the property owners desire to elevate their home rather than demolish and rebuild it.
Comment Period: Comments are solicited from the public; local, state or federal agencies; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. The comments should be made in writing and addressed to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Bureau of Recovery and Mitigation, 2555 Shumard Oak Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100. These are due within 15 days of this notice. The State will forward comments to applicable regulatory agencies as needed. Interested persons may submit comments, obtain more detailed information about the proposed action, or request a copy of the findings by contacting:
Harry Gibson, CFM, Escambia CountyFloodplain Administrator, (850) 554-2826, [email protected]
Adele Balmer, State Environmental Liaison Officer, Florida Division of Emergency Management, (407) 856-5019, [email protected]
