City staff outlines capital projects: seawalls, seawater studies, sewer conversions and King Street work

The St. Augustine City Commission received a broad capital improvement plan update from Steven Slaughter, utilities and public works director, covering coastal studies, seawalls, building restorations, sewer conversions and transportation projects.

"This is a coastal storm risk management study. It is, currently being identified. We are currently identifying and formulating mitigative, alternatives. We are 2 years into a 6 year study," Slaughter said about the U.S. Army Corps Back Bay feasibility study. He said the Corps will finalize options such as walls, levees, natural features and elevating structures as the next step.

Slaughter provided project-by-project updates: Avenue de Menendez seawall design is complete and moving to solicitation for construction; the Corte Ophelia neighborhood stormwater and utility design is near 100% and construction is estimated for later this summer; Alcazar building waterproofing and a window replacement project are both scheduled for completion by December. Slaughter said the municipal marina will see dock and fuel-dock replacements and that a municipal facility project will replace restrooms, lounge and office space.

On the King Street replacement project Slaughter said the work is in construction and that crews are doing a directional drill under the river this week and next. "This week and next we're gonna do the drill...we'll have Memorial Day weekend, and then we'll come back and we'll start the tie in process," he said. He added there will be limited lane closures and a two-day closure at Malaga Street for part of the directional-fuse process.

Slaughter reported several sewer and septic-to-sewer initiatives in West Augustine and elsewhere. The Pearl Street gravity sewer and water-main improvements are construction-complete with punch-list items remaining; staff said the Pearl project was funded by a $2,000,000 ARPA allocation and a $2,000,000 FDEP grant. Slaughter described a small-grant program and ongoing capital projects that have connected additional homes: staff reported 66 homes connected through a West Augustine mini-grant program to date and another 102 homes connected through other septic-to-sewer CIP projects; the larger Lee and Irvin Street project aims to connect about 136 homes and is pending a $5,000,000 FDEP grant response.

Other projects discussed included Lift Stations 8, 9 and 41 rehabilitation and hardening, a municipal island fire station replacement currently in design, a joint public safety training complex at the former Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 2 site, Inland Drive shoreline hardening (no water access in that project), a paving-management program that staff estimated about 40% complete, Seville Street brick roadway and utility improvements about to begin construction, and the Tolomato parking-lot design moving to construction this summer.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about easements and title work for ditches and flood mitigation (Coquina Ditch and Kerkina Ditch), the timeline and phasing for South Whitney and West King projects, and whether tide-check valve work and its maintenance are being tracked publicly. Slaughter and other staff said the city is updating its GIS and stormwater landing page to include an interactive map of tide-check-valve installations and maintenance status.

No formal votes were taken on capital items at the meeting. Staff were directed to continue design and easement procurement where needed, to provide communications updates for major traffic impacts, and to return cost estimates and phasing recommendations during the budget process.