Public Notice: Agnes Dr. Home Elevation Project

JOINT FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL

PUBLIC NOTICE

(06-07-2024)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida Division of Emergency Management have received 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 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Funds will be provided in accordance with Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended.

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:

Seminole County

Project Title:

HMGP-Hurricane Ian (FEMA 4673-DR-FL) - Seminole County, Agnes Drive #1, Elevation

Location of Proposed Work:

The area affected by this project consists of a residential home in the following location:

Agnes Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL, 32701

Proposed Work and Purpose:

The proposal is to elevate the existing structure above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) with at least 2.0 feet of freeboard. The property is a one-story concrete block structure built in 1959 on a slab-on-grade foundation and located within the AE flood zone with a current Lowest Floor Elevation (LFE) of 88.25 feet NAVD88 and a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) of 91 feet NAVD88 per FEMA Elevation Certificate and the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), respectively. The property is prone to flooding and has been subject to repetitive flooding. This susceptibility is attributed to its location in a AE Zone within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) adjacent to Lake Maltbie.

The scope of work for this elevation project shall involve building and site preparation, along with the disconnection of utilities. The existing structure shall be raised on a new stem wall with footers and piers foundation system to the proposed minimum Design Floor Elevation (DFE) of 93.0 feet NAVD88. A new concrete slab shall be formed and poured under the elevated structure, and appropriate means of ingress and egress shall be constructed to access the elevated living spaces. All utilities shall be reconnected, and service equipment shall be elevated to the required height. A professional engineer shall verify that the home is structurally sound and can withstand elevation. The proposed project intends to reduce or eliminate future flood damages to this low-lying property.

The habitable living areas of the original structure shall be elevated, and the non-habitable areas (if any) shall be converted to storage or parking. A final elevation certificate shall be completed for closeout. The  project shall be designed and constructed in compliance with the Florida Building Code, ASCE 24-14 or latest edition, the Federal Flood Risk Management Standards (FFRMS), NFIP standards in 44 CFR, Part 60 and/or local floodplain ordinances or any other applicable local regulations.

Project Alternatives:

The alternatives to the project that have been and will be considered are 1) the no action alternative and 2) acquire property, demolish structure, and maintain property as open space in perpetuity. These alternatives to the proposed project are not viable because under Alternative 1) repetitive flooding is not alleviated and the needs of the community would not be served; and Alternative 2) property owner(s) would be unnecessarily displaced and is not the will of the community.

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 Mitigation, 2555 Shumard Oak Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100. These are due within 30 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:

Kathryn Valentine, Mitigation Coordinator                                                   (407) 665-1012

Seminole County Emergency Management                                                  kvalentine@seminolecountyfl.gov                                                  

Kayla Born, State Lead Environmental Specialist                                        (850) 273-9289

Florida Division of Emergency Management                                                Kayla.Born@em.myflorida.com