PORT ST. LUCIE — Local environmentalists say they’ll consider legal action against the Army Corps of Engineers if it lets the city clear a small swatch of wetlands in the path of the Crosstown Parkway extension project. The city on Dec. 5 asked approval of a permit to fill approximately 1.53 acres of wetlands just west of U.S. 1 at Village Green Drive to build the bridge’s approach, according to application documents. Approval could result in litigation from the Conservation Alliance of St. Lucie County, group President Shari Anker said. The small piece of pristine land is worth fighting for, because its destruction could clear the way for elimination of other area wetlands, Anker said. “Not only is it taking the last palustrine wetlands on U.S. 1, but then by doing that, if the permit is granted, then we are saying it is OK to take all the rest of the wetlands at Halpatiokee Trails and along the buffer preserves,” Anker said. This image taken from documents provided by Port St. Lucie shows the wetlands in question, represented by a red shaded area toward the center of the map. Public comment to the Army Corps is due by Sunday — 30 days from the Dec. 5 application. The permit decision will be based on the information received from the public and evaluation of the probable impact to the associated wetlands, Army Corps documents state. “We as an agency believe heavily in public involvement and transparency, and certainly, input from the public will be given due consideration,” Corps public-affairs specialist John Campbell said. The Crosstown Parkway would be the city’s third east-west thoroughfare between Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 over the North Fork of the St. Lucie River to Village Green Drive — the widest section of the St. Lucie River Aquatic Reserve. It is expected to alleviate heavy traffic on Port St. Lucie and Prima Vista boulevards, where cars are bumper-to-bumper in rush hour. Construction on the $150 million project is slated to begin late next year and finish in 2018, but faces another challenge from Anker’s group. The Conservation Alliance and The Indian Riverkeeper filed a federal lawsuit in May against the Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation, claiming both agencies violated the federal Department of Transportation Act when they approved the project after eliminating alternatives that didn’t affect public-preservation land. The Conservation Alliance in August successfully challenged pre-construction permits for soil testing, forcing the city to withdraw its application for the permits. Despite the federal lawsuit, the project remains on schedule, city project manager Frank Knott said. The Florida Department of Transportation has completed appraising homes in the project’s path, FDOT right of way manager Chad Marcus said. FDOT has made 78 offers and had eight closings, Marcus said. To comment Comments regarding the potential authorization of the city’s application should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Palm Beach Gardens Permits Section, 4400 PGA Blvd., Suite 500, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410. Questions concerning the application should be directed to the project manager, Garett Lips, in writing at the Palm Beach Gardens Permits Section, 4400 PGA Blvd., Suite 500, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410; by email at [email protected]; or by telephone at 561-472-3519. Petition Opponents of the Crosstown Parkway extension project created a petition on Change.org urging the Army Corps of Engineers to deny a permit to the city of Port St. Lucie that would let the municipality clear 1.53 acres of wetlands in the way of the project. Check it out here.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:23:14 +0000
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