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Dawson & Associates

Rallying to protect the environment

February 28, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Opponents of the Ridge Road extension are digging in for a battle with Pasco, and if need be, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, over a road that would cut through a portion of the Serenova Preserve.

About 75 people showed up in hiking clothes on Feb. 16, to walk trails at the Serenova Tract, at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park.

Richard Stauffer, of Aripeka, studied the trail map of the Serenova Tract. He is a regular visitor to the park and a member of the Florida Native Plant Society. He joined a large group of people on Feb. 16 for a walking tour at the Serenova Tract and a rally against the proposed extension of Ridge Road. (Fred Bellet)

It was a Facebook-promoted rally to bring attention to natural habitats that they fear will be lost if Ridge Road is built.

“Our concern is fragmentation of habitat and how much the county will pay for the road. It’s a Pandora’s box,” said Josh McCart, a member of the Sierra Club. He also helped organize the rally, sponsored by Save the Serenova Coalition. More than 30 area groups belong to the coalition, including the Sierra Club.

Coalition member Dan Callaghan was heartened by the turnout. He hopes it will be an inspiration to others to get involved.

As he watches development gobble up large tracts of land in Pasco, Callaghan worries that conservation lands, and wildlife habitats, will be lost.

“That’s the direction we’re heading in, if we don’t stop this. Serenova is a test,” he said. “If we don’t stop it here, Pasco is gone.”

The fight over this road began nearly 20 years ago.

Pasco County officials hope for a resolution, and a work permit from the Army Corps, by the end of this year.

Josh McCart, front right, of New Port Richey, helped organize a walking tour at the Serenova Tract. McCart, a member of the Save the Serenova Coalition, said he posted information on Facebook and was overwhelmed by the large turnout.

The proposed project is for an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road, which now dead-ends at Moon Lake Road. The new road would link Moon Lake in west Pasco to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, across from an entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton.

The road is a county priority that would serve as a new east-west evacuation route during hurricanes.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr. said, via email, that the new route would significantly reduce evacuation times for about 180,000 people who live within that evacuation zone.

“The road would also provide relief to people currently using (State Road) 52 and (State Road) 54,” Wells noted.

The county has set aside about $40 million toward an estimated $68 million for construction of the first segment from Moon Lake to the east side of the Suncoast Parkway exchange. An additional $2.5 million is allocated for right-of-way purchases.

No funds are available, as yet, for the second phase of construction, which would take the road to U.S. 41. That phase isn’t expected to be built until development occurs on land along that portion of the route.

The funding of Ridge Road is a sticking point for opponents, who say the county isn’t being transparent on the costs. They peg total costs as high as $150 million.

They also object to the monthly fee of about $28,500 paid to Washington D.C. consultants, with Dawson & Associates, to lobby for the road’s work permit.

Dan Rametta is an opponent of the Ridge Road extension through the Serenova Preserve. He has worked against the project for 20 years.

The project gained new momentum in 2017, as the Trump administration issued an executive order meant to speed up permits for infrastructure projects. Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis also sent letters of support.

No decision has been made, but Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles said, “We still expect it later this year.”

Attorneys for the Sierra Club recently submitted an 80-page document contesting the project.

“They sell it as a done deal,” said McCart. “It’s not a done deal. There are a lot of costs associated to this road. The (Pasco County) commissioners are not telling us the true costs.”

The money is what bothers New Port Richey resident Barbara Sullo, who was at the rally. The county needs to fix its flooding problems, which are especially chronic in west Pasco, she said.

“They say they don’t have money to fix the roads, and yet, they spend millions on the Ridge Road extension,” Sullo said. “I don’t think people realize it’s our money.”

County data, per Wells’ email, shows that the per capita costs for the 180,000 residents within the evacuation zone, and within 2 miles of Ridge Road, would be about $400 per person.

“That doesn’t seem like too much to ensure the safety of our residents facing hurricane evacuations,” Wells said, in his email.

In April, the Corps chose one of 17 proposed routes through the Serenova Preserve as “the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative.” Additional review is being done.

