[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6273723,"mediaKeyId","2997568-c341d1f0454b077af96321edce9ffe19","parentId",2997568,"title","Committee discusses Bay Boulevard buffer, mitigation credits and redevelopment trade-offs","audioSeconds",657,"startMs",3156600,"endMs",3814410,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2997568-c341d1f0454b077af96321edce9ffe19&start=3156&end=3814","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2997568-c341d1f0454b077af96321edce9ffe19/thumbnail_3156600.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6273723/Port-Richey-City/Pasco-County/Florida/Committee-discusses-Bay-Boulevard-buffer-mitigation-credits-and-redevelopment-trade-offs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273723-74ee6498b107dd1ff3286360b06df7c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157245&Signature=bteLqGLRUde5s6cQDy5D~mNxQ9LrqYPv6oEU0cUrNPfEhjkaMxqztB-4X8WDL3R9FqVL~F4qKddNESbYkSpzKsxoAxHZaxPDS6nDlc8pCmqNHHXWh2IU5Y9FQ6ACq6MoPdlc623IhSEzZlbbln3avoUOOY3Cn53NhIEmxLO8Ggo2ObyZb0RF04rMPSoQyQOTWyzKKuwf0wTK6CaGvjW7tbS16Zr8Gd-OUrtI3bow8aRaJuD~PpFwoZkL6kwKJ2absXutzbkbHZbFb-J7yt8C1ZuN7kkcSB0pvs5M10s19Gig0RkE5DWa2T877-YvsbT5RH3OMS4sRx8FMhNvoebHtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Port Richey, FL","date","2025-04-15T09:08:07Z","article","Port Richey’s Resiliency and Restoration Committee discussed a potential opportunity to secure about 30 acres north of Bay Boulevard as a conservation buffer or mitigation bank, and the possible use of that land as an economic tool to encourage higher-value development in other parts of the city.

The discussion, held Monday, April 14, reviewed the idea of acquiring or negotiating use of the parcel to provide environmental offsets that could be sold or traded to developers seeking greater density in less environmentally sensitive areas. Committee members said such a trade-off could give the city leverage to concentrate development where infrastructure is already stronger, and preserve coastal buffer land that protects against storm surge and provides habitat.

Members noted constraints: state regulators and agencies such as SWFWMD and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and local environmental preservation requirements can restrict development; in one case participants said past proposals were curtailed after state-level review. The committee also discussed the cost of making low-lying parcels developable; speakers said fill and infrastructure costs can make some parcels uneconomical to develop without incentives.

Committee members linked the discussion to broader redevelopment strategy and the city’s CRA priorities. Several members recommended a measured analysis — a short due‑diligence effort to estimate the value of mitigation credits, potential revenue, and trade options before any purchase. The committee suggested the group could prepare a recommendation to City Council if due diligence shows a net benefit for the city’s finance and resilience goals.

The committee asked staff to gather existing materials — prior pitch decks, engineering reports, and any available state or county analyses — and to coordinate with the CRA and county planning staff to quantify trade-offs, infrastructure needs and likely permitting restrictions. City Council representative Ryan Vaughn confirmed he would assist with compiling records and noted the City Council’s CRA is examining redevelopment priorities including Grand Boulevard.

