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Wind, Water, Sports Park permit remains under federal review; city awaits U.S. Fish and Wildlife formal consultation
Summary
The Shoreline Director reported the Wind, Water, Sports Park permit application was resubmitted and is undergoing interagency review. Army Corps has forwarded materials; U.S. Fish and Wildlife has requested clarifications and the city awaits the initiation and then the 90‑day formal consultation under the Endangered Species Act.
City shoreline staff updated the council on the permit status for the Wind, Water, Sports Park, describing a multi‑year, interagency review process and recent resubmission steps.
Christina Baburka, Shoreline Director, said the project’s permit application was resubmitted in December 2024 and that the Army Corps of Engineers confirmed receipt in January and has since requested and received edits to the mitigation plan and biological assessment. Baburka said the Corps initiated a public notice period in late March and requested initiation of formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the city submitted responses and revisions requested by the agencies in mid‑June.
Baburka described the remaining major items before the Corps can issue a permit: an Endangered Species Act consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, a Section 401 water quality certification and a Coastal Zone Management Act certification. She explained the ESA path: after the initiation period, U.S. Fish and Wildlife may request clarifications; once the agency confirms enough information it can begin a formal consultation period of up to 90 days that can result in a biological opinion to be incorporated into a final permit.
The update also noted input from the National Marine Fisheries Service and EPA during the public notice, and that the team adjusted hydrology and species‑effect details in the mitigation and biological documents. Baburka said staff is waiting for U.S. Fish and Wildlife to confirm whether the agency has adequate information to start the formal consultation, a step she described as “the point where they'll analyze the potential impacts on the endangered species, and the habitat that we have listed in our biological assessment.”
No permit decision was issued at the meeting; staff characterized the current status as awaiting federal consultation steps and continuing to respond to agency information requests.