The focus is on land that was set aside in a court settlement to mitigate about 200 acres of wetlands lost during construction of the Suncoast Parkway.

The Army Corps has regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act.

Save the Serenova coalition member Dan Rametta said the settlement is being circumvented.

“How does a four-lane road keep it in its natural state?” he said. He points to the Ridge Road connection that will link with Connerton, and also will cut through a portion of the Bexley Ranch property.

“It’s basically a developer’s road,” Rametta said.

County officials said wetlands lost due to the road project will be mitigated through preservation of other lands. About 2.3 acres of wetlands will be impacted, but about 82 percent of wetland impacts have been reduced, they said.

And, bridges already built, and parts of the proposed road, are elevated above the conservation land.

“You can’t say we haven’t worked through the process to reduce the impact,” Biles said.

Save the Serenova coalition members said there will inevitably be environmental losses.

“Every time you divide a large parcel up, you diminish the land, the plants, birds, everything,” said Aripeka resident Richard Stauffer.

He is a member of the Florida Native Plant Society, which belongs to the coalition. There are concerns among its members about a federally protected plant – the pond spice.

Some plants were found in Serenova, though so far not within the proposed construction area, Stauffer said, adding that more research should be done.

Sharon Holding, also is a member of the native plant society. She handed out fliers and helped with the walking tour.

“Certainly, it will impact people out here,” she said. “We need these places as reprieve from the busyness of our lives.”

Pasco also needs conservation land for ecotourism. “I’d like to see us promote that” Holding said. “We can’t stop people from moving to Pasco. We can plan our developments a lot smarter.”

Rametta said the movement to block Ridge Road is getting stronger.

“Commissioners need to pay attention,” he said. “There are voters here. There are consequences.”

Published February 28, 2018

Efforts continue for Ridge Road permit

May 17, 2017 By Kathy Steele

The long process of winning approval for a permit to build an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road could yield a decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers within 14 months or less, according to a consulting firm hired by Pasco County.

The Army Corps identified one of 17 proposed routes as “the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative,” as stated in an April 27 letter to county officials and the Florida Department of Transportation.

Ridge Road dead-ends in west Pasco County at the intersection with Moon Lake Road and Decubellis Road. The county wants to extend Ridge Road from west Pasco to U.S. 41 for an evacuation route.
(Kathy Steele)

“That’s very important,” said Dwight Beranek, senior advisor at Washington D.C.-based Dawson & Associates. “(It) allows the county to focus all of its attention and energy on one project as opposed to 17.”

Beranek gave Pasco County commissioners an update on the status of the county’s permit application at the May 9 meeting in Dade City.

The proposed route would be a four-lane, partially elevated road cutting through a portion of the Serenova Preserve. It would link Ridge Road, which dead-ends at Moon Lake Road and Decubellis Road in New Port Richey, to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The eastern portion would come out opposite Connerton Boulevard, the main entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton. An interchange at Suncoast Parkway also would be built.

Pasco County officials give high priority to the road extension as an evacuation route during hurricanes and other emergencies. But, a permit has eluded them for nearly 19 years at a cost of at least $15 million.

County commissioners on May 2 approved an additional $404,000 for a month-to-month contract with Dawson & Associates.

Environmentalists vehemently oppose the Ridge Road extension, citing potential harm to a conservation area, as well as flooding and water pollution worries. They also say the project is more about opening the Serenova to development than about providing an evacuation route.

A Facebook page, Save the Serenova Preserve from the Road to Nowhere, is a rallying site for opponents who have been meeting on the matter for the past months.

“We will fight this with every legal option at our disposal,” said Tim Martin, chairman of the conservation committee for the Suncoast Sierra Club. “We’re trying to organize resistance. I think a lot of people are frustrated and upset by the developments.”

Dawson & Associates will aid the county in the next months on documents that detail construction and environmental impacts to the route identified by the Army Corps. At the same time, a modification also is needed on a prior permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, known as Swiftmud.