Members agreed to continue evaluating the parcel as a possible tool to balance coastal conservation and economic development, and to report back with initial numbers and options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Coastal Committee Meeting 04.14.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members discussed a 30-acre parcel near Bay Boulevard that could be used as a conservation buffer or mitigation bank and considered transfer-of-development-rights and CRA strategies to encourage redevelopment elsewhere in the city.","taxTitle","Port Richey City, Pasco County, Florida","taxId",54783,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6273729,"Port Richey panel asks City Council to seek Army Corps study after Sunset Boulevard flooding analysis",1667,159580,1826670,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2997568-c341d1f0454b077af96321edce9ffe19&start=159&end=1826","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2997568-c341d1f0454b077af96321edce9ffe19/thumbnail_159580.jpg","/articles/6273729/Port-Richey-City/Pasco-County/Florida/Port-Richey-panel-asks-City-Council-to-seek-Army-Corps-study-after-Sunset-Boulevard-flooding-analysis","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273729-af46c516963e25e42e4f7446421bba14/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157245&Signature=lEbq1eis1yHWHQFI8VwuZsIHk~H-xBAWWFazunxM4hwoiMBtChJuPHEQlYvaGo5HbUwCHAWMCsUYBUiDjOmbvE29AY7StKw2BWZO44vm6ypvEORpmPdyfu3fP73OBYcX5NBck8MMIzwkxZCsyeVTRyUzC-Uex97OzjVy8WeXPT9gaR2MywCticp5tAaTjfIXrF1ANE~blwgPLzRbEqWXBQ2tlUawUidDLQVvGeIKEFXCqqTeFFoyaYRj~gyKTJvV~n1~l6swkpCiTYAF32ZUr1-IYTjHm4lzEz36uF-vi~8o8GXvLiBUOiFu-ork2WjfHXpZzEym-zPG-KqbRkwpCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On Monday, April 14, the City of Port Richey Resiliency and Restoration Committee voted unanimously to recommend that City Council request a study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess the city’s low-lying areas and the federal channel and to explore options such as levees, pumps, or other structural measures.

Committee members said the recommendation follows a review of updated sea-level data and a focused look at Sunset Boulevard, a repeatedly flooded corridor. The committee discussed elevation baselines, trade-offs between raising roadway grades and stormwater drainage, and short- and long-term options for protecting access and property.

Committee Chairman Tom Rock said the committee wanted to “reset a little bit” with a baseline view of sea-level rise and local elevations before making specific recommendations. Members reviewed updated regional guidance that used Clearwater metrics and noted increases since earlier reports; the committee discussed raising the Sunset Boulevard low point (reported in the meeting as around +2.85 feet NAVD) toward a higher target to reduce routine tidal inundation and improve egress during high tides.

Discussion centered on three categories of response: (1) road- and property-raising to maintain vehicular access, (2) localized hardening such as seawalls and closing or rebuilding private boat ramps that allow seawater onto the roadway, and (3) stormwater and drainage solutions — including lift stations, oversized pipes, and storage basins — to reduce the frequency and depth of ‘‘blue‑sky’’ (tidal) flooding. Committee members warned that raising roads without addressing drainage could trap water and transfer impacts to neighboring properties.

Members also discussed scale and cost. One committee member estimated that an initial engineering study for the most affected corridor could be in the low millions and said raising even a short segment of roadway could reach multiple millions of dollars; another participant cited an example figure discussed in the meeting of roughly $4,000,000 to raise a particular road segment and suggested a comprehensive study could cost in the millions as well. Committee discussion repeatedly returned to trade‑offs: raising an arterial grade can improve egress but can worsen adjacent drainage unless paired with stormwater capacity upgrades.

After the debate, a committee member moved that the committee recommend the Army Corps study; the motion was seconded and carried with all members voting yes. The committee chair directed staff to transmit the committee’s recommendation to City Council as a formal item at the next council meeting.

The committee also discussed related next steps: pursuing a citywide stormwater master plan as a steering committee activity, coordinating with regional agencies (including Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and SWFWMD), and seeking grant funding or partnerships to offset engineering and construction costs. Members noted the committee would continue to examine short‑term measures to reduce nuisance flooding while the city pursues larger, multiagency solutions.

Looking ahead, the committee flagged the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council meeting (noted on the packet) and indicated members attending would share findings with regional planners and seek technical guidance and funding options.

The motion to request the Army Corps study was recorded as approved and will be forwarded to City Council for action.","The Port Richey Resiliency and Restoration Committee voted to recommend that City Council ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study low-lying areas and the federal channel after reviewing updated sea-level and street-elevation data for Sunset Boulevard.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee discusses Bay Boulevard buffer, mitigation credits and redevelopment trade-offs

Port Richey panel asks City Council to seek Army Corps study after Sunset Boulevard flooding analysis