“There’s a lot of different activities left to be done,” said Beranek. But, he added, that the county is “well-positioned” to move forward to what hopefully will be a favorable decision.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore pushed for a commitment sooner than 14 months to get an updated permit from Swiftmud and construction permit from the Army Corps.

“I don’t see it taking that long,” Moore said.

Published May 17, 2017

Quest continues for Ridge Road permit

March 15, 2017 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County officials are hoping a letter of support from Gov. Rick Scott, and an executive order from President Donald Trump, could finally lead to a permit to build the Ridge Road extension.

For 19 years, the county has pursued the permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an approximately 8-mile road extension that would cut through a portion of the Serenova Preserve. The road extension is a high priority for the county to give residents an additional evacuation route during hurricanes.

But, critics of the project vow to fight an extension of the road.

Clay Colson, chairman of the nonprofit Citizens for Sanity Inc., said development, not a hurricane route, is behind the county’s efforts to extend Ridge Road through the preserve.

“The county had this idea of entitlement,” he said. “They think they are entitled to the permit.”

A county delegation, including Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker and Pasco County commissioners Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano, went to Washington D.C., in early March, to lobby for the project.

During an unexpected meetup with the governor, Baker asked him to write a letter supporting the project.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis also wrote a letter of support and sent it to President Trump.

According to the president’s executive order, the White House Council on Environmental Quality would have 30 days to respond to the governor’s request for priority status for Ridge Road.

Scott’s office has not responded to The Laker/Lutz News to inquiries about the letter.

The president’s executive order directs federal agencies to give priority to longstanding infrastructure projects with pending environmental reviews.

“The wheels are definitely moving to try and get it finalized,” Baker said, during the March 7 county commission meeting in Dade City.

Besides running into Scott, the group also met Ted Boling, the acting director of the White House’s council on environmental quality.

While the county may be making progress toward obtaining the permit, opponents of the road say construction of the road should not be about political pressure from letters and executive orders.

“They (federal agencies) are supposed to do their job,” Colson said.

His group and others will file a lawsuit, if the permit is granted, Colson said.

The county initially submitted its application for Ridge Road in 1998. The road dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey. The extension would provide a link to U.S. 41, with a connection to Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reviews permit applications to determine if projects meet regulations within the Clean Water Act. If approved, projects should do a minimum of damage to the environment.

About 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve are under review. The land was set aside years ago to mitigate about 200 acres of wetlands lost due to construction of the Suncoast parkway.

An elevated road design to limit environmental damage is among potential alternatives for how the road extension would be built.

Over the years, environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, have opposed the Ridge Road project, saying it would destroy wildlife habitat and degrade water quality.

Pasco commissioners hired Washington D.C. consultants with Dawson & Associates in 2016 to lobby for the permit. The county is paying the firm about $28,000 a month.

The costs expended on the project so far, including land acquisitions and consultants, is about $19 million.

Published March 15, 2017

Efforts continue to extend Ridge Road

February 8, 2017 By Kathy Steele

It’s been two decades and Pasco County is still waiting on a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to extend Ridge Road — but, a push is on to try to speed things up.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is seeking to take advantage of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to accelerate reviews of “high priority” infrastructure projects.

Gus Bilirakis

The extension of Ridge Road, which would create another east/west evacuation route, has long been considered essential by Pasco County government officials.

In an effort to help move things along, Bilirakis sent a letter on Jan. 25 asking President Trump and the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality to grant priority status to the project.

The congressman also plans to reach out to Gov. Rick Scott, who has strong ties with Trump. While no formal meeting is scheduled, Bilirakis anticipates a personal appeal, as well, to Trump on Ridge Road. He counts Reince Priebus, Trump’s chief of staff, as another potential contact on the matter.

Pasco County commissioners are pressing the issue through Washington D.C.-based lobbyists. They also sent a letter to the governor requesting his support for the project.

“This is a priority for me because it’s a priority for our community,” said Bilirakis. “It’s really a nonpartisan issue. We’re talking about public safety.”

In his letter, Bilirakis cited Hurricane Hermine, which damaged 2,672 homes in Pasco County and, in total, caused $89 million in damages to Pasco County.

A favorable decision on the permit could come from U.S. Army Corps in mid-March, Bilirakis said.

But, if the permit is denied or delayed further, Bilirakis said, “The executive order overrides that.”

Trump’s executive order cites infrastructure projects that “have been routinely and excessively delayed by agency processes and procedures.”

A decision on a project’s priority shall be made within 30 days by the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, according to the executive order.

However, the council, which was created by President Richard Nixon, currently doesn’t have a chairperson. It’s not known when the Trump administration will appoint someone to fill that position.

Pasco County submitted its application for an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road in 1998. The road dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey. The extension would link to U.S. 41, with a connection to Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues permits based on regulations within the Clean Water Act.

About 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve are at issue. The land was set aside years ago to mitigate wetlands lost during construction of the parkway. For permit approval, federal law requires a minimum of damage to the environment.

Pasco County had one application rejected for insufficient data.

Dawson & Associates helped county officials with a second application, which is awaiting a final decision.

The county’s budget, for several years, has included about $42 million for the first phase of the project, if approved.

“The good people of Pasco County deserve for this (project) to happen,” Bilirakis said.

Published February 8, 2017

Patience dwindling on Ridge Road

April 13, 2016 By Kathy Steele

When it comes to the extension of Ridge Road, one Pasco County commissioner said it’s time to fish or cut bait.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore wants an answer from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the project by mid-May, or he’s ready to drop it.

The county has been waiting for 16 years for a permit on the project.

Moore reluctantly joined other commissioners on March 29 to approve a new consultants’ contract to pursue the permit, but said his tolerance is waning.

Mike Moore
Mike Moore

“I can’t continue this year after year,” Moore said. “I can’t continue even six months to give more and more funds (to a project) that I don’t know is going to happen.”

Moore signaled earlier that he had concerns about a six-month extension to a contract with consultants at Dawson & Associates.

The firm, based in Washington D.C., is helping steer the county’s permit application through the rules and regulations of multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

At the time, commissioners agreed to the contract extension, but lowered the monthly payments of $38,500 down to $28,500.

The new contract is for one year, retroactive to February 2016, with the potential for month-to-month extensions for an additional three months. The fee remained unchanged.

The contract can be terminated with 30 days’ notice.

Dawson & Associates have submitted a new road design, with more bridges, that is part of a packet under review by the federal agency.

The agency is expected to respond within a month or so, said Dwight Beranek, senior advisor with Dawson & Associates.

“We’re seeing continuous progress, and even accelerated progress, in these last months,” he said.

The federal agency rejected the county’s permit application in April 2015, citing insufficient data and analysis of 17 construction alternatives.

Additional information and the modification of one alternative have been provided, but the application remains in the bureaucratic pipeline.

The 8-mile extension is viewed as high priority as a hurricane evacuation route, and as an additional east/west connector. But, there are objections about environmental damage to the area, and additional harm if more development is encouraged.

The road would run through about 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve, set aside years ago to mitigate wetlands lost during construction of the Suncoast Parkway.

The road currently dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey.

The extension would link to U.S. 41, with a route to the parkway in Land O’ Lakes. There would be no access to the preserve from the road extension.

The county’s budget, for several years, has included $42 million for the first phase of the project.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey also expressed frustration with the lengthy process.

Pasco’s application is believed to be the longest pending permit request in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s history, but Starkey said delays aren’t unusual.
“This is a major problem with the Army Corps. It’s not just the county,” she said. “We’re not the only ones going through this.”

In agreeing to the new contract, Moore issued an ultimatum:

“I’m giving you (Dawson & Associates) until mid-May, or I’m done.”

Published April 13, 2016

Funds approved to pursue Ridge Road extension

May 27, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The Pasco Commission approved additional funds to pay a Washington D.C., consulting firm that is helping shepherd the Ridge Road extension project through the federal bureaucracy.

Commissioners agreed on May 19 to a reduced monthly fee of $28,500 for six months to Dawson & Associates. The contract could be extended three additional months if needed. Previously, the county had been paying $38,500 a month for the firm’s services.

Even with the reduced rates, the contract had two commissioners grumbling about the long process and costs of obtaining a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“They need to get this done in this time frame,” said Commissioner Mike Moore. “It’s going to be very difficult for me to approve additional funds. They need to be very aware that they need to get it done. We’re not going to keep these people in business for the next 20 years.”

The 8-mile extension of Ridge Road is a high priority for the county to provide an evacuation route during hurricanes or other emergencies. It also would be a new link connecting east and west Pasco.

The road currently dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey. The extension would link to U.S. 41 with a connection to the Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. The Corps of Engineers must issue a permit based on regulations within the Clean Water Act. The county has been pursuing the permit for nearly 15 years.

In April, Dawson & Associates aided the county in crafting a second application to obtain a permit for the project. An earlier application was rejected because the county didn’t provide sufficient data. The new submittal package provided an analysis of 17 potential alternatives for the road’s design and cost estimates.

The least damaging road, and also the most expensive road – at about $102 million – would be four lanes and partially elevated.

At issue are about 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve, set aside years ago to mitigate wetlands lost during construction of the parkway. The road extension must do the least damage to the environment in order to qualify for a permit.

The county’s budget, for several years, has included about $42 million for the first phase of the project.

That is money the county isn’t using, said Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

“We’ve got other pressing needs,” she said.

The next step in the permitting process is awaiting a response from the Corps of Engineers to know if additional information will be required.

Many of the principals at Dawson & Associates formerly worked for the Corps of Engineers or other federal agencies, said Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker.

They can interpret issues of concern and take the application to the next phase, she said.

While the federal agency is not under a deadline to make a final decision, Baker said, “We have asked that they expedite this.”

Published May 27, 2015

Efforts are on again for Ridge Road extension

April 22, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County is trying again to obtain a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road.

The project is a high priority for the county to provide an additional evacuation route during hurricanes or other emergencies.

Consultants with Washington D.C.-based Dawson & Associates briefed the Pasco Commission on April 14 on its analysis of road designs requested by the Corps of Engineers, including the county’s initial proposal and 17 alternatives. The federal agency rejected a prior application based on insufficient data.

County officials expressed frustration over the agency’s lack of information regarding its requirements prior to sending in its application.

“We would do what you want, if you’d just tell us what you want,” said Georgianne Ratliff, an urban planning consultant serving as project manager on the Ridge Road extension.

The rejected application eliminated without analysis 10 alternatives that the county considered not practical to build largely due to cost. Corps officials said detailed analysis of all options had to be provided.

“They wanted a full analysis, and we have done that,” said David Barrows, senior counselor with Dawson & Associates.

At issue are about 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve, set aside years ago to mitigate the loss of wetlands during construction of the parkway.

County officials must come up with an option that will do the least damage to the environment. Efforts to secure the permit have been ongoing for nearly 15 years.

Critics of the extension have said the project will open up the area to more development.

The county has determined that four of the 17 alternatives are practical options.

Costs range from about $77 million to nearly $102 million. The most expensive road project would be four lanes and would be partially elevated. Barrows said that alternative would be the least damaging to the environment.

It would impact about 23 acres of wetlands and 86 acres of upland habitat.

For several years the county’s budget has included about $42 million for the first phase of the project.

Currently the road dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey.

The extension would link to U.S. 41 with a connection to the Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The Corps of Engineers must issue a permit based on regulations within the Clean Water Act.

Before the matter is all settled, other agencies also will weigh in. Among them are Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Environmental Protection Agency

The next step in the process is awaiting a response from the Corps of Engineers to know if additional information will be required, Barrows said. He hopes a meeting will be scheduled within two months.

While a final decision is still months away, Barrows said there is a better understanding of what has to be done.

“I congratulate you on securing the goal posts,” said Commissioner Jack Mariano. “I’m very impressed.”

Published April 22, 2015

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